NRS-430V Contemporary Nursing Practice
NRS-430V Contemporary Nursing Practice
Nurses remain at the core of effective care provision and a growing profession because of its evolution as shown in NRS-430V Contemporary Nursing Practice. The need for advanced education and training, ensures that nurses are well positioned to deliver care in a transforming . Today, professional nursing entails specialization and scopes of practice based on one’s clinical skills, capabilities, and competencies. The use of innovative care models and evidence-based practice implores nurses to advance their education, focus on patient care, and work in teams to enhance quality and delivery of patient care (Graebe & Chappell, 2019). The purpose of this essay is to evaluate contemporary nursing practice and evaluate how it has changed over time and its position today in health care system.
Changing Nursing Practice and The Effect of the Evolution On Scope of Practice & Patient Treatment: NRS-430V Contemporary Nursing Practice
The nursing profession has witnessed several changes since its establishment. Originally, nursing was about caretaking and caregiving roles that were assigned to women. The women did not have formal training or nursing education. In most instances, they were housewives and possess skills and knowledge transferred from family members who had the desire to care for the sick. The scope of their practice was not limited (Salmond & Echevarria, 2017). These women treated patients as guests in their homes. However, things changed and have been transforming since the Crimean War when Nightingale made nursing a distinct model to care for the wounded soldiers by writing “Notes on Nursing in 1854. The Civil War of 1861 also demonstrated the increased role of nurses based on women who followed their husbands, brothers, and fathers to care for them. The main responsibilities of these women included ensuring that the patients were comfortable and reported any issue to physicians.
The initial concept of nursing emanated from these two critical events as physicians wanted trained women who became nurses. Hospitals began programs to train nurses as caregivers. These programs defined the scope of practice for the nurses. By end of 19th century, many hospitals had their nurse training programs but were not standardized (Graebe & Chappell, 2019). Over the next century, nursing practice evolved and changed leading to a contemporary nurse who is expected to use evidence-based practice (EBP) interventions, be a critical thinkers and highly trained and educated. Nurses are today better equipped and have increased scope of practice based on their specialties. The provision of advanced education has enhanced their training and allowed them to think more critically and enabled them to conduct more role in clinical setting. Nurses are not primary care providers in certain regions, have better skills and control the treatment process while advocating for patients to enhance overall care outcomes.
Differentiated Practice Competences Between Associate and Baccalaureate Nursing Education
In comparing the practice competencies of associate and baccalaureate nursing education, the BSN-prepared nurses are considered as professional nurses while associate-degree trained nurses are technical nurses. Further, ANDs are trained primarily on clinical skills while BSN have more focus on nursing research, clinical skills, and management. Both qualifications equip nurses with essential skills focused on meeting accepted patient care standards. However, BSN nurses are more focused on disease prevent, advocacy, research, community health, and execution of best practices.
They also examine or evaluate data and informatics and generating effective solutions to patient outcomes based on their scope of practice (Salas et al., 2018). On their part, the scope of ADNs include basic nursing care that includes recording patient’s history, recoding symptoms, and utilizing simple medical equipment as well as provision of patent education on disease prevention, healthy living and respecting physician appointments and medical reviews. In summary of NRS-430V Contemporary Nursing Practice, BSN-trained and prepared nurses have more varied differentiated practice competencies and expanded scope of practice compared to those with AND qualifications.
Patient Care Coordination
BSN-trained or prepared nurses have a different approach to nursing care and decision making when dealing with patients in care situations (Salas et al., 2018). For instance, a patient presenting with chronic conditions like diabetes may implore on the BSN-trained nurse to make better decisions and take effective actions compared to the ADN nurse. A patient with type II diabetes may experience chest pain and shortness of breath. The patient has an NPO directive as he is scheduled for surgery at 9 am the following morning for catherization of heart. The patient takes Eliquis twice daily since getting a stent in the heart. He also takes Clonidine for chronic hypertension. The vitals show elevated blood pressure of 108/60. The patient should be given insulin per sliding scale ACHS. However, at 7am, the patient experience a FSBS of 150mg/dL. In this case, the ADN nurse may give Eliquis which is an anticoagulant medication at 9pm since she may not be aware that research evidence shows that having anticoagulant medication 12 hours or more before surgery reduces the risk of fatal bleeding. The implication is that a BSN nurse is likely to handle the situation differently by not giving these medication and insulin because of the risk they portend for the patient.
Evidence-Based Practice
The deployment of evidence-based practice is important in delivery of quality health care to patients since it is founded on knowledge and research evidence as well as clinical trials. Through EBPs, hospitals offer more reliable and high-quality patient care. Nurses enhance their critical thinking skills, enhance their observation and procession of information while practicing and brainstorming ideas to make necessary improvements in care delivery (Verot et al., 2021). The academic preparation of the RN-BSN nurse supports the application of EBP as it prepares nurses to use evidence coming from research to make better care decisions and apply their critical thinking skills in different patient situations. The BSN also supports EBP in nursing by training nurses on leadership, management and effective communication as well as having scientific research skills.
Communication and Collaboration with Interdisciplinary Teams
Nurses are effective communicators and collaborators in care delivery. Nurses communicate and collaborate with interdisciplinary teams using different approaches. These include using electronic approaches, handwritten notes, texts and emails (McMenamin et al., 2019). Further, the integration of health information technologies has improved communication and collaboration among these teams as nurses can use electronic health records, telehealth and telemedicine means and teleconference to communicate not just with professionals but also patients and deliver quality care.
NRS-430V Contemporary Nursing Practice Conclusion
Nursing remains the foundation of patient care. The profession has transformed and continues its transformation for better care delivery. Nurses are at the forefront of care provision and advanced education allows them to be primary care providers in different care settings. ADNs and BSN-prepared nurses have different approaches to care provision for patients in diverse situations. therefore, by leveraging on EBP interventions, the contemporary nurse is well-positioned to offer quality care in a transforming healthcare system.
NRS-430V Contemporary Nursing Practice References
Graebe, J., & Chappell, K. (2019). Looking back and leaping forward—a reflection on the
evolution of nursing continuing professional development credentialing. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 50(12), 531-533. DOI: 10.3928/00220124-20191115-01.
McMenamin, A., Sun, C., Prufeta, P., & Raso, R. (2019). The evolution of evidence-based
practice. Nursing Management, 50(9), 14-19.
DOI: 10.1097/01.NUMA.0000579000.09987.b0.
Salmond, S. W., & Echevarria, M. (2017). Healthcare transformation and changing roles for
nursing. Orthopedic nursing, 36(1), 12. doi: 10.1097/NOR.0000000000000308
Salas, E., Zajac, S., & Marlow, S. L. (2018). Transforming health care one team at a time: ten
observations and the trail ahead. Group & Organization Management, 43(3), 357-381. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059601118756554
Verot, E., Denois, V. R., & Chauvin, F. (2021). Current perceptions of cancer nurses in France
about their role and the evolution of nursing practices: Findings and perspectives. Social Science & Medicine, 277, 113896. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113896.
Topic 2 DQ 1
Define critical thinking and evidence-based practice. Discuss what critical thinking in nursing practice entails and explain why it is important. Discuss the role of critical thinking and evidence-based practice as they relate to client outcomes.
Handwashing is such a simple act that can bring such big results. It is an easy task to wash our hands or use a hand sanitizer.
So why don’t we do it?
Sometimes it may be an education issue. We don’t think that we really did anything that could contaminate us. Is taking someone’s pulse considered a clean or dirty procedure? Do I need to wash my hands before? After? Both?
What about just straightening the patient’s blanket? Or handing them their cell phone?
Things to think about. While these seem like simple things – it is something that we need to critically think about.
Here are a couple of resources to look at:
Hand washing is very important in and out of healthcare practices, it help to keep you healthy and prevent the spread of respiratory and diarrheal infections. Taking someone pulse is considered dirty, even touching the patient cell and straightening the patient blanket . So it’s best to practice a wash in wash out procedure.
Correct hand washing techniques were always a good step/reminder before going in a patients room and after leaving a patients room. It is essential that proper hand washing is done to keep from spreading any germs from patient to patient. It also keeps us nurses healthy from any bacteria that is spread through hospitals and or clinics.
Washing hands is a vital factor in preventing infection/illness to and from our most vulnerbal hosts. It is any easy task that should be second nature to most. However, some view it as out of sight, out of mind and a distraction from tasks. Oftentime, we do need to be edcuated on proper hand hygiene ie., the method and length of time in addition to when to use hand sanitizer and whenshing with soap and water is the preferred method. Unfortunately, many nosocomial infections are transmitted by staff not or improperly washing hands in between patients. Should this simple task receive critical thought? Initially, the response would be NO, of course not; however, handwashing is often overlooked until it is too late.
In addition to the patients being set back negatively resulting from improper hand hygiene, nosocomial infections are costly. To add insult to injury, preventable conditions are not covered by most insurance companies. What’s most unfortunate is that more often than not, these illnesses could be prevented with proper handwashing. To add insult to injury, preventable conditions are not covered by most insurance companies.
In addition, please note that with proper hand hygiene we are protecting our patients and families. This is especially true of continuous, repeat offenders as they may need educating on technique and consequences of failure to wash hands properly. This simple protocol should be taken seriously and not be overlooked as the consequences may lead to my death.
