Nursing is a critical healthcare profession that bases its success on various approaches. Quality nursing comprises excellent leadership, incorporating evidence-based practices when providing care, integrating research models in nursing practice, and designing care for different societal groups. Nursing also entails incorporating health promotion methods in care provision, role modeling responsibility, and accountability, and being professional. Nurses should be well informed about contemporary health problems and the roles of global citizens. Lastly, nurses should conceptualize and engage in collaboration in the healthcare environment. During this semester, I participated in an RN-BSN program that provided me with the essentials of a wholesome nurse as lectured in the coursework.
I have gained critical leadership skills while participating in the program. I was assigned the team leader of my class and learned that a good leader should adopt the transformational leadership style. I continuously encouraged my team members to be creative, innovative, self-motivated, and respectful while respecting their autonomy (Dally, Jackson, Mannix, & Davidson, 2014). My team engaged in collaborative decision-making, besides sharing experiences and knowledge gained during the program. Our problem-solving approach included seeking a multidisciplinary tactic to solve issues, and effective communication was highly encouraged. Hence, I acquired essential leadership tactics that are important for handling multidisciplinary tea by engaging in the RN-BSN program.
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I also acquired experience in evidence-based nursing practices through the use of research. I was assigned a research team for a week. I learned that using contemporary nursing care from well-researched studies, recognizing patient preferences and values, and applying clinical expertise are essentials of positive patient outcomes (Black, Balneaves, Garossino, Puyat, & Qian, 2015). I learned that evidence-based practice enhances clinical outcomes, patient safety, and overall care cost reduction. I observed that the barriers to useful research include limited knowledge of research processes and the appropriate critique steps for a completed study. Additionally, unsupportive colleagues, insufficient time for research completion, and inadequate equipment hinder positive research outcomes. Further, I learned that healthcare systems could support clinical research by facilitating and funding research protocols, providing educated mentors, and advocating for nursing research internships. Therefore, the RN-BSN program enlightened me on research and evidence-based nursing practice adequately.
I also learned that clinical research is only complete after being submitted for peer review or presented to a professional team of healthcare workers for assessment. The World Health Organization (WHO) mandates clinical trials to be published for public access, where human subjects were involved as an ethical approach (Curtis, Fry, Shaban, & Considine, 2017). WHO also mandates the presentation of adverse outcomes irrespective of the risks involved. Thus, research outcomes must be publicly presented for designing diagnoses.
The RN-BSN program also provided a platform for me to engage in designing care for communities, individuals, and groups. I was part of a team that provided care to a patient whose family was significantly involved in the care provided. I observed the nurses providing their clinical expertise backed by scientific evidence to a patient and their family while discussing the outcomes of their ideas (Bhatt & Bathja, 2018). The convalescents and their families would then allow the suggested treatment to be implemented, and then provide feedback on the suitability of the care model after two days. The approach helped nurses to determine the best care for patients based on collective efforts from the patients and caregivers. Similar models may be applied while providing group and community-based care. Therefore, I gained experience in designing appropriate care for the community, individuals, or groups through the RN-BSN program.
Further, I learned how to conduct health promotion and education in nursing care for societal benefits. I attended a seminar during the RN-BSN program, where I learned that health challenges from several aspects, such as socio-economic conditions, demographic patterns, socio-political changes, consumption patterns, family patterns, learning environments, and globalization (Salmond & Echevarria, 2017). Hence, nurses should empower individuals to own their health, besides advocating for all public policies to incorporate health. Additionally, the healthcare fraternity may foster public health leadership, besides strengthening the health system by encouraging multisectoral and intersectoral partnerships to enhance care quality. Finally, nurses should advocate for setting-specific healthcare delivery, such as specialized care for schools, workplaces, and residential areas. Hence, I acquired extensive knowledge of promoting healthcare standards during the RN-BSN program.
The RN-BSN program further helped me to exercise responsibility and accountability as a nurse. I was aware that patient interests supersede my bias when delivering care in various hospital units. I did not discriminate patients based on their race, age, educational backgrounds, or socioeconomic orientations. I ensured that patient concerns were adequately addressed throughout the program. Additionally, the program provided a platform for me to improve my professional knowledge, besides enabling me to gain state licensure that is essential for practice. Moreover, I was careful to have moral conduct in and away from the workplace. I advocated for the perpetuation of ethical standards in the workplace, besides conducting civic education in my community on the best disease avoidance approaches and how to enhance one’s the well-being and health. Thus, the NR-BSN provided me a chance to show accountability and responsibility.
Furthermore, the RN-BSN program provided me with the opportunity to integrate my professional values in my roles. I ensured that I exhibited altruism in my service delivery by showing concern for all my patients and their well-being while being aware that altruism has no reward. I was also autonomous when handling patients by showing self-direction and self-determination even when I encountered obstacles. Additionally, I role modeled human dignity by respecting the inherent uniqueness and worth of all my patients, their caregivers, and my community. I further showed integrity by aligning my actions with ethical and acceptable nursing practice standards. Finally, I practiced social justice upholding humanistic, legal, and moral principles in my conduct while at and away from the work environment. Therefore, the RN-BSN program provided me with a platform to show incorporate my professional values into my roles.
I attended a workshop organized by the RN-BSN program to discuss how health care professionals can alleviate the challenges that contemporary diseases and illnesses create. I learned that challenging conditions today are chronic illnesses, such as heart and kidney failure, and cancer. Other diseases that create challenges in society today are obesity, dental diseases, neurological disturbances, adjustments to old age, and neurological disturbances. I also learned that some healthcare approaches have helped solve the problems caused by diseases, such as chemotherapy, immunization, vaccination, and advocating for the community to observe positive behavioral patterns and maintain cleanliness. However, the healthcare sector still faces challenges in handling degenerative conditions that ensue during old age. Hence, the RN-BSN program has helped me to gain extensive knowledge of contemporary illnesses and diseases.
I am now aware that a nurse in today’s world should embrace global citizenship by showing awareness of global happening, besides actively engaging in community work to enhance global sustainability. As a global citizen, I should build my conceptualization of the events in the world, internalize and assess the importance of my values, and apply the knowledge I have acquired in real-life scenarios. I also have a role in challenging societal intolerance and ignorance, besides actively participating in the global, national, and local community enhancement activities. Finally, as a global citizen, it is my role to voice my opinions and positively impact my community. Hence, the RN-BSN program enhanced my awareness that I am a global citizen with diverse tasks.
Finally, the RN-BSN program provided me with a platform to engage in collaborative care provision. I worked with other healthcare professionals to provide care for patients with kidney failure who had developed type 1 diabetes and hypertension. I acquired extensive knowledge from my colleagues and enjoyed the useful communication role modeled while collaborating with my colleagues. I also observed that my quality of patient care was more enhanced during the program and that patient safety levels increased from implementing the collaborative care approach. Finally, I realized I was more recognized during the collaboration exercise, which provided me with the opportunity to be innovative. Hence, the RN-BSN program enhanced my understanding that the collaboration model is essential for positive healthcare outcomes.
Conclusion
The RN-BSN program provides nursing students with numerous opportunities to enhance their professional skills. Additionally, nurses understand the dynamics of conducting viable research and how to incorporate research findings into clinical practice. Finally, the program enables nurses to understand the importance of involvement in community activities. Thus, the NR-BSN program was highly educational for me.
References
Bhatt, J., & Bathija, P. (2018). Ensuring access to quality health care in vulnerable communities. Academic Medicine , 93 (9), 1271-1275. doi:10.1097/acm.0000000000002254
Black, A. T., Balneaves, L. G., Garossino, C., Puyat, J. H., & Qian, H. (2015). Promoting evidence-based practice through a research training program for point-of-care clinicians. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration , 45 (1), 14-20. doi:10.1097/nna.0000000000000151
Curtis, K., Fry, M., Shaban, R. Z., & Considine, J. (2016). Translating research findings to clinical nursing practice. Journal of Clinical Nursing , 26 (5-6), 862-872. doi:10.1111/jocn.13586
Daly, J., Jackson, D., Mannix, J., Davidson, P., & Hutchinson, M. (2014). The importance of clinical leadership in the hospital setting. Journal of Healthcare Leadership , 75. doi:10.2147/jhl.s46161
Salmond, S. W., & Echevarria, M. (2017). Healthcare transformation and changing roles for nursing. Orthopaedic Nursing , 36 (1), 12-25. doi:10.1097/nor.0000000000000308
