Nurses play a critical role in health care, ensuring that patients receive quality and compassionate care services. The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) endorsed nine core competencies that all graduate nurses must follow to guide their nursing practice. Additionally, these core competencies build upon the existing educational practice guidelines, integrating behaviors that define the scope of a licensed independent practitioner. All nursing practitioners who master these NONPF competencies are ready to meet the challenges that encompass the complex healthcare environment, translating the knowledge they learned in class into practice. The nurse practitioner competencies are nurtured through patient care experiences that focus on interpersonal and interprofessional analytical skills that [provide evidence-based and patient-centred care practice. This paper discusses how the nine NONPF core competencies have prepared and guided my nursing practice.
NONPF Core Competencies
Scientific Foundation
As a nurse graduate practitioner, the scientific foundation competency ensures that I gain comprehensive knowledge of medical sciences. The program has been an eye-opener on using science and evidence-based practice in advancing the nursing practice. Further, the program has boosted my skills and knowledge in critically analyzing evidence based on scientific data, integrated both science and humanities to add to the existing knowledge in nursing science. Through a scientific foundation, understanding and interpreting research data has been achieved within the nursing program. The need to use research and evidence-based practice will significantly define my nursing practice, further contributing to improving nursing outcomes. Ultimately, through the scientific foundation, the nursing program has introduced me to new theoretical frameworks, leading to the development of a new practice approach to nursing.
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Leadership Competencies
Leadership plays a significant role in the nursing field. As nurse graduates, possessing leadership skills will lead to a smooth transition from the classroom scenario to a health setting. Through the program, I have learned complex and critical leadership roles and skill necessary to achieve change. As health care is constantly evolving, possessing the appropriate leadership skills will drive change within the setting. Additionally, the program has emphasized collaboration and teamwork on improving patient and overall health outcomes. Integrated healthcare teams are becoming a norm in most health facilities, and managing these diverse teams mandate having the right skill set to lead, influence, motivate and guide the team. The program has also fostered creative and critical thinking, a skill that I vital for every leader. In essence, critical and reflective leaders see opportunities in every situation, are innovative, and advocate for better access to care services.
Quality Competencies
Quality in the nursing field should the target of every health practitioner. The program focuses on demonstrating how quality, access, cost, and safety are interlinked. Nurses are required to ensure patient safety is achieved while providing quality care services to them. At the same time, nurses should use evidence-based practices to improve the quality of care continuously. While quality does not only relate to care services, the program emphasized fostering better organizational structure and process, marketing, and financing to enable the facility to run properly. Through the program, I have learned the need to maintain an excellent organizational culture within the healthcare setting, determine variations in nursing practice, and implement new approaches to improving quality access.
Practice Inquiry Competencies
A correlation exists between leadership and practice inquiry. Throughout the program, I have understood the need to convert new knowledge into actual nursing practice to improve quality, patient safety, and outcomes. The program has sharpened my critical thinking skills and exposed me to challenges facing clinical practice. The lessons and key takeaways from this clinical practice will help improve my nursing practice and foster better patient outcomes. I have also gained knowledge on the different nursing guidelines critical to shaping my nursing practice and career. I have also seen the significance of patient education and the methods through which to disseminate such information.
Technology and Information Literacy Competencies
Incorporating technology into the nursing field has brought significant progress to quality, access, and delivery of care to patients. The program has introduced me to health care technologies that simply care delivery, such as electronic health records and other hospital management systems. Being technology literate, especially in this tech-demanding health setting, translates to knowledge gain to improving health services. Additionally, the program has fostered the accessibility of patient and caregiver educational needs that allow nurses to provide effective and patient-centred health care. Behavior change is also part of technology and information literacy competencies, more so where patient education and health promotion are achieved through information sharing. Through the program, I have acquired information literacy skills that contribute to the overall decision-making process, contribute to designing clinical information systems, and evaluates clinical data through data-driven tools in the nursing field.
Policy Competencies
Policy development and implementation are very crucial elements in nursing. The program has emphasized policy development and the role these policies play in mitigating common healthcare challenges. The program has widened my understanding of policy in health care and its relation to practice. While the nursing guidelines form part of my nursing practice, I should ensure ethical policing is attained within the clinical setting. I have a deep understanding of analyzing and critiquing the ethical, legal, and conceptual frameworks that influence policy formulation. The program has also provided opportunities to contribute to health policy development. This also includes analyzing the implications of health policies on patient safety and outcomes.
Health Delivery System Competencies
Improving the delivery of the health care system mandates employing various strategies and knowledge on organizational practices. Health care is sensitive, and with the right skills and knowledge, enacting change becomes simple. The program has broadened my understanding of the development of health care delivery systems that address key healthcare challenges, such as culture and diversity. Throughout the program, culture and a diverse workforce, including leadership roles, have been extensively disused. Interdisciplinary teams and diverse teams encompass today's work environment, and the nursing fraternity must embrace this diversity to achieve a better delivery system. Additionally, I have acquired the knowledge to evaluate the impact a health delivery system within a specific health facility has on patients and their outcomes. The evaluation metrics include the organization's structure, stakeholder contributions, and resources needed to improve care delivery.
Ethics Competencies
As earlier noted, nurses must demonstrate moral values and uphold ethical practices when caring for their patients. The program has focused on ethical principles within the health setting, emphasizing the implications of ethical dilemmas that nurses face while providing care. Additionally, nurses are mandated to exhibit accountability within their practice as it further defines their professional practice. Improving the health care delivery system follows the formulation and implementation of ethical policies that will guide the nursing practice. For instance, patient-centred care, integrity, and honesty are core elements that encompass ethics in nursing. Ultimately, as nurses face and find solutions to complex health issues surrounding care provision, they need to foster ethical principles and demonstrate core competencies while making sound decisions.
Independent Practice Competencies
The NONPF is clear on nurse practitioners, noting that they should act independently and provide appropriate care services to patients and their families. As part of the nursing program, the clinical practice has emphasized accountability and professionality within the health setting. In essence, nurses are required to provide a wide range of care services to patients, including diagnosis procedures, health promotion, and disease control and prevention interventions. On the other hand, I have also acquired critical assessment skills that lead to better health outcomes while mitigating any ethical and legal concerns when combined with screening and diagnostic strategies.
Social Change in the Community
Health and social change are complex concepts that cannot be easily achieved without collaboration and positive behavior change from community members. Arguably, community-led health and social change can be achieved if the right strategies are implemented. More specifically, health has been a common challenge that continues to affect all community members. Access to care services remains a challenge despite several policy changes enacted over the past few years. While these initiatives can improve the health care delivery system over time, their benefits are hardly seen. Bringing change to the community mandates engaging with all community members to identify and formulate solutions that impact their lives and health.
Social change requires collaboration and partnership between different agencies whose visions are geared towards enriching community health and social change. One proposal to bring social change in the community is seeking assistance from community organizations. According to Baptiste, et al. (2020), understanding the community and the challenges that impact it is critical to formulating strategies that foster social change. In essence, having a clear picture of what unites the community is essential to creating engagement with all members. As such, becoming a mentor and joining these community-led organizations can create better opportunities to enact change. For instance, through mentorship programs, I can empower other members through skills and knowledge critical to social change.
Another proposal is to create a charitable event for a noble cause. In the article Compassion in the Community. BrumYODO: A community-led palliative care initiative. Why do people attend and what are the benefits? Mitchell (2020) acknowledges the discrepancies surrounding quality of life and hospital admissions due to poor palliative care systems. She notes that most community people, whether young or old, live in a state of uncertainty due to underserving health conditions and status. She believes that organizing charitable events to raise awareness on better healthy lifestyles can significantly bring social change among the members. However, these charitable events will only be successful if collaboration with other health-related bodies and the local government work together towards a shared vision.
Community meetings are another strategy to foster social change. These meetings create opportunities for people to air out their concerns or ideas that can bring change. At the same time, these community meetings are geared towards bringing like-minded people together where a more in-depth community familiarity can be developed. Such meetings can further lead to the development of community-led initiatives and programs with a mission to enforce social change, improving the lives and health of all people (Banks et al., 2018). Resources can also be generated through these community meetings, where people seek more assistance from the local government and other private organization. Such collaborations, as earlier noted, can go a long way to supporting change in the community.
As a nurse practitioner, creating change will require more than just a voice. Health promotion is an effective strategy that can help improve the lives and health of community members. Health promotion is beneficial to people, especially those living with life-threatening diseases. According to Mitchell (2020), creating awareness through health promotion can lead to behavioral change, especially for those community members seeking to live a healthy lifestyle. Additionally, developing a health promotion program will need to collaborate with other health bodies and the local government. Such initiatives can be done during community meetings or drive a charity event. Integrating events with a cause can significantly propel social change and awareness. Educating people on the need to monitor their health and emphasizing a healthy lifestyle can initiate social change, promote health care, and mitigate challenges impacting people.
Ultimately, people have the same vision for their communities, and that is bringing sanity and mitigating any challenges that impact its progression, safety, and health status. Arguably, communities are built when people collaborate on issues that impact them. Community partnerships are crucial initiatives that encourage people to bring about social change. Community-led collaborative partnerships should be inclusive. As such, different community factions, including institutions of power, volunteers, and non-profit organizations, should partake in the drive to initiate change. Such partnerships can only be successful if all parties share the same vision. Therefore, these partnerships, community events, and meetings should be the focal point of social change. One person alone cannot bring change. Creating awareness and forging alliances towards accomplishing specific goals will be vital to achieving social change.
References
Banks, S., Armstrong, A., Bonner, A., Hall, Y., Harman, P., Johnston, L., Levi, C., Smith, K., & Taylor, R. (2018). Between research and community development: Negotiating a contested space for collaboration and creativity. Co-Producing Research , 21-48. https://doi.org/10.1332/policypress/9781447340751.003.0002
Baptiste, S., Manouan, A., Garcia, P., Etya’ale, H., Swan, T., & Jallow, W. (2020). Community-led monitoring: When community data drives implementation strategies. Current HIV/AIDS Reports , 17 (5), 415-421. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11904-020-00521-2
Mitchell, S. (2020). Compassion in the Community. BrumYODO: A community-led palliative care initiative. Why do people attend and what are the benefits? " New Perspectives in Compassion for Tomorrow's Doctors , 130.
