Introduction
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (ANMC) is an organization that was established with an objective of developing national standards in nursing. The organization came up with standards known as the ANMC Competency standards for registered nurses. These competency standards are the core elements that are used to assess the performance of every student in the nursing fields and are the gateway for one’s ability to obtain and retain their license as a practicing nurse in Australia (Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council [ANMC], 2008). This paper will look at the strategies that would be used to achieve the ANMC Competency standards for the Registered Nurse and this will be achieved through the identification of the clinical learning objectives which are underpinned by the identified criteria within the four practice domains: professional practice; critical thinking and analysis; provision of coordinated care; collaborative and therapeutic practice.
Essay scope map
Clinical learning objectives
A graduate nurse would be required to demonstrate competency in various aspects of the field of study which include provision of care as required by the authorities that provide licenses. Educational preparation is however important as a starting point towards being a registered nurse (Howard & Thorson, 2008). This is an objective that would apply for the first domain of the competency standards of ANMC, professional practice. In this domain my objective will be to administer medication in the required way. This would include procedures such as intramuscular injections (Murray, 2008).
As a graduate nurse, one would be required to provide evidence-based care to people from all walks of life including people from all ages and cultures. The graduate nurse will attend to individuals, families and the community as a whole. The nurses will also provide rehabilitation services where required and ultimately, to alleviate pain and suffering during the death of a patient. This would be applicable for the second domain in the ANMC competency standards, critical thinking and analysis. In this domain, my objective will be to be able to combine my professional knowledge with the clinical situation to develop proper decisions. This would help in my self-evaluation and improve my competency (Johns and Freshwater, 2007).
The graduate nurse would also participate in the planning, implementation and evaluation of the nursing care (Barrett & Randle, 2008). This would be done together with other people including the health care team from the various disciplines. The graduate nurse should also understand that such differences as gender, age and culture influence the beliefs and the way an individual responds to illnesses or health (Mildon & Underwood, 2010). This objective would aim at achieving the competency standards of ANMC underpinned by the domain, provision and coordination of care. For this domain my objective would be to work together with professionals from other sections such as counselors and physicians to display a multidisciplinary approach to clinical matters. A coordinated approach to clinical matters make administering medication a lot easy (Suter, Arndt, Arthur, & Taylor, 2009).
The graduate nurse is expected to have leadership skills as one would be required to act as a leader through coordinating of nursing care and health services in various occasions (Murray, 2008). The graduate nurse would also be required to know the trends and changing patterns of the diseases in the society in order to be able to meet the health needs of the community. This objective would assist in the achieving of competency in collaborative and therapeutic practice which is required by the ANMC standards. For this domain I would ensure that I use my interpersonal skills and therapeutic relationship practice to make noncompliant patients participate in their self care. This would require maintenance of good relationship between the nurse and patience (Santschi & Christopher, 2010).
How the learning objectives will be achieved during the TGP clinical practicum
The TGP clinical practicum would be an appropriate time to finally put all the nursing classes into practice. This would also sharpen the nursing skills and help the students see to it that their learning objectives are accomplished. In order to achieve the learning objectives, one would first read practicum books early enough. This would include Wozencraft’s book that provide information on how to maximize knowledge and competence during the clinical practicum (Tartakovsky, 2011). This would assist students achieve the ANMC competency standards as underpinned in the four domains.
One should also purpose to seek a broad experience during the clinical practicum rather than selecting a specialized experience. This is because one would need to develop foundational skills as a nurse. During the practicum, one should be committed to training. It is better to be in a place where one would receive good training rather than to be in a great place with not much training on nursing skills. During the practicum one should also consult the supervisor to make sure that one is on the same page about the kind of experience supposed to be gain. All this would be essential for achievement of competence for entry to practice as a registered nurse.
Strategies to adopt for the four domains
Professional practice
Professional practice refers to the legal and ethical expectations of every registered nurse. This is demonstrated by the knowledge that one has acquired and their accountability for their actions. To achieve this, a nurse is required to conduct a proper diagnosis of the patient to determine what conditions he might be suffering from and administer the correct drugs for the condition. In addition, proper care should be given to a patient to ensure a quick recovery. One is therefore expected to act according to the laid down rules and laws in nursing and health care. This is governed by the legislations that touch on health care and nursing. A practicing nurse is required to identify the various legislations laws governing the practices of a registered nurse. These laws provide the requirements when one is providing medication and the person’s actions should demonstrate that one is aware of the legal implications and is responsible for the actions taken (Johns & Freshwater, 2007). Professional code of ethics and knowledge on standards of practice is also essential.
Critical thinking and analysis
The main aim of this domain is to ensure that a nurse is devoted to his work. In the process of work, a nurse should stick to the professional code of ethics and standards. This is brings about a positive impact to one’s reflection on the practice, thoughts and beliefs and the results of these for the society which one serves. Evidence and research is important for a practicing nurse as it provides the relevant information required to improve the health outcomes for the society. One is required to use the best evidence available to guide the nursing practice and develop respect for the beliefs of other individuals. A graduate nurse should show expertise in analyzing and evaluation health information (Suter, Arndt, Arthur, & Taylor, 2009).
Provision and coordination of care
The main objective of this domain therefore is to ensure that all individuals in the society receive proper health care. This will ensure that they all live a health life. This thus involves the organizing and coordination of the proper procedures for administering nursing care to individuals. There should therefore, be the use of relevant data collection procedures to get information on the health status of the people in the community. Nursing procedures should be done after a coordinated plan has been established and this would facilitate the attainment of the set goals. Incase of any changes in the clinical setting, the response should be fast and effective and therefore, knowledge on the emergency response is vital (Tad & Steve, 2009).
Collaborative and therapeutic practice
A graduate nurse is required to understand the therapeutic relationships which are goal oriented and that respect the professional boundaries. Effective communication skills are also needed for the nurse to effectively convey nursing information to the people in the society (ANMC, 2008). One should strive to promote the self-esteem of the people and make them feel comfortable. One should also demonstrate awareness of the physical and social environment of the people and have respect for it (Santschi & Christopher, 2010).
Conclusion
The clinical practicum is important for any student pursuing nursing and is looking forward to be registered as a practicing or registered nurse. The clinical practicum is an opportunity for the students to develop competency across all the underpinned domains of competencies which must be attained and should be at a standard that is equivalent to the level of nursing being offered (ANMC, 2008). The competency standards are organized into the four domains: professional practice; critical thinking and analysis; provision of coordinated care; collaborative and therapeutic practice.
References
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