Running head: SELF-ASSESSMENT OF NURSING STANDARDS

Self-Assessment of Nursing Standards of Practice

Aubry Hire
Ferris State University

SELF-ASSESSMENT OF NURSING STANDARDS

Self-Assessment of Nursing Standards of Practice

Nursing school is a time when new nurses are expected to learn the values, ethics, and
behaviors for professional nurses. Understanding the American Nurses Association (ANA)
standards of practice and how these standards will translate into professional practice is at the
center of most nursing programs across the county. Meeting the ANA standards that are set for
all nurses provides accountability by each nursing school. As nursing students progress further
in their program, it is important that they will reflect upon the standards that the nursing
profession holds in high regards. Nursing students make up the future of the nursing profession,
therefore they must understand and incorporate the standards of practice. This paper is a selfassessment of standards seven through sixteen, of professional nursing practice, along with a
professional development plan stating how I plan to maintain the standards of practice.
Nursing Standards of Practice
The ANA is the leading organization in nursing accountability and developing and
implementing standards of practice (White & OSullivan. 2012). The standards highlight the
most important components of nursing care and guide nurses in providing quality care for their
patients. The standards are broken into two distinct sections, with the second section being
Standards of Professional Performance (White & OSullivan, 2012).
Standard 7: Ethics
The seventh standard in the ANAs Scopes and Standards is ethics (White & OSullivan,
2012). Ethics refers to moral principles both in the professional setting and in personal life.
Personal ethics influence professional practice. This standard is intertwined with all of the
standards, as ethics is incorporated into all areas of the nursing profession. To incorporate ethics

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into standard practice nurses must have knowledge of their own moral code. Critical thinking
skills are imperative, as nurses must think through all of the choices and the outcomes that
individual decisions may have. Attitudes must be kept in check; or else they have the possibility
to influence the ethical principles that all nurses rely on to guide them in their practice.
I have accomplished the standard of ethics while studying the art and science of nursing.
The fulfillment of this standard has been accomplished most fully in the clinical setting.
Advocating for patients is a form of keeping up with personal ethical standards. If an order
from the physician seems incongruent with the patients current needs, it is the responsibility of
the nurse to advocate for the patient by questioning the order. Ethics is a personal code for each
person, and while the ANA has set forth specific ethical guidelines, the nurse must follow his or
her own ethical principles. My sophomore year of college I took an introduction to ethics
course, which taught me different styles of thinking and how to look at situations in accordance
with different ethical philosophies. I have carried this class with me into nursing school, and
have applied what I have learned to different patient situations.
Standard 8: Education
The eighth standard that the ANA has set is education (White & OSullivan, 2012).
Education is at the building block of nursing practice. Everything that you learn from the first
day in nursing school on, is education that will guide practice. Continuing education, whether in
an advanced degree or in specialty classes, workshops, or conferences will propel nurses to better
practice. Knowledge is constantly evolving, so staying up to date and learning the newest
techniques or the most current research will ensure that the patient has the best quality care
available to them. The skill needed to continue education is a willingness to learn. To gain the

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most out of an educational opportunity you must want to learn. The attitude that you exude will
either help or hinder in the quest for additional knowledge.
I have accomplished the standard of education. Attending nursing school is gaining an
education that will prepare me to become a nurse. All of the classes I have taken have taught me
something new, something I will take with me as I start my career as a nurse. Each assignment I
have completed while in nursing school has given me a broader understanding of what it means
to be a nurse. Each of the nurses I have worked with in my clinical rotations have taught me
how to provide care to my patients. Education is both formal and informal, but all of the
experiences that I have gained while in nursing school have given me a strong base on which I
can continue to build.
Standard 9: Evidenced-Based Practice and Research
The ninth standard that the ANA has set is evidenced-based practice and research (White
& OSullivan, 2012). Evidenced-based practice and research guides that the best and safest
practices are being instituted. Nurses have a knowledge base that is constantly growing to
integrate new practices, but using evidenced-based practice is incorporating knowledge into
practice. The questioning attitude is one that inspires nurse researchers to conduct scientific
studies that examine best practice. Incorporating the research into practice is a skill that all
nurses must master to advance the nursing profession.
I have accomplished the standard of evidenced-based practice and research. In the
classroom I have written multiple papers where evidenced-based practice was examined, some
examples include nursing bedside reporting and the use of alcohol based hand sanitizer before
taking blood glucose levels. I have incorporated my research into practice. Before taking any

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blood glucose levels I make sure that the site is thoroughly cleaned with an alcohol based hand
sanitizer. I now have the knowledge on how to quickly and accurately find information on best
practice in the clinical setting, using all of my available resources.
Standard 10: Quality of Practice
The 10th standard of practice is quality of practice (White & OSullivan, 2012). This
standard refers to providing excellent care to all patients using the most up to date evidencedbased practice. To practice the highest quality of practice, it is imperative that nurses have the
knowledge of current evidenced based practice, so it can be implemented in an appropriate
manner. To implement the evidenced-based practice, nurses must have the technical skills that
enable them to make the change that will reflect the best practice. An attitude flexibility will
help nurses to embrace any changes in practice.
I have met the standard of quality of practice while in nursing school. I have learned how
to accurately assess patients in an assessment class and to understand medical diagnosis in
pathophysiology. This made it easier for me to understand how to assign nursing diagnosis, and
how to carry them out for patients. In clinical situations, having this extensive background in
assessment and nursing diagnosis has enable me to provide the highest quality of patient care
that I possibly can.
Standard 11: Communication
The 11th standard the ANA has set is communication (White & OSullivan, 2012). This
standard comes in direct contact with all of the other standards, because communication is how
we exchange a message or share news. Communication will directly impact patient care, with
the nurse communicating with the patient, the family, the physician, and all of the other people

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participating in the interdisciplinary team. The nurse must have knowledge of the types of
communication, both verbal and non-verbal and how different people react to the different types.
The nurse must have the skill to interpret the myriad of different communication signals that are
constantly being conveyed. An attitude that the nurse must have is openness along with the
willingness to send and receive messages, for the benefit of the patient.
I have met the standard of communication. This is a standard that every nurse must have
proficiency in, because nursing care incorporates communication in every aspect of care. I have
learned effective therapeutic communication techniques in my psychiatric nursing class, such as
redirection, silence, rephrasing, and summarizing. I have had the opportunity to practice these
skills in the clinical setting, on a mental health unit. I have also learned how to communicate
with different members of the healthcare team with the help of clinical instructors. An example
of this is calling the pharmacist to see if a medication could be cut in half, so that a patient would
have an easier time swallowing the medication.
Standard 12: Leadership
The 12th standard that the ANA has established is leadership (White & OSullivan, 2012).
The definition of leadership is, the ability to influence others toward accomplishing common
goals, (White & OSullivan, 2012, p.163). Leadership can occur in management positions, but
one does not have to be in management to be a leader within the organization. Nurses must be
leaders in the workplace, due to the direct care they provide for the patient. Leadership
incorporates many skills including: delegation, conflict management, autonomy, ability to work
as part of a team, vision, as well as many more. To be a leader the attitude of positivity is
essential, as that attitude will convey a willingness to change.

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I have met this standard. This is a standard that I feel that I have most fully learned in the
clinical setting. I have learned the skill of delegation, as the nurse would delegate tasks to me,
and I would delegate tasks to the nurse technicians. I have learned to work as part of a team in
the clinical setting, with other nurses, doctors, nursing technicians, respiratory therapists, x-ray
technicians, and many more. Yet, I have also learned the skill of autonomy, while having to
complete tasks on my own, such as an assessment.
Standard 13: Collaboration
Standard 13 is collaboration (White & OSullivan, 2012). Collaboration is working
together for the good of the patient. For nurses this can mean, family members, doctors,
respiratory therapists, and all members of the interprofessional team. To achieve this standard a
nurse must have the knowledge of who is part of a particular patients care. A nurse must have
the skill of communicating with the patient, the family, and the interdisciplinary care team. An
attitude that will make collaboration a success is teamwork, each participant in a patients care
has an area of expertise and it is important to recognize it.
I have met the standard of collaboration. Both classroom work and clinical work have
helped me to meet this standard. In the classroom I have participated in an interprofessional
experience with pharmacy students. This taught me about how to work together with disciplines
that may have different priorities than nursing does. In the clinical setting I have worked with
respiratory therapists as they provide breathing treatments to patients.
Standard 14: Professional Practice Evaluation
The 14th standard is professional practice evaluation (White & OSullivan, 2012). The
focus of professional practice evaluation is to assess oneself and coworkers in areas related to

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nursing skills. To achieve this standard one must have the knowledge of both correct and
incorrect information, so an accurate evaluation can be given. A nurse must have the skill to
evaluate oneself and others in a nonbiased way, so that true improvement may be achieved. The
attitude of knowledge seeking will help a nurse to take any feedback given on evaluations and
work to better themselves.
I have achieved this standard, both for personal evaluations and for evaluating others. In
the clinical setting it is required to complete a weekly evaluation on oneself. The clinical
instructor will also look at the evaluation, to see if competency has been achieved. Completing
this paper is also a reflection on all of my professional practices, and has helped me to evaluate
myself on all of the scopes and standards of nursing practice. I have completed peer evaluations
on many different assignments in the classroom; I believe that honest feedback will help the
classmate to grow as a student.
Standard 15: Resource Utilization
Standard 15, in the ANAs Scopes and Standards of Practice, is resource utilization
(White & OSullivan, 2012). The central focus of this standard is to use appropriate resources in
all aspects of care. A nurse must have the knowledge of the cost of each item that they use in the
care of patients; this will make them more conscientious of the supplies that they are grabbing
for the patients. Nurses must have the skill to correctly and safely complete the procedure with
using as few resources as necessary. A nurse must have the attitude of being a fiscally
responsible part of the health care team, to ensure that facility and patient costs are kept to a
minimum.

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I have not met this standard while in nursing school. As I student I do not have the
perspective about how taking a handful of alcohol prep pads will hurt the hospitals bottom line.
It does not occur to me that grabbing the patient a new pair of non-skid socks might prevent
someone with dirty socks to not receive a new pair because all of the socks are gone. This is a
standard that I will have to work on to improve.
Standard 16: Environmental Health
The last standard is environmental health (White & OSullivan, 2012). This means that
the focus for nurses is to ensure, cleanliness and healthiness of the environment for their
patients, themselves, and others in their workplace, (White & OSullivan, 2012, p. 201). This
means that nurses must have a knowledge of all toxins and pollutions in the workplace, both
actual and potential. Nurses must have the skill to avoid toxins and prevent patients from
coming into contact with them. Nurses must have the attitude of cleanliness to ensure that all
potential for harm can be adequately avoided.
I have met this standard while in nursing school. I had a pull out to go to interventional
radiology, and to prevent myself from getting radiation exposure I wore a lead cover up. This
ensures that I was protecting my vital organs from harm. I have also taken a safety in health care
course and I believe that this has given me a broader understanding of all of the potential toxins
and pollutants that can happen in a health care setting.
Goals
There are three main goals that I would like to achieve in my professional career, which
will help me to attain and maintain competency in each of the standards listed above. The first
goal that I have is to get my first job in either an emergency department or in a medical surgical

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department within two months of passing my nursing boards. The second goal that I have is to
become a travel nurse for one year, after getting two years of experience in a hospital setting.
My final goal is to attend nurse practitioner school after being a travel nurse, to become an acute
care nurse practitioner.
To ensure that the highest ethical standards are being followed nurses should be aware of
personal and professional ethics. I will strive to maintain the high level of ethics that I currently
hold, by reviewing the personal and professional ethical standards. As my career advances I will
strive to exemplify the ethical code that is set forth by the ANA. Ethics is a multifaceted
standard that is constantly evolving, so constant revision of values is necessary to maintain a
meritorious ethical stance on patient care.
Continuing to learn is a personal goal that I have. To ensure that I continue my
education, I plan to go back to school to achieve my masters degree and to complete the
required continuing education credits that are required by the state that I practice in. Education
opens the doors for new opportunities, both for patients and for professional growth, so I want to
make certain that I will continue to broaden my knowledge base. Education is the bases for all
growth, without growth stagnation is a sure thing.
Continuing to use evidenced-based practice will guide all of my actions as a nurse. If
there is any question as to why a procedure is done in a certain manner, I will not hesitate to look
up the information to verify correctness. I will participate in studies that nurse researchers are
conducting to help aid in the expansion of knowledge for the nursing profession. Any gaps in
practice that I notice, I will not hesitate to alert a nurse researcher to see if there is a way to fill
that gap via a new research study.

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In the future, I will continue to incorporate evidenced based practice into my work as a
nurse to ensure high quality practice. I plan on attending continuing education classes, so that I
will stay up to date on the most current practices and can implement them into everyday patient
care. I will continuously change my practice, in accordance with the most current research, so
that patients will receive the highest quality of practice that they deserve.
To continue to meet the standard of communication in the future, I will continue to work
on my communication skills with both the patient and with the interdisciplinary team.
Communication is a skill that nurses use constantly, therefore nurses must evaluate if the
exchange of information has been successful. If a communication technique is not successful it
is important to recognize where I can improve, so that in the future I will have a more successful
interaction with either the patient or the interdisciplinary team.
To continue to work on my leadership skills in the future, I will work on improving each
of the skills that reflect a good leader. No one skill will make an effective leader, so I will work
on each skill, and then merging them together to become a well-rounded leader. Peer evaluations
and evaluations from management will help guide me on which skills I most need to improve
upon.
In the future, I plan to continue to collaborate with other health care professional in the
same manner that I do now. I will continue to include all of the necessary professionals to
provide the best possible care to my clients. I respect that all professions have a specialty and
will try to learn from each specialty, to grow my own knowledge. Collaboration is the key to
streamlining the health care process, so that the patient will receive the very best care that they
can receive.

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As I grow as a nurse, I will continue to give honest feedback to myself and to any peers
that I am asked to evaluate. I will continue to accept feedback from managers and peers, because
I understand that constructive criticism will help me to grow as a better nurse, and I hope that all
of my peers will feel the same way. Feedback can be used as a springboard to delve into better
practice, resulting in better patient care.
To become more cognizant of the resources available, I will take a moment to stop and
think about if I truly need to grab that product. I will look at the stickers on the front of each of
the bins that say how expensive each item is for the hospital. To become more fiscally
responsible I will have to work at thinking about the price of each item before I just blindly grab
it off the shelf.
To stay aware of all of the environmental health issues, I will stay aware of the facilitys
policies and procedures. This will include attending staff meetings to see if there have been any
changes to any of the policies. I will continue to be aware of my surroundings, so that I am able
to protect myself, my patients, and my coworkers.
Each of the three main goals that I have will all help me to better remain competent in
each of the standards of nursing practice. The standards will guide me to be a good nurse, so I
will be able to meet all of my goals in the time frames that I have specified.
Conclusion
Reflecting upon the ANAs Scopes and Standards of Practice has really helped me to
understand their purpose: to guide nursing care. I have become more fully aware of how these
principals guide my nursing practice, even subconsciously. I now better understand how it is
essential to never stop learning, as education will help me to reach all of the goals that I have set

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for myself. I will strive to uphold the standards that the ANA has set forth, as I progress into my
nursing career.

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References
White, K. M., & O'Sullivan, A. (Eds.). (2012). The essential guide to nursing practice: Applying
ANA's scope and standards in practice and education. Silver Spring, MD:
Nursebooks.org.