PRACTICE SUMMARY PAPER

Nursing 403- Transition to Baccalaureate Nursing Practice

Practice Summary Paper
Purpose of Assignment
The purpose of this paper is to guide you through a process of self-reflection and selfevaluation to discover the scope of your personal development while enrolled in the RNBSN nursing program at Old Dominion University.
Approach to Assignment
I approached this assignment by reviewing past assignments and the contents that would
be appropriate to use in this assignment to be able to show that all eight-core
competencies were attained, using examples from past assignments to prove attainment.
Reason for Inclusion
This assignment is included to show that the eight-core competencies of the nursing
program are included that by the end of the RN-BSN program, that all requirements are
met. This assignment is also included to provide guidance when preparing the portfolio
portion of this class.
Curricular outcomes
Critical thinking
Uses nursing and other appropriate theories and models to guide professional
practice:
I used Penders Theory to guide my own professional practice. In using this
theory with patients, we can provide education that is focused on health
promotion for the patient. Providing patients that smoke with education on the
importance of smoking cession shows this. We promote health by providing the
information that they need to stop and allow the patient to make an informed and
educational decision in their health.
Nursing Practice

Establishes and/or utilizes out comes measures to evaluate the effectiveness of

care.
I used return demonstration in my teaching plan to evaluate the effectiveness of
teaching new and effective ways to provide discharge instructions to patients. By
having the staff teach back what they learned, it allowed them to be evaluated in
what they had learned, as well as learning how to do teach back with the patients
that they are providing information to.
Applies appropriate knowledge of major health problems to guide nursing
practice.
By looking at re-admissions for the unit, this provided information on what health
problems the patients were being re-admitted with. This information provided us

with the knowledge that we needed to do a better job with the discharge
instructions to assure that the patients would leave the hospital and know how to
manage their care without having another hospitalization. A variety of health
issues were noted such as medications being taken incorrectly, infections related
to not knowing how to care for wounds, etc.
Communication
Accesses and utilizes data and information from a wide range of sources to
enhance patient and professional communication:
I used informal interviews with the staff on the unit to determine what the
learning needs were, as well as what the guidelines of AWHONN to identify how
to approach this teaching project.

Expresses oneself and communicates effectively with diverse groups and

disciplines using a variety of media in a variety of contexts.
I used a variety of media to provide information to the staff. A power point was
provided during the teaching session as well as printouts of the power point that
the staff could keep and use as a reference later on. This teaching session was
provided to all staff members including nurses, techs, nurse practitioners, and
doctors. I also implemented role-play with teach back for the staff to be able to
practice their techniques.

Teaching
Provides teaching to patients and/or professionals about health care
procedures and technologies in preparation for and following nursing or medical
interventions:
My teaching project is all based on teaching the staff more effective ways to
provide discharge instructions to the patients and decrease the re-admissions. By
providing educational information and ne techniques the staff is better prepared to
provide discharge instructions that patients understand and utilize in their care.
Research
Evaluates research that focuses on the efficiency and effectiveness of nursing
interventions:
Based on the research using return observation and group discussion is an
effective way to teach new strategies to providing discharge instructions to
patients that will help in reducing re-admissions. By evaluating how the target
group learns best, I was able to provide information to the group that would target
all learning styles and make the project more effective.
Leadership
Initiates community partnerships to establish health promotion goals and
implements strategies to meet those goals:

I used my Community Health project for the leadership point. Demonstrating

these goals are shown in the community health assessments by promoting daily
physical activities to be integrated into the curriculum of all the schools by the
end of 2020, and that at least 50% of Americans should be fully involved in
recommended physical activity weekly. They should also be preparing their
meals at home five out of seven days of the week. These goals are being met by
decreasing time in front of the television, schools are working on nutritional foods
served, and gyms staying open 24 hours a day to fit all schedules and increases
the amount of activity throughout the week
Professionalism
Advocates for professional standards of practice using organizational and
political processes:
Following the guidelines for education as stated by AWHONN provides
accountability for my professional practice. These guidelines require registered
nurses to maintain records of educational activities. Teaching and providing
education to the staff as well as to patients meet the professional education
guidelines for AWHONN. This can also be documented as continuing education
by having teaching sessions for the staff to attend and learn new and effective
ways to provide discharge instructions.
Demonstrates accountability for ones own professional practice:
This is demonstrated by taking accountability of my own practice when I had
admitted a patient under the wrong doctors name; the doctor did not correct me
when I had repeat his name back to him, this caused me to admit under the wrong
name. I had to take accountability and fix my mistake. By doing so I eliminated
the delay of care for the patient.
Culture
Demonstrates sensitivity to personal and cultural definitions of health, and
how theses beliefs influence an individuals reactions to the illness experience and
end of life.
This was shown in my cultural discussion board, where my patient is an Alaskan
Native who only uses a community healer at times of illness. He is showing signs
and symptoms of diabetes and needs to be seen by a medical doctor for treatment.
I need to ask about cultural beliefs, treatments, and how he feels about having
medical treatment other than his community healer. By knowing this culturally
sensitive information will allow us to develop the best treatment plan for him.
What has changed through my practice summary paper?
By gathering all the information that is needed in this paper, I am able to prepare
myself for the final development of my portfolio. There is not much that has changed,
but this paper does allow to be better prepared for my final project in this class.