Running head: PRACTICE SUMMARY PAPER

Practice Summary Paper

Ashley Conner
Old Dominion University

Practice Summary Paper

Enrolling into the RN-BSN program was a major educational goal that I wanted to obtain
ever since receiving my Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN). I enrolled into the program to be
able to further my education and to also be able to acquire further educational goals of becoming
a nurse practitioner and focus in pediatric or neonatal care. By obtaining this degree, I will be
better prepared as a nurse, as well as be able to further my career and have additional
opportunities as a BSN prepared nurse. Throughout this program my goals have stayed the same
in what I wanted for my future goals. This entire process has continued to prepare me to further

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my nursing career as well as my educational goals; this was obtained through the eight core

competencies.
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is how nurses problem solve when issues arise in their nursing practice.
Attainment of critical thinking was provided in several assignments throughout my BSN
program. I showed critical thinking in my teaching summary project by revising actions and
goals based on evidence rather than conjecture. This was attained by evaluating the staff and the
way discharge instructions are provided to patients, the staff expressed that they feel rushed and
that discharge instructions are lengthy and time consuming. The goal is to revise the way
discharge instructions are provided to the patients to make sure they are receiving adequate
teaching and are understanding the instructions before they are discharged and in turn decrease
the readmissions related to not understanding discharge instructions.
Nursing Practice
Nursing practice was obtained in my philosophy of nursing paper by implementing
traditional nursing care practices as appropriate to provide holistic health care to diverse
populations across the lifespan. This is shown with professionalism. No matter what patient you
are caring for, may it be someone who is young, old, rich, or poor does not matter. You hold
yourself to a professional standard and treat every patient with dignity and respect. As the nurse
your performance is what can help or hinder the patient to becoming well. This is implemented
by providing privacy during clinic appointments, talking to the patient with respect and allowing
them to provide health information and assuring them that it is confidential and that we will not
share their information with anyone without their permission. The patients are provided with
safe, compassionate, non-judgmental care.

PRACTICE SUMMARY PAPER

Communication
A very important part of nursing is communication and being able to communicate
effectively with patients, co-workers, and everyone involved in the care of the patient. In my
teaching summary project I assessed and utilized data and information from a wide range of
sources to enhance patient and professional communication by using informal interviews with

the staff on the unit to determine what the learning needs were, as well as what the guidelines of
AWHONN are to identify how to approach this teaching project. I also expressed one-self and
communicate effectively with diverse groups and disciplines using a variety of media in a variety
of contexts by providing a power point 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
In developing my Theory Application paper, I used information technologies and other
appropriate methods to enhance ones own knowledge base. This was developed in researching
Penders theory of nursing. I expanded my knowledge base by learning this theory is beneficial
in helping people to be aware of how to promote health themselves and the awareness to achieve
a healthier self. A health promotion model is used for the purpose of promoting health. By
researching this theory I learned how different theories in nursing affect patients and their health.
Research
Research incorporates primary nursing research findings as a basis for therapeutic
nursing interventions. This is shown by evaluating research that focuses on the efficiency and
effectiveness of nursing interventions. This was taken from my teaching summary project, based

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on the research using return observation and group discussion, are effective ways 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
Leadership was demonstrated in my community health assessment paper. This is done by
initiating community partnerships to establish health promotion goals, and implementing
strategies to meet the goals of the community. 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
Professionalism demonstrates advocacy, accountability, and adherence to standards of
practice, and legal and ethical principles. I demonstrate accountability for ones own professional
practice by discussing when a mistake was made admitting a patient under the wrong doctors
name. Accountability was taken on my part when I acknowledged that I did document the wrong
name of the doctor, which occurred when I called the doctor by the wrong name and the doctor

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did not correct me. I was accountable for my actions and for correcting the error immediately. In
doing so the patient was able to receive the care they were in need of without delay in their care.
Culture
With culture you have to be able to demonstrate cultural awareness and sensitivity. I was
able to demonstrate sensitivity to personal and cultural definitions of health, and how these
beliefs influence an individuals reactions to the illness experience and end of life. This is
discussed in my cultural discussion board. Mr. N is an Alaskan Native who has been seen only
by his community healer at times of illness. He is having signs and symptoms of diabetes and is
need of being seen by a medical doctor. To be culturally sensitive to his needs, as the nurse I
need to ask him what his cultural beliefs and needs are and how he feels about seeing a medical
doctor. Knowing his cultural needs and feeling toward other medical professionals other than his
community healer are important when planning his care.
Summary
My overall evaluation of this program includes an increased knowledge base for my
nursing career. My expectation was to expand my knowledge in nursing as well as learn new
ways to apply nursing knowledge to better care for my patients. The reality is that I did learn new
nursing theories that helped me to understand my nursing practice more in depth. I feel my
assessment skills are improved by being more in depth when asking questions about culture and
other beliefs that affect the patients care. Also, I feel that my leadership skills have improved
and will allow me to be able to move into a higher level nursing position such as a charge nurse
or management position. This program has helped me to grow into a better nurse with leadership,
management, as well as continuing to care and provide advanced nursing care for patients on the
floor.

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Nursing theory has influenced my overall philosophy and practice of nursing by showing
me how important health promotion of the patient is. I researched Penders Theory and realized
that I already incorporated her theory into my nursing practice, but by researching her theory I
advanced my nursing practice and the way that I use her theory to promote health in my patients.
Nursing theories build a foundation to personal philosophy and by studying different theories
throughout this program has helped to build onto my already established nursing philosophy and
help to continue to grow it through my career. Even though I had a good educational foundation
in nursing, this program has advanced my knowledge and allowed me to learn new ways of
evaluating and practicing nursing. Being able to expand my knowledge has allowed for more
advanced and quality patient care.
Since being enrolled in the RN-BSN program my nursing practice has advanced. The
biggest thing that has changed in my practice is the leadership skills that I have acquired
throughout the program. These skills have allowed me to grow in leadership and feel confident
to take on leadership roles as they present themselves in the future. Also, learning and
understanding nursing theories have improved my critical thinking and assessment skills in a
more advanced way. With this program I will be able to advance in my role as a nurse in
leadership positions and be able to take the role of the charge nurse on my unit and have the
opportunity to become a team coordinator in the future. If I choose later, I can continue to
progress and move to a management position. I am now prepared to be able to handle managing
a unit and help resolve issues that may occur on the unit. The RN-BSN program has improved
my nursing skills and opened doors to advance my practice as well as being able to further my
education to a Nurse Practitioner in the future.
Conclusion

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The RN-BSN program has advanced my nursing practice in many ways, including

applying nursing theories, leadership, and management. Throughout the program, assignments
were needed to show the great eights core competencies. Working my way through this program
I was able to show critical thinking, nursing practice, communication, teaching, research,
leadership, professionalism, and culture. All eight-core competencies help to build my practice in
my transition from RN to BSN. The additional classes and projects that this program provides,
continue to build on the nursing foundation that I started with as an ADN prepared nurse. At the
end of this program, I feel more prepared for advancement in my educational career, as well as in
the advancement for leadership and management positions. The completion of this program
allows me to better care for patients as well as allows me to advance my educational goals and be
able to obtain my Nurse Practitioner degree in the future.

Honor Code
I pledge to support the Honor System of Old Dominion University. I will refrain from
any form of academic dishonesty or deception, such as cheating or plagiarism. I am aware that as
a member of the academic community it is my responsibility to turn in all suspected violators of
the Honor Code. I will report to a hearing if summoned.
Ashley Conner
11/16/16