e-Portfolio Essential IX: Baccalaureate generalist nursing practice
Laura Ellis Frostburg State University
ESSENTIAL IX
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing provides specific qualifications
for nurses seeking a bachelors level competency in nursing practice. The AACN has nine essential requirements of a professional nurse including number nine; Baccalaureate Generalist Nursing Practice. The focus of Essential IX is that baccalaureate nurses integrate knowledge, skills, and attitude and serve as the bridge between the patient and the healthcare environment. The baccalaureate prepared nurse is able to translate their assessment findings into a care plan with the physician. They are able to integrate their knowledge and experience into professional care for diverse cultural, spiritual, ethnic, and age populations (2008, pg. 30). Exemplar The selected exemplar represents integration and understanding of the comprehensive health assessment. Comprehensive health assessments are the foundation of nursing a patient care. In order for a nurse to be safe, independent, and proficient in the field, they must be able to perform a comprehensive health assessment. This exemplar is reflective of what the AACN states is a baccalaureate prepared nurse. Reflection This semester long assignment, the comprehensive health assessment, demonstrates the ability to obtain subjective information and objective findings and organize them into a detailed report. According to the AACN, baccalaureate trained nurses must be able to conduct comprehensive and focused physical, behavioral,
ESSENTIAL IX
psychological, spiritual, socioeconomic, and environmental assessments of health and
illness parameters in patients, using developmentally and culturally appropriate Approaches (2008, pg. 31). Not only does this exemplar demonstrate assessment skills but also the ability to recognize transition of care needs and discharge planning as seen in the patient outcomes and nursing interventions section. The ability to do identify patient education and transitional care needs is indicated by the AACN as a requirement of the baccalaureate trained nurse. The comprehensive health assessment completed the Health Assessment course of Frostburg State Universitys BSN program exhibits the ability to assess a patient from head to toe and evaluate their psychosocial, cultural, spiritual, and nutritional health. Given that the primary role of the nurse is to assess and monitor changes at the bedside in a clinical setting, the comprehensive health assessment is of the utmost importance to the professional nurse.
ESSENTIAL IX
4 References:
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2008). The Essentials of Baccalaureate
Education for Professional Nursing Practice. Washington, DC.