NRS 493 Professional Capstone and Practicum Reflective Journal – Topic 5

Students are required to submit weekly journal entries throughout the course. These reflective narratives help students identify important learning events that happen throughout the course and the practicum. In each week’s entry, students should reflect on the personal knowledge and skills gained.

Write a reflection journal (250-300 words) to outline what has been discovered about your professional practice, personal strengths and weaknesses, and additional resources that could be introduced in a given situation to influence optimal outcomes. Each week there will be a specific focus to use in your reflection. Integrate leadership and inquiry into the current practice. Please make sure to address all areas in your writing.

Topic Focus: Practices of Culturally Sensitive Care and Ensuring the Integrity of Human Dignity in the Care of all Patients

While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.

Sample Answer for NRS 493 Professional Capstone and Practicum Reflective Journal – Topic 5

Reflective Journal: Practices of Culturally Sensitive Care

The focus this week was on the practices of culturally sensitive care. The current US population is racially and ethnically diverse. As such, it is necessary to promote culturally competent care. This practicum experience exposed me to the reality of social and cultural barriers that racial or ethnic minorities such as African Americans encounter in accessing quality healthcare. The barriers include bias by caregivers, language barriers, lack of health insurance access, and cultural insensitive care (Handtke et al., 2019). Cultural impediments to healthcare access are linked to numerous problems such as ruining the trust between patients and clinicians, impacting communication, and compromising the need for patients’ involvement in their care. Therefore, nurses and other clinicians should strive to provide culturally competent care to enhance equitable and quality access to healthcare for every patient irrespective of their cultural background.

Culturally insensitive care is associated with many adverse outcomes such as negative impacts on the quality and safety of care. The provision of culturally competent care addresses the negative effects of culturally insensitive care and strives to ensure equal access to healthcare for every patient (Markey et al., 2018). Culturally competent care is vital in developing trust between clinicians and patients. In addition, the provision of culturally competent care creates a free atmosphere where all patients from any cultural background are comfortable and trusts the healthcare process including the medical advice and recommendations, leading to increased satisfaction with care and compliance with treatment, thus, improved health outcomes (Narayan & Mallinson, 2022). However, culturally insensitive care leads make patients lose faith in the healthcare given and healthcare providers leading to poor adherence to medications, which affects the process of recovery and health outcomes.

References

Handtke, O., Schilgen, B., & Mösko, M. (2019). Culturally competent healthcare–A scoping review of strategies implemented in healthcare organizations and a model of culturally competent healthcare providers. PloS one, 14(7), e0219971 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219971

Markey, K., Tilki, M., & Taylor, G. (2018). Understanding nurses’ concerns when caring for patients from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Journal of clinical nursing, 27(1-2), e259-e268. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.13926

Narayan, M. C., & Mallinson, R. K. (2022). Home health nurses’ journey toward culture-sensitive/patient-centered skills: A grounded theory study. Home Health Care Management & Practice, 34(1), 24-34. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/10848223211027860

Sample Answer 2 for NRS 493 Professional Capstone and Practicum Reflective Journal – Topic 5

As a student in Master of Science in nursing program, I have learned that there is always room for growth and development in my professional practice. Through the studies, I have gained knowledge on the new practice approaches that could positively impact patient treatment outcomes. The above approaches involves incorporating leadership and inquiry into my current practice, application of evidence-based practices, as well as seeking out further resources (Moore et al., 2020).

Regarding my personal attributes, I think that my capacity for multidisciplinary teamwork and my effective communication abilities have served me well in my work. I am aware, though, that I can still do better when it comes to problem-solving and critical thinking. I want to look for chances for continuous education and engage in reflective practices that push me to think creatively in order to overcome this deficit (Slightam et al., 2020).

Promoting the best patient outcomes requires integrating leadership and investigation into my work (Stadick, 2020). I can promote change and progress as a nurse leader by searching out evidence-based practices and actively learning new things. I can influence favorable outcomes for my patients and the healthcare system as a whole by putting these principles to use and incorporating the findings into my everyday work.

In conclusion, my journey as a Master of Science in nursing student has taught me the importance of seeking out new and innovative approaches to improve my professional practice. I recognize that there is always room for growth and improvement, and I am committed to utilizing my strengths and seeking out additional resources to drive optimal patient outcomes. Through leadership and inquiry, I am confident that I can make a positive impact in my practice and the lives of my patients.

References

Moore, S., Roche, J., Bell, L., & Neenan, E. E. (2020). Supporting facilitators of maker activities through reflective practice. Journal of Museum Education, 45(1), 99-107. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10598650.2019.1710688

Slightam, C., Gregory, A. J., Hu, J., Jacobs, J., Gurmessa, T., Kimerling, R., … & Zulman, D. M. (2020). Patient perceptions of video visits using veterans affairs telehealth tablets: survey study. Journal of medical Internet research, 22(4), e15682. https://www.jmir.org/2020/4/e15682/

Stadick, J. L. (2020). Understanding health care professionals’ attitudes towards working in teams and interprofessional collaborative competencies: A mixed methods analysis. Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice, 21, 100370. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2405452620300501

Sample Answer 3 for NRS 493 Professional Capstone and Practicum Reflective Journal – Topic 5

I am quite thrilled to be able to get this far in my personal and professional growth. The program had been quite challenging given that I had to balance between my studies and a full-time nursing job. My preceptor has however been very helpful from the time I constructed my personal success plan, to this point, with adequate communication and leadership style. I have been able to appreciate the need for conducting comprehensive background studies and always staying updated on the most recent clinical guidelines and care plans before deciding on what treatment plan to implement. Through my capstone development, I would like to focus on evidence-based practice and nursing protocols crucial in promoting the quality and safety of care provided.

New Practice Approaches

Nursing is a very dynamic field with an ever-changing service delivery process aimed at promoting the safety and quality of care. New practice approaches are thus formulated as new solutions to the current issues undermining optimal care delivery services. Just like the emphasis made by my preceptor during the introductory sessions, different hospitals utilize different therapeutic interventions in the process of care delivery, based on the evidence available supporting the safety and effectiveness of the approach utilized. For instance, new approaches such as the use of medication appropriateness index (MAI) by clinicians to decrease inappropriate polypharmacy among the elderly have been proven to be very effective (Golightly et al., 2017). I must introduce this approach to my facility.

Interprofessional Collaboration

Collaborative work among different staff members with distinct professional backgrounds is crucial in promoting brainstorming, for the provision of safety and the most effective care plan for patients (Ahn, & Choi, 2019). My preceptor was impressed by the way I interacted freely with physicians, nutritionists, and pharmacists as part of the multidisciplinary team in taking care of my patients. I  am quite confident with appropriate communication skills which are key in promoting interprofessional collaboration.

Health Care Delivery and Clinical Systems

The second week of my practicum experience was mainly focused on the different features of the healthcare delivery and clinical system, and their significance in promoting the safety and quality of care provided. My preceptor emphasized factors such as disease anticipation, health advancement, diagnosis, prognosis, management, prevention, and health promotion services (Golightly et al., 2017). For instance, I was able to learn that when taking care of vulnerable populations such as the elderly, it is very crucial to practice as per the outline nurse-driven practice protocols, such as fall prevention protocols.

Ethical Considerations in Health Care

In the provision of care services, nurses encounter four main ethical principles such as justice, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and autonomy(Ahn, & Choi, 2019). From my observation, the most common dilemma normally exist between upholding the patient’s autonomy (right to make medical decisions by themselves based on their own values and belief)and exhibiting appropriate clinical judgment based on beneficence (duty of nurses to minimize patient harm and promote health), justice (treating each patient equally and fairly) and non-maleficence (patient right to no harm).

Practices of Culturally Sensitive Care

Provision of holistic care requires nurses to provide safe and quality care services equally to the diverse population while respecting the patient’s cultural beliefs and values to promote their satisfaction. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, cultural, language, and social barriers can negatively impact the accessibility of care services (Golightly et al., 2017). I have thus learned the importance of appreciating cultural differences among patients from different ethnic backgrounds, and the need to respect their decisions based on their cultural values and beliefs.

Ensuring the Integrity of Human Dignity in the Care of all Patients

The nursing code of ethics emphasizes the importance of respecting the life of the patient and observing their dignity, irrespective of their age, culture, gender, nationality, sex, creed, color, health status, or social status (Kaihlanen et al., 2020). I was able to appreciate the importance of maintaining the integrity of human dignity when providing care in several ways such as, respecting every patient, promoting their privacy and confidentiality, and respecting their autonomy. This helps in developing a healthy relationship with the patient, crucial in exhibiting desirable care outcomes.

Population Health Concerns

Within our community, the major population health concerns that we identified with my preceptor are mainly diabetes and hypertension and increased fall incidences among the elderly(Slemon et al., 2020). My preceptor emphasized that I should acquire adequate knowledge and skills to assess the social determinants of health within the community to be able to identify the health concerns of the population. This helps in conducting background research and the use of up-to-date clinical guidelines and evidence-based intervention in mitigating such concerns.

The Role of Technology in Improving Health Care Outcomes

From the clinical rotations, I was able to appreciate the significance of electronic health records (EHR) in improving efficiency and streamlining the workflow, making it easier for nurses and physicians to record and interpret patient outcome measures(Kaihlanen et al., 2020). All patient information was stored in one interface, with a distinct patient identification number, restricting access by unauthorized personnel promoting patient privacy. Physicians could also retrieve patient information quite easily reducing incidences of medical errors hence promoting the quality and safety of care provided.

Health Policy

Health policies are the plans, decisions, and actions undertaken by healthcare providers to achieve specific healthcare goals (Slemon et al., 2020). Such policies guarantees that every patient’s voice is heard, their health protected from harm, and their well-being improved. We went through HIPPA policies, financial insurance policies, emergency policies CODE BLUE, procedure policies, and honesty policy with my preceptor among others.

Leadership and Economic Models

In healthcare, leadership is considered an economic model which has been regarded as crucial in the development and success of different healthcare systems (Kaihlanen et al., 2020). From an economic model perspective, organizations must utilize leadership styles that also promote evaluation of market variables like demand, competition, and costs, rather than just assigning and supervising nurses in their line of duty. My preceptor emphasizes the acquisition of strong skills such as teamwork, collaboration, interdisciplinary, and advocacy to become a good and efficient leader.

Health Disparities

Several communities suffer the burden of health disparities such as substance abuse, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity as a result of low community sensitization on preventive measures and health promotion practices (Slemon et al., 2020). My preceptor blames this occurrence on healthcare professionals who fail to explain to patients and family members of the available community resources which are disease-specific with adequate knowledge on preventive measures and health promotion practices.

Conclusion

The nursing profession is a dynamic field that requires continuing education for purposes of career advancement and the acquisition of updated knowledge on new evidence-based guidelines to promote safe and quality care services. From this practicum experience, I have been able to acquire substantial knowledge and skills required in promoting positive clinical outcomes.

References

Ahn, Y. H., & Choi, J. (2019). Incivility experiences in clinical practicum education among nursing students. Nurse education today, 73, 48-53.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2018.11.015

Golightly, M., Kennett, N., & Stout, J. A. (2017). Innovative approach to senior practicum students. Journal of Nursing Education, 56(12), 745-747.https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20171120-08

Kaihlanen, A. M., Elovainio, M., Haavisto, E., Salminen, L., &Sinervo, T. (2020). Final clinical practicum, transition experience and turnover intentions among newly graduated nurses: A cross-sectional study. Nurse education today, 84, 104245.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2019.104245

Slemon, A., Jenkins, E., Bungay, V., & Brown, H. (2020). Undergraduate students’ perspectives on pursuing a career in mental health nursing following practicum experience. Journal of clinical nursing, 29(1-2), 163-171.https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15074

 

Click here to ORDER an A++ paper from our Verified MASTERS and DOCTORATE WRITERS: NRS 493 Professional Capstone and Practicum Reflective Journal – Topic 5

 

Lopes Write Policy

For assignments that need to be submitted to Lopes Write, please be sure you have received your report and Similarity Index (SI) percentage BEFORE you do a “final submit” to me.

Once you have received your report, please review it. This report will show you grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors that can easily be fixed. Take the extra few minutes to review instead of getting counted off for these mistakes.

Review your similarities. Did you forget to cite something? Did you not paraphrase well enough? Is your paper made up of someone else’s thoughts more than your own?

Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for tips on improving your paper and SI score.

Late Policy

The university’s policy on late assignments is 10% penalty PER DAY LATE. This also applies to late DQ replies.

Please communicate with me if you anticipate having to submit an assignment late. I am happy to be flexible, with advance notice. We may be able to work out an extension based on extenuating circumstances.

If you do not communicate with me before submitting an assignment late, the GCU late policy will be in effect.

I do not accept assignments that are two or more weeks late unless we have worked out an extension.

As per policy, no assignments are accepted after the last day of class. Any assignment submitted after midnight on the last day of class will not be accepted for grading.

Communication

Communication is so very important. There are multiple ways to communicate with me:

Questions to Instructor Forum: This is a great place to ask course content or assignment questions. If you have a question, there is a good chance one of your peers does as well. This is a public forum for the class.

Individual Forum: This is a private forum to ask me questions or send me messages. This will be checked at least once every 24 hours.

Important information for writing discussion questions and participation

Welcome to class

Hello class and welcome to the class and I will be your instructor for this course. This is a -week course and requires a lot of time commitment, organization, and a high level of dedication. Please use the class syllabus to guide you through all the assignments required for the course. I have also attached the classroom policies to this announcement to know your expectations for this course. Please review this document carefully and ask me any questions if you do. You could email me at any time or send me a message via the “message” icon in halo if you need to contact me. I check my email regularly, so you should get a response within 24 hours. If you have not heard from me within 24 hours and need to contact me urgently, please send a follow up text to

I strongly encourage that you do not wait until the very last minute to complete your assignments. Your assignments in weeks 4 and 5 require early planning as you would need to present a teaching plan and interview a community health provider. I advise you look at the requirements for these assignments at the beginning of the course and plan accordingly. I have posted the YouTube link that explains all the class assignments in detail. It is required that you watch this 32-minute video as the assignments from week 3 through 5 require that you follow the instructions to the letter to succeed. Failure to complete these assignments according to instructions might lead to a zero. After watching the video, please schedule a one-on-one with me to discuss your topic for your project by the second week of class. Use this link to schedule a 15-minute session. Please, call me at the time of your appointment on my number. Please note that I will NOT call you.

Please, be advised I do NOT accept any assignments by email. If you are having technical issues with uploading an assignment, contact the technical department and inform me of the issue. If you have any issues that would prevent you from getting your assignments to me by the deadline, please inform me to request a possible extension. Note that working fulltime or overtime is no excuse for late assignments. There is a 5%-point deduction for every day your assignment is late. This only applies to approved extensions. Late assignments will not be accepted.

If you think you would be needing accommodations due to any reasons, please contact the appropriate department to request accommodations.

Plagiarism is highly prohibited. Please ensure you are citing your sources correctly using APA 7th edition. All assignments including discussion posts should be formatted in APA with the appropriate spacing, font, margin, and indents. Any papers not well formatted would be returned back to you, hence, I advise you review APA formatting style. I have attached a sample paper in APA format and will also post sample discussion responses in subsequent announcements.

Your initial discussion post should be a minimum of 200 words and response posts should be a minimum of 150 words. Be advised that I grade based on quality and not necessarily the number of words you post. A minimum of TWO references should be used for your initial post. For your response post, you do not need references as personal experiences would count as response posts. If you however cite anything from the literature for your response post, it is required that you cite your reference. You should include a minimum of THREE references for papers in this course. Please note that references should be no more than 5 years old except recommended as a resource for the class. Furthermore, for each discussion board question, you need ONE initial substantive response and TWO substantive responses to either your classmates or your instructor for a total of THREE responses. There are TWO discussion questions each week, hence, you need a total minimum of SIX discussion posts for each week. I usually post a discussion question each week. You could also respond to these as it would count towards your required SIX discussion posts for the week.

I understand this is a lot of information to cover in 5 weeks, however, the Bible says in Philippians 4:13 that we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. Even in times like this, we are encouraged by God’s word that we have that ability in us to succeed with His strength. I pray that each and every one of you receives strength for this course and life generally as we navigate through this pandemic that is shaking our world today. Relax and enjoy the course!

Hi Class,

Please read through the following information on writing a Discussion question response and participation posts.

Contact me if you have any questions.

Important information on Writing a Discussion Question

• Your response needs to be a minimum of 150 words (not including your list of references)
• There needs to be at least TWO references with ONE being a peer reviewed professional journal article.
• Include in-text citations in your response
• Do not include quotes—instead summarize and paraphrase the information
• Follow APA-7th edition
• Points will be deducted if the above is not followed

Participation –replies to your classmates or instructor

• A minimum of 6 responses per week, on at least 3 days of the week.
• Each response needs at least ONE reference with citations—best if it is a peer reviewed journal article
• Each response needs to be at least 75 words in length (does not include your list of references)
• Responses need to be substantive by bringing information to the discussion or further enhance the discussion. Responses of “I agree” or “great post” does not count for the word count.
• Follow APA 7th edition
• Points will be deducted if the above is not followed
• Remember to use and follow APA-7th edition for all weekly assignments, discussion questions, and participation points.
• Here are some helpful links
• Student paper example
• Citing Sources
• The Writing Center is a great resource