There are a lot of aspects in the nursing field that makes a proficient nurse. It is not all about the grades one made in nursing school, or the amount of years one has worked. It is more about the type of care a nurse gives their patients.
There are certain guidelines set by each state nurses must follow. The American Nurses Association (ANA) sets the guidelines for the determination of nursing scope of practice. I strive each work day to follow these standards to the best of my ability. The term scope of practice defines actions and procedures permitted by law that each nurse must follow while providing direct patient care. I am careful to follow these guidelines while at work. I provide care to my patients by teaching them about their illnesses, administering the correct medication, educating them on maintenance of health and prevention of illnesses, as well as giving them the right to make their own health care decisions. This also proves the same for my current states regulations and professional standards. The Kentucky Board of Nursing has implemented specific guidelines in determining the scope of practice for registered nurses in the state of Kentucky. These guidelines can be found at: http://kbn.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/74A5FF75-543D-4E12-8839-720B7623DA87/0/ScopeDeterminGuidelines.pdf.
The ANA defines Provision 7 as “the nurse participates in the advancement of the profession through contributions to practice, education, administration, and knowledge development.” (ANA, 2013) I am advancing my nursing knowledge by choosing to continue my nursing degree. Each day that I work, I am practicing my skills and increasing my knowledge.
Provision 8 is defined by the ANA as, “The nurse collaborates with other health professionals and the public in promoting community, national and international efforts to meet health needs.” (ANA, 2013) This is something I need to work on as a nurse. I collaborate daily with my fellow coworkers, but it is only dealing with the problems faced at the moment. I need to broaden my efforts to not only the specific needs of my current patients, but what is happening outside of my work. There are much bigger issues such as homelessness, hunger, lack of access to healthcare, etc. I do support anything theses causes, but I do not do my part in educating the general population of what is happening. With the proper education, people would become more aware of the problem at hand, and try to make a difference in stopping it.
“The profession of nursing, as represented by associations and their members, is responsible for articulating nursing values, for maintaining the integrity of the profession and its practice, and for shaping social policy”, is Provision 9 by the ANA (ANA, 2013). On a daily basis I comply with Provision 9.2 which states, “The nursing profession continues to develop ways to clarify nursing’s accountability to society. The contract between the profession and society is made explicit through such mechanisms as (a) The Code of Ethics for Nurses, (b) the standards of nursing practice, (c) the ongoing development of nursing knowledge derived from nursing theory, scholarship, and research in order to guide nursing actions, (d) educational requirements for practice, (e) certification, and (f ) mechanisms for evaluating the effectiveness of professional nursing actions.” (ANA, 2013) To follow this provision is what allowed for me to obtain my nursing license.
“Philosophy is not science, and nursing philosophy is not nursing science” (Silva, 2006). Silva (2006) explains that philosophy is the foundation of science, and nursing philosophy is the foundation of both nursing science and nursing research. Nursing philosophies can be personal or universal. Personal philosophies belong “specifically to the nurse and reflect the nurse’s values, logic, morals, and ethics” (GoNursingSchools.com, 2009). These differ from
