Topic > Nursing: A Reflection Paper on Challenges Encountered

IndexGeneral OverviewChallenges in Medical and Pharmacological SupervisionDifficulties in Pharmaceutical KnowledgeImprovement Strategies to Address These Identified ChallengesAdherence to Policies and ProceduresUse of TechnologyDevelopment of Appropriate Plans and PrioritizationConclusionWorks CitedNursing is a exciting profession, but with these levels of interest, there is still a huge level of challenges encountered in the nursing environment. Therefore, in writing a nursing reflection essay, I would identify applicable and variable strategies to apply when encountering challenges when transitioning from a qualified nurse to a graduate nurse. These are the important strategies when it comes to self-management in a nursing environment. Furthermore, in the development of these discussion strategies, the focus will also be shifted to indicating and using personal experience in internships. A literature review will also be used as supporting evidence. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay General Overview Nursing work is a rather broad service that is conducted on a range of patients with different levels of medical urgency and complications. It involves many different fields of work specializing in different roles who collectively as a "nurse" take care of people of different age levels based on their health and illness. A registered nurse provides care to their patients based on best practice for the situation. They follow standards and evidence to successfully strengthen practice and are part of a multidisciplinary healthcare team. In particular, the nurse can be seen to perform the following roles, but they are certainly not limited to: Patient advocate Unsupervised clinical practice Supervision and mentoring/preceptorship Interaction/liaison within the team Consultation Accurate and timely documentation. These roles are just a broad view of what nurses do in their jobs, but depending on the organization and the age range they work with, the roles can vary greatly. A nurse is required to demonstrate competence in the provision of care as followed by the National Committee of Standards and Codes, registration requirements, educational preparation, care setting and relevant legislation. People of all ages and different cultural groups will be cared for by professional nurses. Challenges in Medical and Pharmacological Supervision While undertaking a nursing program as a first-year student, challenges in self-management were encountered. A typical first-year nurse is faced with the problem of fear that comes from changing situations from theoretical understanding of concepts to practical experiences and implementation of academic knowledge. As graduate nurses face these challenges, healthcare institutions and nursing training schools have an ultimate goal which is to ensure that all healthcare professionals achieve self-care goals (Levett-Jones, T, 2013., p 36). The focus of self-care management is focused and elevated to Australian Commission on Health Care Safety and Quality Standard Four. While interning at the General Hospital in Alabama, I developed fears that include the shadow of a doubt that at any time during my practice I will make administrative errors. The reason I had this concern is that medical errors made by graduate nurses are usually linked to the conclusion that the graduate nurse has traininginadequate nursing and also that the nurse has no experience in clinical matters (Levett-Jones, T, 2013., 95). Graduate nurses who make medical errors are often treated as a concern since medical errors can be serious to the point of leading to the death of patients in the organization. Graduate nurses who commit medical errors are also subject to disciplinary action and, in some cases, are usually terminated. These are the reasons I was afraid when I was admitted to the hospital as a graduate nurse. Another challenge noted includes failure to supervise medications during the time I was hospitalized as a graduate nurse. A new nurse who has just graduated from nursing school needs to be trained and mentored to ensure that she adapts properly to the new environment and learns the basics of moving up the ladder (Levett-Jones, T & Brourgeois, S., 2011. , page 77). The reason for the need for assistance is because a newly graduated nurse is usually faced with challenges and feelings of lack of self-confidence and, in extreme cases, confusion when the culture of the organization is different. Supervision often occurs when the nurse is still undertaking their studies, but once they graduate as a graduate nurse, supervision is not available. The new graduate nurse will often feel isolated and have low self-esteem as there is no guideline regarding a supervisor who will advise the nurse to lead the treatment or change it (Ott, J, & Ross, C. 2014., p. 74). Furthermore, what usually occurs is a series of medical errors that the graduate nurse is prone to making. These errors are due to the nurse being stressed and having anxiety levels that prevent him from carrying out active tasks based on the theoretical training and skills involved. Difficulties in Pharmaceutical Knowledge Another identified challenges that I have encountered and that most graduate nurses usually encounter include lack of pharmaceutical knowledge. In university, nurses are trained in pharmaceutical knowledge, but linking knowledge with diagnosis usually occurs when the nurse is placed as a graduate nurse (Levett-Jones, T, 2013., p 40). Therefore, the conduct of evidence-based research and the availability of evidence-based practices have limited graduate nurses to practice nursing. Proper positioning can allow for the linking of pharmaceutical knowledge to diagnosis which will help enhance the graduate nurse's clinical experience. Improvement strategies to address these identified challenges Adherence to policies and procedures Strategies to use include adherence to nursing policies and procedures that are aligned with placement practice. The strategy helps implement a safe medication management program. Therefore, when these policies are communicated to the graduate nurse, it will be easy for the individual to know the location of the devices in the organization and also ensure that all these procedures are followed correctly. The graduate nurse who possesses this knowledge will be able to perform a successful birth and safely manage medications. The policies will also define an appropriate strategy to be followed by the graduate nurse (Levett-Jones, T & Brourgeois, S, 2011. p 85). These strategies include the process in which graduate nurses will seek clarification when faced with challenges, particularly issues related to unknown medications. The Monthly Medical Specialty Index should also be applied as part of the strategies to be followed. The importance of MIMS iswhich provide detailed and adequate descriptions in which nurses will be able to understand the contradictions that may arise when a particular drug is administered and also learn about the side effects that may originate from these drugs. Use of Technology Implementing technology into the nursing environment will also help mitigate medical errors that graduate nurses are prone to making. Technology plays a critical role in healthcare organizations. These roles include improving efficiency in the work environment and making nurses' work tasks easier (Ostini, F and Bonner, A. 2012., p 102). Therefore, when graduate nurses are trained in how to use different types of technology, they will gain skills that they can rely on to minimize stress, especially on medications, which could also lead to medical errors. Furthermore, the technology is believed to be beneficial to the point that it has the potential to promote self-governance among qualified graduate nurses and stimulate professional development. Technology can also help the graduate nurse to be able to make comparisons and conduct monitoring and evaluation. Monitoring and evaluation technologies will assist in decision making that minimizes medical errors that nurses can cause. Through these systems, it will be easier for the graduate nurse to be able to learn the patient's progress and where there are challenges, strategies will be developed and implemented quickly. Additionally, technology can help a graduate nurse be able to verify patient identification against procedures including entitlements and medication administration. Through these strategies, there will be an achievement of healthcare and consumer safety in healthcare organizations. Developing Adequate Plans and Prioritization Another strategy to overcome these challenges is for the healthcare institution to develop adequate plans and conduct priority setting on graduate nurses. Prioritization will lead to appropriate care and guidance of graduate nurses to enable a smooth transition between theoretical training as a nurse and training as a graduate nurse in a healthcare institution or hospital. In prioritizing, I selected this as a strategy since the managers and supervisors of these institutions will be present to provide guidelines and directions to the graduate nurses regarding what they need to do and how they may be able to establish themselves as new nurses (Ostini, F, & Bonner, A. 2012., p 47). Furthermore, I chose the strategy because it is easy for organizations to delegate tasks to nurses based on their capabilities. A nurse will be able to handle tasks according to their ability, while also minimizing stress levels and medical errors that may occur in organizations. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Customize essayConclusionIn conclusion, it should be noted that several strategies are identified and selected as options in the nursing organization. These strategies help the organization and a graduate nurse not only overcome the challenges he or she faces as a graduate nurse, but also allow nurses to properly acclimate to new placement environments. Consider the fear mistakes and medical errors that a graduate nurse who has been placed in a new healthcare organization is capable and inclined to make. These challenges are harmful, and there are strategies an organization can implement and use to ensure they address them.