I must complete my clinical hours as a nursing student. These clinical rotations will allow me to put my theoretical knowledge to use and equip me with the tools to become a competent and compassionate nurse. This essay will discuss my plan for completing my clinical hours, including the knowledge and experience I hope to gain and the methods I intend to employ to support my clinical judgments with evidence.
As a first step, improving my assessment capacity is a vital objective of this change in clinical emphasis. Correctly assessing a patient’s state is an essential component of nursing that requires regular practice (Jarvill et al., 2018). As part of my goals for this clinical rotation, I plan to consistently take vital signs, perform physical exams, and conduct health assessments to hone my assessment skills. I want more confidence and ease when assessing others and looking for red flags.
I plan to improve my communication skills while in the clinic. Nursing care relies heavily on effective communication between nurses, patients, and other healthcare team members. I plan to hone my communication abilities by learning to listen attentively, expressing myself clearly, and encouraging others to share their concerns through open-ended inquiries. I would also like to have some experience communicating with other healthcare team members, such as nurses, technicians, and other allied health professionals.
I hope to improve my clinical reasoning and judgment skills during this rotation. Critical thinking and the ability to base judgments on evidence are essential nursing skills (Armstrong & Metlay, 2020). To back up my clinical judgments, I intend to make frequent use of evidence-based practice resources, including peer-reviewed publications and clinical practice guidelines. I seek advice from my clinical instructor and the more seasoned nurses working on the ward to further develop my clinical reasoning abilities.
My specific goals for this clinical rotation are to gain experience in wound care, medication administration, and patient education. I wish to gain experience in this area of nursing by assisting with dressing changes and wound assessments. I intend to improve my medication administration skills by adhering to the Six Rights of Medication Administration and reading up on current practices in the field of nursing (Kartika & Melani, 2018). Lastly, patient education is a crucial aspect of nursing care. I plan to improve in this area by studying how to articulate and explain medical conditions and treatment options to people.
My aims and the abilities I hope to acquire during my clinical rotations are outlined here. Every time I start a new job, I will do it with an eagerness to learn and a positive outlook. When I have questions, I will consult with my clinical instructor and other healthcare team members. I intend to take advantage of any in-service training courses or other educational opportunities my hospital may provide to further my education.
Finally, I intend to let statistics inform my clinical judgments. Clinical decisions in a research-based practice setting are based on the highest quality evidence. To that end, I want to read nursing journals and attend continuing education classes regularly to ensure I know the most recent findings and standards for clinical practice. I plan to consult with my clinical instructor and the other experienced nurses on the unit to learn more about incorporating evidence into my clinical practice. Evidence-based practice allows me to provide patients with the highest quality care while making educated clinical decisions (Bowling et al., 2018).
Getting my clinical hours completed is crucial to my nursing degree. I plan to improve my abilities to appraise situations, talk to patients, think clinically, and make decisions while on this rotation. I am also interested in honing my skills in administering treatment, educating patients, and dressing wounds. To succeed in my clinical rotations and achieve my objectives, I will study hard in advance and keep an open mind. Additionally, I will probe for clarification, solicit input, and capitalize on teachable moments. I intend to base my clinical judgments on the best available evidence. To accomplish this, I want to constantly seek new information and consult with more seasoned nurses working on my unit.
References
Armstrong, K. A., & Metlay, J. P. (2020). Annals clinical decision making: communicating risk and engaging patients in shared decision making. Annals of Internal Medicine, 172(10), 688–692.
Bowling, A. M., Cooper, R., Kellish, A., Kubin, L., & Smith, T. (2018). No evidence to support the number of clinical hours necessary for nursing competency. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, pp. 39, 27–36.
Kartika, I. R., & Melani, V. (2018). Application of “six rights” on medication administration by nurse and patient satisfaction. Indonesian Nursing Journal of Education and Clinic (Injec), 2(2), 178-183.
Jarvill, M., Jenkins, S., Akman, O., Astroth, K. S., Pohl, C., & Jacobs, P. J. (2018). Effect of Simulation on nursing students’ medication administration competence. Clinical simulation in Nursing, pp. 14, 3–7.
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