A professional development plan is essential for the organization’s and the nurse’s growth. This planning involves an ongoing development process that every nurse, regardless of their areas of focus, requires to help make the most of their expertise and improve their operations. It supports one in determining professional objectives, which also benefits everyone who relies on their services. This paper focuses on my professional development plan for MSN-prepared nurses. It outlines my specific area of focus in nursing education and the position I desire to obtain. I also discuss my professional goals and how they are related to the nurse educator philosophy. Moreover, it analyses I will carry out my scholarship activities and ways to develop my leadership role. It also provides my plans for professional growth and ends with a reflection on my capabilities to achieve my goals.
Area of Focus
I want to be a public educator for mental health challenges. As a nurse educator in this sector, I will have one primary specialty role (Gazza, 2019). As a nurse educator in this sector, I will always address different factors that can help enhance mental health. I will facilitate such situations by addressing treatments where environmental, social, or genetic aspects result in mental health challenges. As a nurse educator, I recognize that different communities face different challenges. Therefore, I will offer information based on the needs of a specific community. I will work with community clinics where I can get patients who have gone for treatment. Moreover, I can get an audience from public schools and hospitals. I will also obtain questions from the public about the issues I should address and identify the materials I need to respond to these needs. Besides, I will always ensure that I get feedback to help track progress.
I wish to obtain the position of leadership. Therefore, to achieve this goal, one must pursue a doctorate in nursing education (Gazza, 2019). This terminal degree is essential to realize this objective because it will prepare me at my highest practice level. It is crucial to consider pursuing it when one wants to go into a leadership position. A Master of Science in Nursing will only help to pursue initial licensure. The Doctorate is more versatile because it will allow me to become a leader. Moreover, as a public educator, this degree is crucial. After all, it will prepare me to engage in policy change at various levels because it can participate in the formation.
I will need various education competencies as an MSN-prepared nurse. The first competency involves developing queries that can help address various aspects contributing to and exacerbating mental health challenges (Sinacori, 2020). The nurse educator should use this question to conduct a study and utilize the results from the research to bring change. Moreover, I must thoroughly comprehend this education’s conceptual and theoretical concepts and bases. Besides, establishing a trusting relationship with the community is essential otherwise; the education will be in vain. Therefore, one must have appropriate interpersonal skills to help achieve this goal.
Professional Goals
My first professional goal involves introducing new teaching methods. Even though face-to-face interactions with the public provide better results regarding public education, introducing online-based learning can also have a significant impact (Sinacori, 2020). Many individuals are prone to mental health challenges; however, they cannot access education because they are too busy. Thus, creating websites and utilizing various social media platforms can help reach such individuals. Moreover, this method is fast and saves money. However, I intend to alternate between online-based education and face-to-face talks. My philosophy as a nurse educator is to develop a respectful connection with the individuals I serve to ensure I do not turn them into passive recipients. Therefore, this alternation is critical.
The second professional goal involves attending nurse seminars to help improve the excellence of services I will provide during public education. Even though MSN can offer one the skills and knowledge necessary to educate these people, nursing education seminars help hone them (Lira et al., 2020). That will help me provide the best services as I develop my career. Therefore, I will ensure I participate in numerous workshops and seminars. Mental health is a comprehensive issue that becomes more complicated with time; therefore, one must pursue continuing education.
My third professional goal involves incorporating what I have learned in school into practice. For example, it is crucial to educate the public on their lifestyle’s role in exacerbating this problem (Sinacori, 2020). Eating habits, physical activities, and relationships significantly affect mental health. Therefore, ensuring they recognize this fact is crucial. Besides, I will teach them how to change their lifestyles to help deal with this problem.
Influences
Various factors will influence my nursing education role. A critical legal factor will impact my role. For example, nursing negligence can quickly occur during public education, leading to adverse impacts (Bastable, 2021). They can experience unintended damage because of my unintentional omission of care. For example, dealing with some patients can be challenging as they may not report factual or reliable information during education. It can lead to unintentional mistakes with dire consequences.
Moreover, various ethical factors also influence the nursing education role. For example, when providing this care, one must consider the four principles of ethics (Bastable, 2021). I must respect patient autonomy during this education which involves recognizing that even though I can educate them, they have the final decision. Conversely, beneficence involves not taking any action that can harm the patient. Nonmaleficence always warns against intentionally harming patients. On the other hand, the principle of justice consists in recognizing that they deserve equitable treatment. If I fail to consider these principles, severe impacts can affect the organization, the patient, and me.
Analysis
I will base this professional plan on Boyer’s scholarship model. Boyer defined the primary elements of scholarship, including teaching, integration, application, and discovery (Renwick et al., 2020). The framework is crucial in nursing education as it is the basis of scholarly work. Nurses who rely on this model provide the best services because it improves efficient learning and teaching. Discovery entails studying various factors to develop new insights pertinent to learning and teaching. When conducting studies to help improve mental health in multiple communities, I will always use evidence-based information to bring findings that can help improve. The second element is integration. It focuses on studying, producing, assessing, and interpreting knowledge utilization in an interdisciplinary setting. I will always show my devotion to educating people by improving my education and planning. Besides, I will incorporate the relevant information I acquire from practice.
The third component is application. It is concerned with benefiting professionals and society by applying the knowledge one acquires from the study to deal with various challenges (Renwick et al., 2020). I have gained valuable knowledge from practice and theory, which I hope to apply in this role. Whenever I conduct research, I will use the findings to help bring change. The fourth component is teaching. It focuses on enhancing learners’ outcomes. This goal is achievable through knowledge dissemination and modification. I will utilize my creativity to create innovative teaching items that will facilitate my work as a public educator.
Leadership Role
I will develop my leadership role by pursuing a Doctorate in nursing education and joining community or professional organizations. Earning this Doctorate will provide me with the expertise and skills MSN does not offer (Gazza, 2019). I will consider enrolling in an online program as I continue to serve people. To be effective in a leadership role, one must know what working in it involves. This degree will teach me that. Through it, I can acquire various skills, including a role in healthcare policy development, leading partnerships, promoting advocacy efforts, and utilizing advanced scientific knowledge.
Another significant way to develop my leadership role involves joining community and professional organizations. Various organizations can help one develop one’s leadership role, such as those focusing on matters impacting communities one will attend (Gazza, 2019). Nursing organizations can also be helpful. I will develop my awareness of matters impacting the communities and my profession. Moreover, these institutions teach one how to approach advocacy. Since I will be dealing with mental health, advocacy is crucial.
Development Plan
I must be competent in practice to help those who educate. Educating the public about mental health goes beyond providing the necessary information (Sinacori, 2020). For example, I must have excellent interpersonal skills to help build trust with them. Without trust, my efforts will be in vain. Moreover, I must focus on my academics. I plan to consult my educators whenever in need as it helps promote my knowledge. I plan to score good grades in academics and attend all the classes and practicals to ensure I do not miss any essential aspect I should apply in my practice.
I will consider all the ethics when conducting studies to avoid errors and promote truth. Besides, I will always ensure to conduct them on time. Since I aspire to be a leader, I intend to pursue Doctorate in nursing education (Gazza, 2019). However, I will only apply after completing a master’s of Science in nursing. Besides leadership, another significant reason I need to apply for the Doctorate is that it will enable me to participate in policy formation. As a public educator for mental illnesses, I want to help form policies that will help improve the situation, including providing free treatment for the disadvantaged and offering free and adequate services in prisons. I will have to be able to successfully perform advanced tasks before pursuing this degree. Moreover, I must be an RN with a license.
Reflection
Every successful result comes from proper planning. To provide the best services to the public as a nurse educator dealing with mental illness, I must have a professional development plan. However, even though I have prepared a relevant and reliable professional development plan, I acknowledge that as I continue to study and practice, I may encounter changes; hence it will be challenging to stick to the development plan. Therefore, in such cases, I will make the necessary changes. I will be ready to apply the knowledge I have acquired from practice and education to transform lives by offering public education. I must pursue Doctorate in nursing education for two primary reasons. First, it will enable me to participate in policy formation. Second, it is essential in leadership development. Mental health patients need policy change, a crucial factor making me consider a doctorate. Therefore, I must perform well in my academics and finish my MSN successfully to get the opportunity to apply for the degree.
References
Bastable, S. B. (2021). Nurse as educator: Principles of teaching and learning for nursing practice. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Gazza, E. A. (2019). Alleviating the nurse faculty shortage: designating and preparing the academic nurse educator as an advanced practice registered nurse. In Nursing Forum (Vol. 54, No. 2, pp. 144-148).
Lira, A. L. B. D. C., Adamy, E. K., Teixeira, E., & Silva, F. V. D. (2020). Nursing education: challenges and perspectives in times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Revista brasileira de enfermagem, 73(suppl 2), e20200683.
Renwick, K., Selkrig, M., Manathunga, C., & Keamy, R. K. (2020). Community engagement is Revisiting Boyer’s model of scholarship. Higher Education Research & Development, 39(6), 1232-1246.
Sinacori, B. C. (2020). How nurse educators perceive the transition from the traditional classroom to the online environment: A qualitative inquiry. Nursing education perspectives, 41(1), 16-19.
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