Seven Standards Of Registered Nurse Standards For Practice (Essay Sample)

Portfolio Nursing
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Portfolio Nursing
Introduction
Registered nurses are expected to provide evidence-based and person-centred preventive, curative, supportive palliative, restorative, and formative care. To succeed in these roles, they must understand the health needs of their patients and come up with professional and therapeutic relationships that will facilitate the achievement of positive health outcomes. In the course of their practice, nurses come across patients with various health problems and issues related to mental or physical illnesses. To ensure that patients receive the best possible care, nurses must look for up to date evidence, follow regulatory requirements and reflect on practice. While sourcing evidence and reflecting on practice, nurses must also remember that they belong to a highly regulated profession with a wide range of guidelines and standards that influence their work. Those practicing in Australia must remember that the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) expects them to demonstrate professionalism in all care provision settings. Every nurse is expected to comply with provisions of the registered nurse standards and use them as the bases for improving their competence in practice situations and settings. This paper provides justification statements against the seven standards of registered nurse standards for practice with regard to cardiology practice. More specifically, the paper provides evidence that nurses can use while working in the cardiology section to ensure that they comply with the standards for practice.
Standards for Practice
Standard 1
The first provision of the registered nurse standards for practice calls on nurses to analyse nursing practice and think critically. According to the NMBA, registered nurses should use different thinking and analysis strategies whilst caring for patients. Furthermore, they should strive to make evidence-based decisions and provide quality and safe nursing care within evidence-based and person-centred frameworks. During my practice, I had the opportunity to work in the cardiology setting. As a nursing practitioner in this section of the healthcare system, I interacted with patients suffering from various cardiac issues and problems and those recovering from cardiac events. From time to time, I strived to comply with standard 1 of the registered nurse standards for practice by accessing, analysing, and using best evidence on cardiac problems. To understand the issues affecting patients, I regularly reviewed research findings on cardiac problems and safe and quality practices in cardiac clinics. This way, I was not only able to make informed decisions but also understand some of the issues that were affecting the health and well-being of my patients. In addition, I was able to take care of patients in the most appropriate way possible.
Standard 2
Standard 2 encourages nurses to develop and engage in professional and therapeutic relationships when taking care of patients. This provision stems from the fact that registered nurse practice entails using therapeutic and professional relationships to achieve positive health outcomes. The process involves showing collegial generosity, respect, and mutual trust in all care provision settings. According to Pullen and Mathias (2010), building therapeutic relationship entails showing respect whilst helping patients, nurturing hope and faith, being sensitive to other people, and helping with the gratification of patients' emotional, spiritual, and physical needs. Kourkout and Papathanasiou (2014) posit that therapeutic relationships facilitate effective communication between patients and caregivers. Furthermore, it helps nurses understand their patients and the issues affecting their health and wellbeing. To maintain a positive relationship with patients in the care provision setting, nurses should make patients feel comfortable and show respect and understanding throughout the care provision process. Whilst I was working in the cardiology setting, I realised that cardiovascular system and heart issues could affect people of different ages. However, the risk of such problem has always been higher amongst people aged over 65 years. Working with the population diversity requires nurses to establish and sustain a professional relationship with nurses. In my case, I practised in agreement with this provision by avoiding making assumptions about patients and helping them understand their conditions. In another instance called an interpreter to help me speak with a foreign patient who could not speak English. Furthermore, I worked in close collaboration with experienced nurses so that we could help patients live a healthy and more fulfilling life.
Standard 3
Standard 3 requires registered nurses to work towards maintaining the capability for nursing practice. Since nursing practice is a regulated profession, registered nurses are accountable and responsible for their safety and developing the capability to provide quality and safe care for patients. Furthermore, the third standard requires them to undertake continuous self-management and respond where there are concerns about the capacity for practice amongst other health care practitioners. All registered nurses working in Australia must take responsibility for their professional growth and development and support and contribute to the development of other care providers. Furthermore, they should provide education and information that help practitioners and service users take actions and make vital decisions concerning their health and wellbeing. In my practice in the cardiology section, I always knew what I needed to do to promote capability for practice. During the entire period, I complied with the third standard by remaining accountable for my actions, decisions, behaviour and responsibilities. Although I was working under the guidance of other experienced nurses, I remained liable for any action and decision that I made whilst taking care of patients and fulfilling delegated responsibilities. Secondly, I improved my capability for practice by reflecting on events and occurrences within the department. An example is an instant where a patient refused to be given medication and I had to call an experienced nurse to help out. By reflecting on such events, I was able to learn from such incidents and identify ways of responding to similar problems and concerns in future. Furthermore, reflective practice helped me identify ways of improving nursing practice in the cardiology unit.
Standard 4
The fourth standard in the registered nurses standards for practice calls on nurses to conduct assessments in a comprehensive manner. More specifically, the standard states that registered nurses should accurately carry out systematic and detailed assessment when caring for patients. Furthermore, they should analyse data and information and communicate outcomes in the course of practice. In today's age of rapidly expanding research and knowledge, health care practitioners must work hard to remain abreast of the most current evidence when making clinical decisions. Holly and Salmond (2013) posit that caregivers should use various step-by-step approaches and tools to search for information, extract, and synthesise data and integrate into their practice. In the cardiology department, nurses prepare patients for both standard care procedures as well as specialised treatments such as cardiac surgeries. Furthermore, they monitor, support, counsel and educate patients and their families. Since nurses working in such settings spend more time with the patients than doctors, they play a very critical role in support progress and recovery. Working under the guidance of experienced nurses, I was able to conduct a holistic and culturally appropriate assessment of patients undergoing different procedures in the cardiology department. Secondly, I used a range of evaluation techniques such as patient checklists to systematically and accurately collect vital information and data on patients. Finally, I worked closely with experienced and registered nurses to identify and respond to factors that could influence the health and wellbeing of cardiac patients such as the therapeutic relationships, culture, and values.
Standard 5
The fifth standard in the registered nurse standards for practices urges nurses to develop a plan for nursing practice so that they can take care of their patients effectively and safely. Registered nurses are responsible and accountable for communication and planning of nursing practice. Thus they should work with other nurses to come up with plans for practice. Whilst doing so, they should take into account relevant information and data on nursing practice and evidence that can influence the health and wellbeing of service users. According to Ballantyne (2016), nurses rely on nursing plans to take care of patients well. The process entails using a broad range of theories and nursing models to plan for care and clinical assessment and ensure that service users receive patient-centred care. Previous studies have further shown that care planning can lead to better patient outcomes, individualised the care provision process, and efficiently deal with problems affecting the health and wellbeing of patients (Hughes, 2008). These are benefits that nurses can achieve in the cardiology department if they practise per the fifth standard of the registered nurse standards for practice. One of the vital tasks that nurses carry out in a cardiac setting is looking for trends in patients' decline or progress. The process entails tracking and monitoring both minor and major changes that could make a difference between patients’ getting of the right care or experience worse health problems. Whilst in practice, I took part in planning for nursing practice by c...