Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to provide the student an opportunity to reflect on selected RN-BSN competencies acquired through the NUR3125 course.  

Course Outcomes

This assignment provides documentation of student ability to meet the following course outcomes:

• Apply principles of normal anatomy and physiology of human body systems to the pathophysiologic processes of common health problems.
• Identify concepts, principles, and responses related to pathophysiologic processes that result in disease.
• Discuss clinical manifestations of selected disease processes and health problems.
• Identify appropriate pharmacological treatment of specific diseases using the nursing process.
• Discuss the nurse’s role and responsibility for assessment of individuals experiencing health problems that result in pathophysiologic alterations

Points

This assignment is worth a total of 100 points (10%).

Due Date

Submit your completed assignment under the Assignment tab by Sunday 11:59 p.m. EST of Week 15 as directed.

Requirements

1. The Course Reflection is worth 100 points (10%) and will be graded on quality of self-assessment, use of citations, use of Standard English grammar, sentence structure, and overall organization based on the required components as summarized in the directions and grading criteria/rubric.
2. Follow the directions and grading criteria closely. Any questions about your essay may be posted under the Q & A forum under the Discussions tab.
3. The length of the reflection is to be within three to six pages excluding title page and reference pages.
4. APA format is required with both a title page and reference page. Use the required components of the review as Level 1 headers (upper and lower case, centered):

Note: Introduction – Write an introduction but do not use “Introduction” as a heading in accordance with the rules put forth in the Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (2010, p. 63).

1. Course Reflection
   1. Conclusion

 

Preparing Your Reflection

The BSN Essentials (AACN, 2008) outline a number of healthcare policy and advocacy competencies for the BSN-prepared nurse. Reflect on the NUR3125 course readings, discussion threads, and applications you have completed across this course and write a reflective essay regarding the extent to which you feel you are now prepared to:

1. “Demonstrate the professional standards of moral, ethical, and legal conduct.
2. Assume accountability for personal and professional behaviors.
3. Promote the image of nursing by modeling the values and articulating the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the nursing profession.
4. Demonstrate professionalism, including attention to appearance, demeanor, respect for self and others, and attention to professional boundaries with patients and families as well as among caregivers.
5. Demonstrate an appreciation of the history of and contemporary issues in nursing and their impact on current nursing practice.
6. Reflect on one’s own beliefs and values as they relate to professional practice.
7. Identify personal, professional, and environmental risks that impact personal and professional choices, and behaviors.
8. Communicate to the healthcare team one’s personal bias on difficult healthcare decisions that impact one’s ability to provide care.
9. Recognize the impact of attitudes, values, and expectations on the care of the very young, frail older adults, and other vulnerable populations.
10. Protect patient privacy and confidentiality of patient records and other privileged communications.
11. Access interprofessional and intra-professional resources to resolve ethical and other practice dilemmas.
12. Act to prevent unsafe, illegal, or unethical care practices.
13. Articulate the value of pursuing practice excellence, lifelong learning, and professional engagement to foster professional growth and development.
14. Recognize the relationship between personal health, self-renewal, and the ability to deliver sustained quality care.
15. Conduct comprehensive and focused physical, behavioral, psychological, spiritual, socioeconomic, and environmental assessments of health and illness parameters in patients, using developmentally and culturally appropriate approaches.
16. Recognize the relationship of genetics and genomics to health, prevention, screening, diagnostics, prognostics, selection of treatment, and monitoring of treatment effectiveness, using a constructed pedigree from collected family history information as well as standardized symbols and terminology.
17. Implement holistic, patient­ centered care that reflects an understanding of human growth and development, pathophysiology, pharmacology, medical management, and nursing management across the health­ illness continuum, across the lifespan, and in all healthcare settings.
18. Communicate effectively with all members of the healthcare team, including the patient and the patient’s support network.
19. Deliver compassionate, patient­ centered, evidence-based care that respects patient and family preferences.
20. Implement patient and family care around resolution of end ­of ­life and palliative care issues, such as symptom management, support of rituals, and respect for patient and family preferences.
21. Provide appropriate patient teaching that reflects developmental stage, age, culture, spirituality, patient preferences, and health literacy considerations to foster patient engagement in their care.
22. Implement evidence-based nursing interventions as appropriate for managing the acute and chronic care of patients and promoting health across the lifespan.
23. Monitor client outcomes to evaluate the effectiveness of psychobiological interventions.
24. Facilitate patient­ centered transitions of care, including discharge planning and ensuring the caregiver’s knowledge of care requirements to promote safe care.
25. Provide nursing care based on evidence that contributes to safe and high-quality patient outcomes within healthcare microsystems.
26. Create a safe care environment that results in high quality patient outcomes.
27. Revise the plan of care based on an ongoing evaluation of patient outcomes.
28. Demonstrate clinical judgment and accountability for patient outcomes when delegating to and supervising other members of the healthcare team.
29. Manage care to maximize health, independence, and quality of life for a group of individuals that approximates a beginning practitioner’s workload 
30. Demonstrate the application of psychomotor skills for the efficient, safe, and compassionate delivery of patient care.
31. Develop a beginning understanding of complementary and alternative modalities and their role in health care. 
32. Develop an awareness of patients as well as healthcare professionals’ spiritual beliefs and values and how those beliefs and values impact health care.
33. Manage the interaction of multiple functional problems affecting patients across the lifespan, including common geriatric syndromes.
34. Understand one’s role and participation in emergency preparedness and disaster response with an awareness of environmental factors and the risks they pose to self and patients
35. Engage in caring and healing techniques that promote a therapeutic nurse patient relationship.
36. Demonstrate tolerance for the ambiguity and unpredictability of the world and its effect on the healthcare system as related to nursing practice.” (pp. 28, 31-32).

Reference:

American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN]. (2008). The essentials of baccalaureate education for professional nursing practice. Washington, DC: Author.

 

Directions and Grading Criteria

Category	Points	%	Description
(Introduction – see note under requirement #4 above)	8	8	Introduces the purpose of the reflection and addresses BSN Essentials (AACN, 2008) pertinent to healthcare policy and advocacy.
You Decide Reflection	80	80	Include a self-assessment regarding learning that you believe represents your skills, knowledge, and integrative abilities to meet the pertinent BSN Essential and sub-competencies (AACN, 2008) as a result of active learning throughout this course. Be sure to use examples from selected readings, threaded discussions, and/or applications to support your assertions to address each of the following sub-competencies: “Demonstrate the professional standards of moral, ethical, and legal conduct.Assume accountability for personal and professional behaviors.Promote the image of nursing by modeling the values and articulating the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the nursing profession.Demonstrate professionalism, including attention to appearance, demeanor, respect for self and others, and attention to professional boundaries with patients and families as well as among caregivers.Demonstrate an appreciation of the history of and contemporary issues in nursing and their impact on current nursing practice.Reflect on one’s own beliefs and values as they relate to professional practice.Identify personal, professional, and environmental risks that impact personal and professional choices, and behaviors.Communicate to the healthcare team one’s personal bias on difficult healthcare decisions that impact one’s ability to provide care.Recognize the impact of attitudes, values, and expectations on the care of the very young, frail older adults, and other vulnerable populations.Protect patient privacy and confidentiality of patient records and other privileged communications.Access interprofessional and intra-professional resources to resolve ethical and other practice dilemmas.Act to prevent unsafe, illegal, or unethical care practices.Articulate the value of pursuing practice excellence, lifelong learning, and professional engagement to foster professional growth and development.Recognize the relationship between personal health, self-renewal, and the ability to deliver sustained quality care.Conduct comprehensive and focused physical, behavioral, psychological, spiritual, socioeconomic, and environmental assessments of health and illness parameters in patients, using developmentally and culturally appropriate approaches.Recognize the relationship of genetics and genomics to health, prevention, screening, diagnostics, prognostics, selection of treatment, and monitoring of treatment effectiveness, using a constructed pedigree from collected family history information as well as standardized symbols and terminology.Implement holistic, patient­ centered care that reflects an understanding of human growth and development, pathophysiology, pharmacology, medical management, and nursing management across the health­ illness continuum, across the lifespan, and in all healthcare settings.Communicate effectively with all members of the healthcare team, including the patient and the patient’s support network.Deliver compassionate, patient­ centered, evidence-based care that respects patient and family preferences.Implement patient and family care around resolution of end ­of ­life and palliative care issues, such as symptom management, support of rituals, and respect for patient and family preferences.Provide appropriate patient teaching that reflects developmental stage, age, culture, spirituality, patient preferences, and health literacy considerations to foster patient engagement in their care.Implement evidence-based nursing interventions as appropriate for managing the acute and chronic care of patients and promoting health across the lifespan.Monitor client outcomes to evaluate the effectiveness of psychobiological interventions.Facilitate patient­ centered transitions of care, including discharge planning and ensuring the caregiver’s knowledge of care requirements to promote safe care.Provide nursing care based on evidence that contributes to safe and high-quality patient outcomes within healthcare microsystems.Create a safe care environment that results in high quality patient outcomes.Revise the plan of care based on an ongoing evaluation of patient outcomes.Demonstrate clinical judgment and accountability for patient outcomes when delegating to and supervising other members of the healthcare team.Develop a beginning understanding of complementary and alternative modalities and their role in health care. Develop an awareness of patients as well as healthcare professionals’ spiritual beliefs and values and how those beliefs and values impact health care.Manage the interaction of multiple functional problems affecting patients across the lifespan, including common geriatric syndromes.Understand one’s role and participation in emergency preparedness and disaster response with an awareness of environmental factors and the risks they pose to self and patientsEngage in caring and healing techniques that promote a therapeutic nurse patient relationship.Demonstrate tolerance for the ambiguity and unpredictability of the world and its effect on the healthcare system as related to nursing practice.” (pp. 28, 31-32).
Conclusion	4	4	An effective conclusion identifies the main ideas and major conclusions from the body of your essay. Minor details are left out. Summarize the benefits of the pertinent BSN Essential and sub-competencies (AACN, 2008) pertaining to scholarship for evidence-based practice.
Clarity of writing	6	6	Use of standard English grammar and sentence structure. No spelling errors or typographical errors. Organized around the required components using appropriate headers. Writing should demonstrate original thought without an over-reliance on the works of others.
APA format	2	2	All information taken from another source, even if summarized, must be appropriately cited in the manuscript and listed in the references using APA (6th ed.) format: Document setupTitle and reference pagesCitations in the text and references.
Total:	100	100	A quality essay will meet or exceed all of the above requirements.

Grading Rubric

Assignment Criteria	Meets Criteria	Partially Meets Criteria	Does Not Meet Criteria
(Introduction – see note under requirement #4 above)           (8 pts)	Short introduction of selected BSN sub-competencies (AACN, 2008) pertinent to scholarship for evidence-based practice. Rationale is well presented, and purpose fully developed.   7 – 8 points	Basic understanding and/or limited use of original explanation and/or inappropriate emphasis on an area.         5 – 6 points	Little or very general introduction of selected BSN sub-competencies (AACN, 2008). Little to no original explanation; inappropriate emphasis on an area.     0 – 4 points
You Decide Reflection                     (80 pts)	Excellent self-assessment of skills, knowledge, and integrative abilities pertinent to healthcare policy and advocacy. Reflection on pertinent BSN sub-competencies (AACN, 2008) supported with examples.       70 – 80 points	Basic self-assessment of skills, knowledge, and integrative abilities pertinent to healthcare policy and advocacy. Reflection on pertinent BSN sub-competencies (AACN, 2008) not supported with examples.       59 – 69 points	Little or very general self-assessment of skills, knowledge, and integrative abilities pertinent to healthcare policy and advocacy. Little or no reflection on pertinent BSN sub-competencies (AACN, 2008) or reflection not supported with examples.   0 – 58 points
Conclusion             (4 pts)	Excellent understanding of pertinent BSN sub- competencies (AACN, 2008). Conclusions are well evidenced and fully developed.   3 – 4 points	Basic understanding and/or limited use of original explanation and/or inappropriate emphasis on an area.   2 points	Little understanding of pertinent BSN sub-competencies (AACN, 2008). Little to no original explanation; inappropriate emphasis on an area.   0 – 1 point
Clarity of writing                 (6 pts)	Excellent use of standard English showing original thought with minimal reliance on the works of others. No spelling or grammar errors. Well organized with proper flow of meaning.   5 – 6 points	Some evidence of own expression and competent use of language. No more than three spelling or grammar errors. Well organized thoughts and concepts.     3 – 4 points	Language needs development or there is an over-reliance on the works of others. Four or more spelling and/or grammar errors. Poorly organized thoughts and concepts.   0 – 2 points
APA format         (2 pts)	APA format correct with no more than 1-2 minor errors.     2 points	3-5 errors in APA format and/or 1-2 citations are missing.     1 point	APA formatting contains multiple errors and/or several citations are missing.   0 points
Total Points Possible =  100  points