BSN Core Competencies
The following are core competencies I have learned and utilized during my nursing program:
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT Quality improvement penetrates into every aspect of care and plays an important role especially in patient-centered care. I continuously strive to improve and adapt my approach so that my patients receive the best care I can offer them. I enjoy learning new, safer techniques that can be used to complete tasks efficiently. I am constantly asking how something can be improved or where information is lacking. As a nurse, it is important to work as a team to lessen the gap between local and best practice through quality improvement projects. In my "Nursing Leadership" class I created a quality improvement project that would empower patients throughout their hospital stay and prepare them for discharge so that they would be knowledgeable about what they were to do once they left the hospital. To the right you will find the PowerPoint presentation of the Change Project I was a part of regarding Quality Improvement. |
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TEAMWORK AND COLLABORATION
As a nursing student, I participated in many group projects and presentations that required me to effectively foster open communication, mutual respect, and participate in shared decision-making in order to achieve quality outcomes. During group projects often require clear communication, delegation, collaboration, and leadership. The same is also true in the clinical setting where I have been able to identify my own strengths, limitations, and values in order to solve problems and communicate effectively with colleagues.
SAFETY
The importance of safety cannot be overly emphasized when it comes to nursing care and patient safety. Some ways that I have demonstrated safety in my own practice include demonstration of effective communication between team members of concerns or hazards, creation and use of "nursing brains" to reduce reliance on memory, utilization of medication rights to reduce errors, and thorough assessment of the patient's environment and if there are any alterations in their condition. Maintaining privacy through HIPAA is also a valued safety implementation.
INFORMATICS
Informatics is something I use on a daily basis and am highly proficient in. Throughout nursing school I have created "nursing brains," PowerPoint templates, and patient education pamphlets and videos. In the clinical setting I have been trained to use MediTech and Epic Hyperspace for electronic health records and charting. I utilize several smartphone applications for clinical reference, including Skyscape equipped with Davis' Drug Guide, Diseases and Disorders, a drug calculator, a CDC reference, and a MedWatch reference. I also use iTranslate, a smartphone application used to communicate with Spanish-speaking patients. I utilize appropriate electronic resources to look up medications, disease pathophysiology, and patient education. I believe that nurses can make a huge impact on patient safety and care through the design, selection, implementation and evaluation of information technologies to support patient care.
As a nursing student, I participated in many group projects and presentations that required me to effectively foster open communication, mutual respect, and participate in shared decision-making in order to achieve quality outcomes. During group projects often require clear communication, delegation, collaboration, and leadership. The same is also true in the clinical setting where I have been able to identify my own strengths, limitations, and values in order to solve problems and communicate effectively with colleagues.
SAFETY
The importance of safety cannot be overly emphasized when it comes to nursing care and patient safety. Some ways that I have demonstrated safety in my own practice include demonstration of effective communication between team members of concerns or hazards, creation and use of "nursing brains" to reduce reliance on memory, utilization of medication rights to reduce errors, and thorough assessment of the patient's environment and if there are any alterations in their condition. Maintaining privacy through HIPAA is also a valued safety implementation.
INFORMATICS
Informatics is something I use on a daily basis and am highly proficient in. Throughout nursing school I have created "nursing brains," PowerPoint templates, and patient education pamphlets and videos. In the clinical setting I have been trained to use MediTech and Epic Hyperspace for electronic health records and charting. I utilize several smartphone applications for clinical reference, including Skyscape equipped with Davis' Drug Guide, Diseases and Disorders, a drug calculator, a CDC reference, and a MedWatch reference. I also use iTranslate, a smartphone application used to communicate with Spanish-speaking patients. I utilize appropriate electronic resources to look up medications, disease pathophysiology, and patient education. I believe that nurses can make a huge impact on patient safety and care through the design, selection, implementation and evaluation of information technologies to support patient care.
PATIENT-CENTERED CARE
I see every patient as a full partner in the care process, where they are to be treated with compassion and respect for their individual preferences, values, and needs. I believe that I am able to understand the different dimensions of a patient's care by seeing health care through their eyes. I have encouraged patients to find their own strengths and empower them with information to be able to take charge of their own care according to their unique situation and personality. I have had the privilege to pray with patients during their time of vulnerability and pain. I have also recognized when only silent prayers were needed when patients' values and beliefs differed from my own. During my community health class, I was able to encounter a certain population of young teenage girls at risk for human trafficking or who had survived human trafficking. T to the right is a presentation I prepared utilizing a care plan for such at-risk youth. I was able to utilize a few of the interventions mentioned in the presentation with some of the girls I met. |
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EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE (EBP)
Using current EBP and performing research in nursing is essential to providing the best care possible to patients. EBP allows nurses to be updated on new techniques and approaches in order to provide optimal care. Throughout nursing school I have taken courses in "Scientific Writing" and "Research and Theory in Advanced Nursing Practice" through which I have gained proficiency in reading and writing scientific articles and have had the opportunity to create a research proposal. To the right is a poster presentation created to explain the research proposal, and was presented at the annual Azusa Pacific University School of Nursing's Nursing Research Symposium. I have also had the opportunity to attend an immunization update conference and plan to attend many more in order to keep up with EBP. |
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Student Learning Outcomes
Azusa Pacific University's ELM Nursing Program Student Learning Outcomes:
Articulates how the Christian worldview and tenets of the Christian faith inform one’s beliefs, values and service in personal and professional life.
My faith is continually growing and evolving, and my attendance at a Christian university has allowed me to further explore my faith and determine those values and beliefs which are most important to me. I was encouraged to integrate my beliefs and values into the nursing care I provide to my patients, by not only offering spiritual support to those patients and families, but also by upholding a life of integrity, fulfillment, and having a source from which I am able to draw support in order to provide the best care possible.
Provides and evaluates nursing care for individuals, families, communities and populations utilizing professional knowledge and core competencies (critical thinking, clinical reasoning, communication, assessment and technical skills) built on a foundation of nursing science, general education and religious understanding.
The core competencies have been widely integrated throughout my nursing studies. Throughout my nursing education, I have learned a range of information pertaining to not only specific illnesses and their affect on overall health and other disease processes, but also their effect on the community level. By learning a wide array of information based upon the core competencies of nursing, I am able to provide competent care that is based upon the nursing process that involves critical thinking of all parts of the patient, how to assess that patient properly, how to collaborate and communicate with the healthcare team, and how to perform proper nursing skills in order to care for my patient.
Prioritizes care so that interventions support healing, maintain quality and safety, and prevent complications using theories and concepts of nursing based on evidence and research.
One of the most important aspects of nursing is the prioritization of needs and interventions that support healing and maintain quality. Due to the busy and quick-paced nature of the nursing profession, it is essential that nurses are able to perform a proper assessment and are able to think critically as to what the priorities of care are. It is also important for nurses to be able to maintain quality and safety of the patient and prevent complications by having knowledge about what interventions they are actually performing and why they are being ordered for that specific patient. The prioritization of tasks and critical thinking about why I am performing an intervention for a patient and what their immediate needs are via a thorough assessment has been emphasized throughout my clinical rotations and has become a standard part of the nursing care I deliver to patients.
Synthesizes knowledge from theory and research and uses information to lead practice inquiry, communicate, manage knowledge and support decision-making in nursing practice (including health promotion and disease prevention), leadership and health policy matters.
Evidence-based practice is an essential component to the delivery of safe, competent, and effective care provided to patients. It is essential for nurses to synthesize knowledge based on current research, and to incorporate new evidence-based research into current practices to provide the most effective and quality care to patients. Research and theory are important aspects in providing care as it helps nurses use information to lead practice inquiry, communicate, manage knowledge and support decision-making in nursing practice, leadership, and health policy matters. Throughout my time in the nursing program, I have been involved in several research projects. Some research topics I have focused on include the benefits of an educational program to enhance the immunization status of infants, and have done research on hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer.
Demonstrates commitment to continual personal and professional growth and development and contributes to quality care in all settings.
Education is an essential component of any profession, and particularly to the healthcare profession in which new knowledge is being constantly updated and uncovered. I will continually practice personal and professional growth and development by being current with research, news, and evidence-based practices. This culmination of knowledge and continuity of nursing skill practices will enable me to provide excellent patient centered care.
Shows dedication to the patient/family by utilizing highly developed skills in respect, advocacy, education, caring, collaboration and ethical decision-making.
Family and friends have the burden of watching their loved ones grow ill at the hospital and wondering if there is anything that can be done. Personally experiencing the pain and difficulty of watching my husband's grandmother pass away recently after her stay in the ICU has allowed me develop a deeper understanding and commitment to provide support and care for not only the patient, but the family as well. As a student nurse, I have approached family members with respect, educating them on the progress of their loved ones, advocating for their loved ones, and collaborating on decision-making.
Functions independently and collaboratively, both as leader and member of nursing and interprofessional teams to manage and coordinate care.
Nursing is about being adaptable to change and utilize critical thinking to produce the best outcomes for patients. My experience has taught me that being able to function independently is just as important as functioning collaboratively. By being able to adjust, I am able to manage and coordinate the necessary care for the promotion of health and well-being for the patients I come in contact with.
Articulates how the Christian worldview and tenets of the Christian faith inform one’s beliefs, values and service in personal and professional life.
My faith is continually growing and evolving, and my attendance at a Christian university has allowed me to further explore my faith and determine those values and beliefs which are most important to me. I was encouraged to integrate my beliefs and values into the nursing care I provide to my patients, by not only offering spiritual support to those patients and families, but also by upholding a life of integrity, fulfillment, and having a source from which I am able to draw support in order to provide the best care possible.
Provides and evaluates nursing care for individuals, families, communities and populations utilizing professional knowledge and core competencies (critical thinking, clinical reasoning, communication, assessment and technical skills) built on a foundation of nursing science, general education and religious understanding.
The core competencies have been widely integrated throughout my nursing studies. Throughout my nursing education, I have learned a range of information pertaining to not only specific illnesses and their affect on overall health and other disease processes, but also their effect on the community level. By learning a wide array of information based upon the core competencies of nursing, I am able to provide competent care that is based upon the nursing process that involves critical thinking of all parts of the patient, how to assess that patient properly, how to collaborate and communicate with the healthcare team, and how to perform proper nursing skills in order to care for my patient.
Prioritizes care so that interventions support healing, maintain quality and safety, and prevent complications using theories and concepts of nursing based on evidence and research.
One of the most important aspects of nursing is the prioritization of needs and interventions that support healing and maintain quality. Due to the busy and quick-paced nature of the nursing profession, it is essential that nurses are able to perform a proper assessment and are able to think critically as to what the priorities of care are. It is also important for nurses to be able to maintain quality and safety of the patient and prevent complications by having knowledge about what interventions they are actually performing and why they are being ordered for that specific patient. The prioritization of tasks and critical thinking about why I am performing an intervention for a patient and what their immediate needs are via a thorough assessment has been emphasized throughout my clinical rotations and has become a standard part of the nursing care I deliver to patients.
Synthesizes knowledge from theory and research and uses information to lead practice inquiry, communicate, manage knowledge and support decision-making in nursing practice (including health promotion and disease prevention), leadership and health policy matters.
Evidence-based practice is an essential component to the delivery of safe, competent, and effective care provided to patients. It is essential for nurses to synthesize knowledge based on current research, and to incorporate new evidence-based research into current practices to provide the most effective and quality care to patients. Research and theory are important aspects in providing care as it helps nurses use information to lead practice inquiry, communicate, manage knowledge and support decision-making in nursing practice, leadership, and health policy matters. Throughout my time in the nursing program, I have been involved in several research projects. Some research topics I have focused on include the benefits of an educational program to enhance the immunization status of infants, and have done research on hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer.
Demonstrates commitment to continual personal and professional growth and development and contributes to quality care in all settings.
Education is an essential component of any profession, and particularly to the healthcare profession in which new knowledge is being constantly updated and uncovered. I will continually practice personal and professional growth and development by being current with research, news, and evidence-based practices. This culmination of knowledge and continuity of nursing skill practices will enable me to provide excellent patient centered care.
Shows dedication to the patient/family by utilizing highly developed skills in respect, advocacy, education, caring, collaboration and ethical decision-making.
Family and friends have the burden of watching their loved ones grow ill at the hospital and wondering if there is anything that can be done. Personally experiencing the pain and difficulty of watching my husband's grandmother pass away recently after her stay in the ICU has allowed me develop a deeper understanding and commitment to provide support and care for not only the patient, but the family as well. As a student nurse, I have approached family members with respect, educating them on the progress of their loved ones, advocating for their loved ones, and collaborating on decision-making.
Functions independently and collaboratively, both as leader and member of nursing and interprofessional teams to manage and coordinate care.
Nursing is about being adaptable to change and utilize critical thinking to produce the best outcomes for patients. My experience has taught me that being able to function independently is just as important as functioning collaboratively. By being able to adjust, I am able to manage and coordinate the necessary care for the promotion of health and well-being for the patients I come in contact with.