Professional Development Plan



Professional Development Plan Dana RaymerFerris State UniversityAbstractThis professional development plan contains a comparison between my perception of my current nursing practice and several professional performance standards developed by the American Nurses Association (ANA). I also set forth my five and 10 year career goals, and methods to evaluate and revise these goals, if needed, are provided also.Professional Development PlanIn order to write this paper, I reviewed the Standards of Professional Performance (2004) published by the American Nurses Association (ANA). I then analyzed my current professional practice and compared it with the standards set forth by the ANA in order to evaluate my practice for both strengths and areas to improve upon according to these standards. I also listed career goals that I would like to achieve, and I also discussed methods I can use to evaluate these goals and modify them, if needed.Performance Standards ReflectionAccording to the ANA (2004), there are eight Standards of Professional Performance that professional nurses should adhere to. These standards describe the responsibilities for which nurses are accountable and “provide direction for professional nursing practice” (ANA, 2004, p. 1). The performance standards listed in Scope and Standards of Practice (2004) are as follows:Quality of Practice Education Professional Practice Evaluation CollegialityEthicsResearchResource UtilizationLeadership (pp. 33-45).Quality of PracticeThe first standard discussed is the Quality of Practice. This standard requires the professional nurse to “systematically enhance the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice” (ANA, 2004, p. 33). I do believe that I provide quality care and can prove that the care was appropriate through proper documentation. Although I have not practiced as a nurse for long, I am learning to be creative in my care and try different techniques when one is not working, and I try to learn from the more experienced nurses who often brainstorm together to find a solution to an issue that a patient is having. Creativity as a nurse involves viewing each patient as an individual with different needs and desires, even though many may have the same medical diagnoses or conditions. As a new nurse I have not had much opportunity to participate in quality improvement activities or to help make changes in nursing practice, but I think in the future I would like to be active in our unit’s shared governance committee where I can help make decisions that directly affect myself, my coworkers and my patients.EducationThe next standard is Education, which states that “The registered nurse attains knowledge and competency that reflects current nursing practice” (ANA, 2004, p. 35). I definitely meet this criterion for performance, because I am currently participating in formal education activities to obtain my bachelor’s degree in nursing, and I also am taking critical care classes offered through my hospital so that I am able to properly care for critically-ill patients. I also seek out learning experiences such as following the wound-ostomy nurse at our hospital so I can see specialty practice in our hospital. I am lucky to work for a cutting-edge employer, so I frequently attend seminars and classes through my employer which explain and demonstrate new and updated practices. I believe that this learning is something that I will seek out throughout my career, and I am still working on a method to keep accurate records of my continuing education and experiences.Professional Practice EvaluationThe standard of Professional Practice Evaluation requires professional nurses to “evaluate one’s own nursing practice in relation to professional practice standards and guidelines, relevant statutes, rules, and regulations” (ANA, 2004, p. 36). This Professional Development Plan has helped me fulfill this standard of performance by requiring me to weigh my practice against these performance standards. As a new nurse I frequently ask for informal feedback from peers, patients and supervisors in order to improve my performance, and I make an effort to effect changes in my practice in response to that feedback. Although I have not gone through an annual review yet, I know that this process involves peer review, so that aspect of the standard will also be met.CollegialityAccording to the ANA (2004), Collegiality is defined as when the registered nurse “interacts with and contributes to the professional development of peers and colleagues” (p. 37). I am working toward all of the aspects of this standard, but as a new nurse who is still on orientation training, I have had limited impact on the professional development of my peers. For example, I have not had a lot of opportunities to share knowledge or skills or provide feedback to my colleagues. I do believe that I have a lot of positive interactions with my coworkers and that I try to improve my practice by observing the care they provide or asking questions regarding their activities. I am working hard to form positive, caring working relationships with my colleagues and with my hard-working, positive attitude I believe that I will support a healthy working environment.CollaborationThe next standard, Collaboration, is also a standard that is fulfilled through my nursing practice. I believe I have excellent communication skills, and I frequently communicate with the patient, their family, and other health care providers during the course of caring for a patient, and I work with the patient and their families to develop an acceptable plan of care for the patient. Each day at work I communicate and work with others in the health care team, such as physicians, respiratory therapy, physical therapy, social work and others, in order to help my patients achieve the best possible outcomes. EthicsI believe my nursing practice also meets the criteria for the next standard, Ethics. I consistently preserve the rights of my patients and always handle confidential information in a professional way. I always maintain professional boundaries with my patients, even though I almost always have very close, trusting nurse-client relationships, and I advocate for my patients when necessary. Because I am a new nurse, I have not participated in any activities to resolve ethical disputes and I have not had any incidents where I observed impaired or incompetent coworkers, but I would not hesitate to participate in ethical debates or protect my patients or a coworker’s patients if I felt someone was not practicing in a professional or legal way.ResearchI do believe the care I provide is evidence-based and utilizes current research, but I have not had many opportunities to participate in research, which is the next standard listed. I have participated in research activities regarding the use of end-tidal CO2 and continuous SpO2 monitors for patients with a history of obstructive sleep apnea or post-surgical patients using patient controlled analgesia or epidurals. I also expect that, since Munson is consistently looking for better practices and equipment, I will participate in many other situations where we test new equipment or practices in order to achieve the best outcomes for our patients and practice in a cost-effective manner.Resource UtilizationThe next standard listed is Resource Utilization which involves the nurse who “considers factors related to safety, effectiveness, cost, and impact on practice in the planning and delivery of nursing services” (ANA, 2004, p. 42). I am still learning proper utilization management, because I am still learning all of the options available which will result in the same outcome. I frequently will discuss a situation with an experienced nurse who says, “Well, I would do it this way” and then they list the various reasons why. I have definitely learned that there are many ways to perform a task in order to reach the same outcome, but I am still learning which ways are the most effective or safest in any given situation. I am becoming skilled at helping families identify needs they may have during or after a hospitalization and I am also improving the assistance I am able to give patients when discussing options and risks or benefits of treatment and care. LeadershipThe final standard discussed in this book is Leadership. As a new nurse I have not had many opportunities or experiences to be in a leadership position, but I do feel that I am a great team player, that I contribute to a healthy work environment and that I can be creative and flexible with my practice. I also accept my mistakes and am open to discussing them so that others can learn from the mistakes I have made. I am very energetic and positive regarding my career and my life in general, and I think that my enthusiasm is evident to others on my team. At this point I am not active on any committees or councils, but I am interested in participating in a shared governance committee that helps to guide the practices and guidelines of our unit. The review that I have conducted of the Standards of Professional Performance has been very beneficial to me as a new nurse. It forced me to learn the requirements that are expected of me as a professional nurse, and I was able to identify areas within each standard that I need to improve on in order to meet these standards. GoalsFive Year GoalsMy most important five year goal is simply to have obtained my Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing (BSN) from Ferris State University. I only plan on going part-time, and according to my RN to BSN completion plan (D. Raymer, personal communication, October 2010) it will take me approximately three years to complete my bachelor’s degree. During this time I also hope to improve my clinical skills, and I plan to evaluate this goal by soliciting feedback from peers and managers and also by participating in annual reviews with my supervisors, which will include a formal peer review of my practice. Another goal would be that I would like to be enrolled and active in our unit’s shared governance committee. I believe that this would help me fulfill the standards related to helping initiate changes in nursing practice, helping to develop an environment conducive to learning and education, and also criteria listed in the leadership standard regarding participation in professional organizations. I think that it is important for nurses to take an active role in making decisions that affect themselves, their coworkers and their patients. I can evaluate this goal by reflecting on the meetings I have attended and the input I felt I had on decisions that were made by the committee. I may find that I am not satisfied with the role I play in that particular committee, so I may look for other committees in the hospital that I can become part of.Ten Year GoalsMy 10 year goals consist of specialty certifications within my scope of practice. These will help me fulfill the standards of performance that require professional nurses to advance their education and skills in their specialty area. First off, I plan to become certified as a Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse. According to the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN), achieving certification proves that the highest standards of nursing practice in this field have been achieved and certified nurses have a documented, specialized knowledge base which leads to more career opportunities and peer recognition(AMSN, 2010). Nurses must hold a full unrestricted license in the United States and have two years of practice in the adult medical-surgical setting and have accrued a minimum of two thousand hours of practice in the adult medical-surgical setting in the past three years in order to be eligible for certification (AMSN, 2010). Nurses also have to pass an examination in order to be certified.Within ten years I also would like to obtain certification as a Certified Bariatric Nurse, because most of Munson’s bariatric surgery patients are cared for on our unit after their procedures. The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) states that the requirements to become a Certified Bariatric Nurse are that the nurse holds a current professional license and the nurse must have cared for morbidly obese or bariatric surgery patients at least twenty-four months out of the last four years (p. 5). Nurses also have to pass an examination in order to become certified.Discussion of Goals and Evaluation MethodsThis professional development plan required me to look at my future goals and research what I needed to do to reach these goals. I now know about how long it will take me to complete my BSN degree through Ferris State University and I also know what requirements I must fulfill in order to become certified in my nursing specialty. Evaluating my goals will be simple, because I either will obtain my degree and certifications or I will not. The timeline may change, for example, if I take a semester off from school, so I may need to reevaluate the timeline of my goals, but I feel five years for my BSN and 10 years for my certifications are realistic timeframes, and I can modify these timeframes if I am unable to meet my personal deadlines. I also can evaluate my participation in committees that I am involved in such as shared governance to make sure that I am happy with the role I play in that particular committee. I may also find that I truly enjoy the committee work and I may find more committees and research teams that I want to participate in. ConclusionOne of the greatest benefits of developing a professional development plan is that I now feel like I have some direction and control over my professional career path.ReferencesAcademy of Medical-Surgical Nurses. (2010). Certification. Retrieved from Nurses Association [ANA]. (2004). Nursing: Scope & standards of practice. Silver Spring, Maryland: AuthorAmerican Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. (2010). Certified bariatric nurse examination candidate handbook 2010. Retrieved from ................
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