Objective RN Outcomes
Set by Auburn University School of Nursing, these objective outcomes are the cornerstone of nursing education and practice, that I attained as a nursing student, which prepared me for the challenges and opportunities of being a licensed bachelorette nurse.
Communication & Collaboration Skills
The Unit assessment project was designed to increase our understanding of the census, staffing, and population served of a specific medical unit. While working as a team, we collaborated professionally with each other, and the pediatric unit manager, to discover for ourselves and our peers, the quality improvement goals and safety outcomes being achieved on the unit. Through interviewing, touring the unit, and taking photos of the unit's mission, it was discovered that their overarching goal was "relationship-based care". We listened to stories of how the unit manager has run into resistance to change from staff and patient issues that she didn’t expect to have during implementation, like privacy. I now understand how information technology and statistical tracking of outcomes like falls, infections, and re-admittance rates can aid in high quality patient care and employee improvement.​
Critical Thinking & Clinical Judgement in Clinical Practice
While learning both about community nursing and obstetrics, I was assigned a project to create an educational pamphlet on a common STD, which was to be presented at a health tent on Auburn's campus. This project included symptoms of the disease, specific pathophysiologic education, resources to get tested, and implications if not treated. The most challenging part of the assignment was to be available to educate and having open communication with my peers about STDs. The presentation of material had to be serious and empathetic, while maintaining privacy in a very public setting. When the first person asked about the pamphlet, I was embarrassed, unsure of what information I should explain, but over the course of the event, I gained confidence. I learned that being approachable and nonjudgemental is the best way to deliver compassionate and safe care, no matter the age of the client.
Diversity Skills
Through clinical, I participated in SIFAT, which is a program called Servants in Faith and Technology, that teaches vulnerable populations in developing countries about safe and appropriate technology to survive. Though this skills day we viewed and contemplated the health hazards of slum community living, were humbled in a lunch activity that showed discrimination and hunger, and viewed many living conditions in different countries. I became aware of my own personal bias and was given opportunities to become more culturally aware by creating vertical gardens, adobe bricks, and sun-purified drinking water, which are used in many places around the world. We heard many testimonies about recognizing remarks of entitlement, and appreciating the resources found in the U.S. The most impactful message given that day was to be open to each person who asks for help and to not assume anything before speaking with them.
Scholarship for Evidence Based Practice Skills
Through a research project on workplace violence against nurses, I was able to discover, review, and compile current evidence on the topic for changing nursing practice. This project allowed me to work in a team setting to compile ideas and create a PICO question that covered a complex and rapidly changing healthcare problem, Violence Against Nurses in Healthcare Settings. During the presentation of our findings at University Research Day, we witnessed other nursing professionals self-reflect and agree that this was a topic of high concern. We were awarded the third place award for excellence in topic and presentation. Through this, I found a more concrete understanding of how nurses can change practice to improve patient and employee outcomes through evidence based research and interventions. It is very important for nurses to gather for seminars, research days, and participate in legislation to continue their education to improve current clinical practice. Click here to view the poster.
Clinical Prevention & Population Health Skills
The Medication Reconciliation Project had many layers to it, including a bag of medications, hours of research to discover the different diseases our client could have, and then working together as a group to complete a paper. The goal was to work backwards, using the medications to determine the patient’s illness, and determine which medications to eliminate, correct, and specifically educating the patient about. I learned about patient-centered care, drug interactions, medication safety, and how careful one must be when treating a patient with comorbidities. Our team was very successful in correctly diagnosing and giving recommendations to improve medication management and compliance. Rarely will an elderly patient only be taking two medications, so it is important to know pharmacology, emphasize health promotion, and use appropriate vocabulary during teaching. After completion, I realized this project simulated real clinical practice, in that, nurses can be assigned a patient they haven't yet cared for, and they must use critical assessment skills to determine their amount of truth, level of education, needed teaching, and best plan of care.
Leadership Skills
The Letter to the Governor consisted of researching state or federal health laws that were in the process of being passed in government, and to reach out to the appropriate governor to support or reject the law, as a future healthcare employee. By writing to the governor of Charleston, NC, I became more individually involved and knowledgeable about the state health laws and the backgrounds of the current representatives. Also, it improved my ability to correspond professionally, proof read my work meticulously, and realize my role in quality improvement. Nurses are the first to implement patient practice laws and this project highlighted that nurses impact current policy, which can be changed and improved if adequate feedback is given. Advocating for patients at the bedside and in the legislative arena, shows leadership and readiness to improve and impact healthcare.