Advanced Professional Nurses (APNs)

Answer

Introduction

            Advanced Professional Nurses (APNs) feature individuals who have been registered after undergoing enhanced training, thereby acquiring all the required certifications which qualify them to offer healthcare services in different settings. APNs are an important addition to the healthcare society since the demand for care is often too much than can be provided. Therefore, these professionals are valuable as they ensure that any individual who needs healthcare services is attended to. This need for more healthcare professionals supports the fact that there is a need for reforms in the educational curriculum of nurses such that more APNs will be produced. It is the most effective way of ensuring that the gap in health provision is filled effectively. Professional development plans are essential tools in the education and career of the APN. It is a reflective tool that can be used as guidance for a thorough synthesis of progress and setting goals. It helps to raise awareness of both strong and weak areas, before enabling the identification of steps that can be taken to gain additional improvements. Basically, it aligns the APN’s actions with the set goals so as to ensure eventual success. This paper features a professional development plan. It will highlight the scope of practice, feature a self assessment of skills and knowledge, review nursing achievements, and eventually give recommendations for the future.

APN Scope of Practice

            The responsibilities and requirements of an APN are described in a scope of practice. With a proper understanding of the scope, the APN will be able to uphold ethics and professionalism when offering services to the population. APN practice is basically an evidence based practice which features different dimensions such as; leadership, health education, mentorship, and even research. The scope of practice varies depending on the state the APN will be situated in the state of California. The California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) sets out the scope. This board is responsible for certifying the eligible individuals, for regulating performance of APNs, and also for ensuring that the Nursing Practice Act is followed strictly.

            To become a registered APN in the California state, an individual is required to first earn a minimum of a graduate’s degree from any of the accredited programs approved by the Board (Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association, 2016). Upon completion of the program, the graduate will have to apply for the license which is awarded upon sitting for a national exam. This will lead to an achievement of the licensure of a registered nurse requirement. In addition, the applicant will have to be cleared of any criminal activities through a background check conducted by the board. Those who have a record cannot qualify for the licensure.

            There are many standards of nursing conduct that have been stipulated in the Nursing Practice Act. For instance, the registered nurse is only expected to undertake specific practice that they have the required knowledge, preparation, experience, and even competency in (Board of Registered Nursing, 2014). They are also expected to safeguard the patient from practice that is incompetent, illegal, and abusive. In addition, the registered nurse may not aid or assist another individual to violate a law or any of the Board regulation (Board of Registered Nursing, 2014).

            The APN may operate in different environments such as the emergency room, in a clinical setting, or even in a hospital. Any environment that enables the nurse to come to contact with patients requiring care is acceptable. In California State, the practice environment features a restricted practice. Here, the state practice and licensure law restricts the ANP’s ability to engage in at least one element of the NP practice (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2017). The law requires a supervision, delegation, or team management by an outside health discipline if the nurse is to provide patient care. Therefore, to have prescriptive authority, the nurse must possess an active California RN license and an active relationship with an outside health discipline such as the Physician (Board of Registered Nursing, 2014).

Personal Assessment

            A personal assessment ensures that the strengths, weaknesses, goals and objectives are identified. According to Banner’s self assessment model, I am currently at the competent stage. As an APN who has worked for approximately three years in the professional environment, I have learned a lot with regards to my strengths. First, I have noted that I know how to use the different medical equipment in a hospital setting (Finnbakk, Wangensteen, Skovdahl & Fagerström, 2015). This includes surgery equipments. This is an important skill to master as there is quite a number of medical equipment with distinct uses. Therefore, not knowing them by heart, and not knowing how to use them would pose a great problem in my nursing practice. Another strength is based on the fact that I am licensed and is currently working under the supervision of a physician, hence I am already in possession of the prescription authority as required in my state. My educational background contributed greatly to this achievement, which is why I now reserve the authority to prescribe patients with medications as long as I countercheck with my physician. I am able to provide nursing diagnosis effectively but considering patient history and present signs and symptoms. The knowledge and skill of using evidence based practice makes it easier to create a list of differential diagnoses before identifying the primary diagnosis (Finnbakk, Wangensteen, Skovdahl & Fagerström, 2015). Over time, I gained the skill and knowledge required to provide a nursing assessment before offering a holistic care to a patient. This is quite an achievement as most of the patients under my care have been discharged with the hope for an improved quality of life. Finally, I have the ability to care for different groups of people including children, the elderly, and those in need of palliative care.

            I have also managed to identify some of my weak areas in need of improvements. Over the past year, I failed to enroll in any continuing education programs. As such, my clinical skills are becoming outdated, considering the fact that the healthcare industry is now embracing the use of technology in different areas. In addition, I have focused solely on patient care, forgetting that there is so much more to APN. Therefore, these are some of the areas in my career that I intend to focus on.

            I look forward to being able to work in a team and to be involved in problem solving activities and change implementation at my new place of work. However, I fear the fact that there may be stiff competition from other APNs who are also seeking to develop their careers and become nurse leaders too. I am also scared of the fact that adapting to the new environment may be quite complicated as I was already used to the previous place of work.

            The three ways I intend to use to manage my stress levels when adapting to the new workplace is to get to other employees and use them as my support system during the first few weeks. I will make use of a personal journal where I will be documenting my daily occurrences and how I responded, followed by how best I should respond in future. Lastly, I intend to use a causal map to help understand my feelings and how best to deal with them.

            My goals are to always have updated nursing and clinical skills and to learn how to use technology effectively in my nursing practice. To achieve these, the objectives I have set include; attending continuity education programs at least once a year during my annual leave. I plan to not only attend the patient focused programs but also other nurse related programs that have been approved, such as management and leadership. Lastly, I plan to constantly update my technological skills by taking on the relevant courses while also attending my CE programs.

Networking and Marketing Strategies

            There are many professional organizations that advertise APN jobs. The most common ones are healthecareers.com, indeed.com and careerbuilder.com. The networking strategy will focus on family, friends and colleagues. I am looking for an organization that encourages growth and has different opportunities for its employees. Therefore, I will ask around if anyone knows of such an organization, and if they think that it is suitable for me considering my preferences (McBride, 2001). To market myself effectively, I will use the 4 P’s of marketing as a strategy (Russell, 2017). Since I already know that am the product, the next step is to know how best to promote myself (DeNisco & Barker, 2015). I will do so with the use of a resume that lists all my strengths and achievements. The Place of promotion, in this case, will be my network that has already been identified as family, friends and work colleagues. In addition, I will also apply actively for positions I find on the sites of the organizations that post APN job adverts. Lastly, the price I expect to get in return of my service will not only be the salary, but other necessary factors such as medical insurance, raises and bonuses, vacation days, even sick offs, and even employee assistance program.

Curriculum Vitae

Name, credentials: Jesse Suarez

Home Address: 5751 Ventana Dr

Fontana, California 92336

Work Address: Kaiser Permanente-Urgent Care

Pasadena, California              

Phone: (323) 830-0026

Email Address: [email protected]

Education:  Chamberlain College of Nursing                               Richmond, Virginia

                       B.S.N.                                                                                   2016

         Imperial Valley College                                     Imperial, California

                        A.S.N.                                                                                   1994

Professional employment: Kaiser Permanente-Urgent Care                        Pasadena, Ca

                                              Registered Nurse                                             Jan 2012 to present

          24-Hour Medical Staffing Services                Diamond Bar, CA

                                              Registered Nurse                                           Feb. 2011 to June 2013

          Valley Presbyterian Hospital                         Van Nuys, CA

                                              Registered Nurse                                           June 2010 to Jan. 2011

         Clinicas De Salud -  General Health Clinic            El Centro, CA

                                             Supervisor                                                       Aug. 2009 to May 2010

  Global Nursing Services – Registry Agency                 Inglewood, CA

                                      Registered Nurse                                                     July 2000 to July 2009

                                      Daniel Freeman Hospital                                               Inglewood, CA

                                      House Supervisor                                                   Jan. 2000 to June 2006

Licensure and Certifications: Ambulatory Care Nursing- RN-BC

                                                    Certification no.:2014026187

    Credentialing body: The National Commission for Certifying        Agencies and The Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification

    Validity: December 20, 2014 to December 19, 2019

References:    1.)        Debbie Brown                                                 (818)720-6673

                                    Assistant Administrator Kaiser

                        2.)        Michelle McKoy, RN                                     (323)537-6308          

                                    Foothill Regional Medical Center

                        3.)        Sheila De Jesus                                                (626) 665-6125

                                    Kaiser Pasadena UCC -Charge RN

Conclusion

            The professional development plan is indeed an important tool for all ANPs. It has enabled a clear identification of the scope of practice in California. As a result of the analysis, it became clear that in this state, there is a restricted practice whereby the nurse is expected to work strictly under supervision of a physician. Aside from the scope, this professional development plan has enabled an identification of strengths and weaknesses. As a result, it was easy to set new goals and objectives to ensure they are achieved, especially when changing roles or workplaces. The section of networking and marketing has enabled an identification of the right strategies that can be used to secure a perfectly fit job in an organization that offers the kind of support that is required. Basically, this document has shed light on important issues while also offering effective and appropriate solutions to the problems.

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