Professional Practice Portfolio Case Study Assessment Answer

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Subject Name : Nursing

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE PORTFOLIO

Cope and Murray (2018) stated that professional practice portfolio is valuable and popular tool fornurses and mandatory for the nursing professional to maintain their professional portfolio. Professional practice portfolio is a tool which is used by the nursing staff to showcase their achievements, encourage continuousprofessional growth and support annual performance reviews (Cope amp Murray, 2018). The different purposes of maintaining professional portfolios include assessment of learning by learners, to evident and claim their suitability and competence, for reflection of self-practices and experiences and a tool for continuing professional development (Alexander amp Stewart, 2016).Portfolios provide opportunities to peers, educators and future colleagues to view the path which can help them in achieving their goals.

There are various essential components of a professional portfolio and these components are

(a) introduction whichinclude personal information of nurses like their name, personal career goals, scope of practice and demographic information
(b) CV which includes biographical details of nurses, history of employment, current position description, roles and responsibilities, education, skills, hobbies and others
(c) learning certificates
(d) testimonials
(e)learning plans
(f)discussions with clinical supervisors and mentors
(g) published work
(h) practice reflectionsand clinical placement experiences
(i) letter of commendations
(j) conference material and organizedevents and publications
(k) professional requirements of re-registration or revalidation
(L)discloser (Cope amp Murray, 2018).

There are various benefits which have been provided by professional portfolios to nurses. It provides an opportunity to the nurses for tracking continuing educational activities and validation of competency, provides repository source to collect and maintains appreciation notes and active reference files to the nurses, a platform to reflect the successful interventions adopted by nurse, to showcase continuous nursing education certificates, to maintain and keep a track on attended programs, sharing experiences of training to new nurses, place for recording community work and many others (Feather amp Ricci, 2014).
Cope and Murray (2018) proposed that creation of professional portfolio is an effective tool for maintaining a track on self-practice and proposing changes in the existing practice according to the set standards requirements. But Miller and Tuekam (2016) argued that it is not possible to bring changes in the practices with the help of professional activities that have been outlined in the portfolios. According to Collins and OBrien (2018), portfolios helps in developingcareer and provides a platform for the evidencing the skills and competence carried by the nursing professionals. On contrary, it has been reported that it is not possible to address the full scope of competence for nursing professionals through activities and accomplishments that have been identified in the professional portfolio (Miller amp Tuekam, 2016). Also, the portfolios are not sufficient in differentiating between the practical skills and theoretical skills of professional nurses (Miller amp Tuekam, 2016). It has been reported that professional portfolios are effective tools for showcasing the experiences and competency achieved by the nurses and the way these experiences and competencies developed by them (Sinclair, Bowen amp Donkin 2013).However, it has been argued by that portfolios are not sufficient in distinguishing between the bad and good experiences of nursing professionals. It is difficult to evident the quality of experienceswith the help of professional portfolios (Miller amp Tuekam, 2016). In addition, the portfolios are self-reported in nature and thus it can exhibit biasness. It has been proposed that the portfolios that are paper based in nature are creative and systematic method to evidence the competence of nurses (Sinclair, Bowen amp Donkin 2013).But at the same time, it has been contrarily argued that paper-based portfolios have the limitations in terms of itsportability and bulkiness (Sinclair et al., 2013). It has been stated that e-portfolios are better solutions for bulky paper-based portfolios but knowledge of technology is considered as a barrier in the implementation of e-portfolios (Sinclair et al., 2013).

Competence is defined as the skills, abilities, knowledge and attributes that are observable and measurable in nature and imparts proficiency to the healthcare professionals so that they can provide safe and quality services (Shah, Desai, Jorwekar, Badyal amp Singh, 2016).The competence is required in every profession but the type of competence is varied according to the scope of practice of every professional (Shah et al., 2016). Leadership is defined as multi-angled process that aims to inspire the team members to act in a particular way, determination of goal, supporting and providing motivation to the members of team in order to achieve a set goal with mutual understanding (Karkada amp Cherian 2017). The leaders carry power and viewpoints to induce changes in the existing practice with the help of collaboration and mutual understanding among team members. According to Pearrieta-de Crdova et al. (2014), nursing management is the process in which nurse managers use their professional judgmentskills for planning, motivating, organizing and supervising the services that have been provided by the nursingprofessionals. There are certaincompetencies that need to be carried by the nurseleaders and nurse managers both but some of the competencies may differ because of difference in the scope of practice of managers and leaders. According to Fernandes, Arajo and Pereira (2018), the role and responsibilities of nurse leaders are complex in nature and result in transformation in healthcare services,whereas the responsibilitiesandroles of a nurse manager include management of various facets of health care services andmaintenance of positive work culture where the nurses engage and cultivate high quality and innovate practice skills.

It has been reportedthat the competenciesthat have been carried by a nurse leader comprise interpersonal skills, clinical and non-clinical knowledge, critical thinking and decision making, development of mutual understanding and collaboration, skills of change initiation, effective communication, delegation, accountability and therapeutic relationships (Pihlainen, Kivinen amp Lammintakanen, 2016).The competencies of nurse managers include risk management, effective planning, finance management, organization, and management of human resources, managementinformation, change management and vision(Kantanen, Kaunonen, Helminen amp Suominen, 2017). The competencies that have been acquired by the nurse leaders and nurse managers can be evidenced in nursing portfolios through sharing their experiences. According toSehgal, Neeman and King (2017), the various experiences which has resulted in the development of management and leadership competencies, the tools and strategies through which critical situation has been handled by the anger or leaders, the attitudes of colleges and other personnel during critical situation and outcomes can be help in evidencing the competencies in portfolios.

Part 2

During a clinical placement, I was providing care to a patient in medical-surgicaldepartment. The patient underwent a knee replacement surgery and I was providing post-operative care to the patient under the guidance of RN. RN instructed me for the provision of surgical wound care to thepatient with the help of sterile technique. She asked me to assess the wound for any oozing, pain, discomfort and change the dressing. As per the instruction provided by RN, I collected all the required material and tools and went to the patient for changing her dressing. I introduced myself to patient andtold about the procedure to the patient. Later on, I placed the patient in a comfortable position over a sheet and started assessment of the patient for pain and oozing and noticed moderate oozing from the wound. Later, I cleaned the patients wound properly and applied medicines, put on the proper dressings, placed patient in a comfortable position again and throw all contaminated and waste dressing in the dustbin. When I was changing thedressing, the RN was noticing me. When I was about to notify the RN about the completion of delegated task, she asked me to meet her in cabin. When I met the RN, she asked me if I have put on my gloves and apron while changing the dressing of the patient or not. I denied as I forgot to put on gloves and apron and apologized to her because I didnt follow appropriate sterile process.

At the moment I felt very bad and realized that there is lack of competence in me due to which I am not able to provide safe and quality care to clients. According to NMBA standard 3, it is required for the nurses to maintain practice capability and must be responsible and accountable to ensure the actions taken by them are safe and they are capable enough to practice their profession appropriately (NMBA, 2017). But from the situation, it has been realized that I am not capable to practice safely. The RN told me importance of PPE in the prevention of surgical site infections among the patient. She told how failure to maintain adequate hand hygiene could lead to mortality incidents among patients. It has been reported that one of the majorcomplication followed knee replacement surgeries is surgical site infection (Agodi et al., 2017). According to Ricciardi et al. (2014), the incidents of surgical site infectionsmay lead to increased hospital stay, high cost of care, discomfort or mortality incidents among patients. It has been reported that the failure to aseptic condition wound care post-operatively may result in surgical site infections among the patients who underwent prosthetic surgeries (Ricciardi et al., 2014). According to standard 3.4 for registered nurse standard for practice, it is the legalobligation for the nurses to take accountability for the actions, decisions, responsibilities in their role and for the actions delegated by them to other nurses (NMBA, 2017). However, I have a sound knowledge of all these professional standards for practice but still, my practice is not completely complied with these professional standards. Being a nurse it is essential for me to comply with these standards on practice safely and ensure best possible care to my clients. According to NMBA standard 3.1, it is legal to consider and timely respond to the safety and well being of self and others (NMBA, 2017). But I didnt realize the importance of aseptic technique in prevention of infections and health hazards that could occur during changing of dressing of patient. According to Zhang et al. (2018), among student nurses, the occupational infections are highly prevalent. It has been stated that the accidental exposures of the nursing staff to body fluids, blood products, sharp equipment andneedles can result in progression of occupational injuries and infections. Unclean and soiled hands are the main reasons behind the transmission of pathogens in healthcare settings (Lal et al., 2015). So, maintenance of hand hygiene, following aseptic techniques, proper gloves and apron is highly recommended for the delegation of safe care to the patients (Megeus, Nilsson, Karlsson, Eriksson amp Andersson, 2015).According to scope of practice of medical-surgical nurses, it is the legal obligation for the med-surge nurse to identify the impacts of interventions that have been proposed by them for the maintenance and enhancement of patients health status (AMSN, 2018). The outcomes of the interventions must enhance the functional status and quality of life of the patients (AMSN, 2018). But I have realised that somewhere there is gap between my practice and setstandards of the practice and I need to be more competitive for the provision of safe and quality care.

Part 3

I want to connect with Australian College of Critical Care Nurse (ACCCN), which is a peak professional nursing organization. It is a nonprofitorganization which provides membership to the people and represents nearly 2,400 Australian nurses(Elliott, Aitken amp Chaboyer, 2011). The membership which has been provided for undergraduate students is nonvotingmembership. To become a member of the organizationthe various requirements include enrollment in Australianrecognized undergraduate program, current year student enrollmentevidence and registration with AHPRA as a Division 1 nurse. To become the member it is required for the person to fill the application form for the membership and the fee for the membership is 115 (ACCCN, 2019a).For undergraduate students, the various opportunities which have been offered by the organization include postgraduate scholarships, continuing professional development, opportunities for professional development, networking, conferenceassistance in studies, subscription to services and discounted registrations(ACCCN, 2019b).
The various opportunities which have been provided by the organization would help me in enhancing my skills and help in the development of competence so that I would be able to provide safe and quality care to the patients. I want to get specialization in critical care nursing and I hope organization would help me in achieving the same with its well-established infrastructure and all other facilities that are required. I want to learn the skills of providing care in critical situation to handle critically ill patients. The services that have been served by the organization would help me achieve my goals efficiently.

References

ACCCN. (2019a). Membership types. Retrieved from https//www.acccn.com.au/membership-info/membership-types-and-feesACCCN. (2019b). Undergraduate student (non voting membership). Retrieved from https//www.acccn.com.au/membership/type/under-graduate-studentAgodi, A., Auxilia, F., Barchitta, M., Cristina, M. L., DAlessandro, D., Mura, I., ... amp Pasquarella, C. (2017). Risk of surgical site infections following hip and knee arthroplasty results of the ISChIA-GISIO study. Ann Ig, 29(5), 422-430.
Alexander, S., amp Stewart, L. (2016). Establishing and maintaining a professional identity portfolios and career progression. In E. Chang amp J. Daly (Eds.),Transitions in Nursing Preparing for Professional Practice(pp. 259-276). Chatswood, N.S.W. Elsevier.
AMSN. (2018). Scope and standards of medical-surgical nursing practice. Retrieved from https//www.amsn.org/sites/default/files/documents/practice-resources/scope-and-standards/AMSN-Scope-Standards-MS-Nursing.pdfCollins, E., amp OBrien, R. (2018). Highly Structured ePortfolio Platform for Bachelor of Nursing Students Lessons Learned in Implementation.International Journal of ePortfolio,8(1), 43-55.
Cope, V., amp Murray, M. (2018). Use of professional portfolios in nursing.Nursing Standard,32(30), 55.
Elliott, D., Aitken, L., amp Chaboyer, W. (2011).ACCCNs critical care nursing. Australia Elsevier Australia.
Feather, R., amp Ricci, M. (2014). Use of ePortfolio presentations in a baccalaureate nursing program.College Student Journal,48(4), 549-558.
Fernandes, R., Arajo, B., amp Pereira, F. (2018). Nursing management and leadership approaches from the perspective of registered nurses in Portugal.Journal of Hospital Administration,7(3), 1-8.
Kantanen, K., Kaunonen, M., Helminen, M., amp Suominen, T. (2017). Leadership and management competencies of head nurses and directors of nursing in Finnish social and health care.Journal of Research in Nursing,22(3), 228-244.
Karkada, S., amp Cherian, S. (2017). A review on leadership in nursing. International Journal of Nursing Research, 4(1), 58-66.
Lal, M., Singh, J., Malhotra, S. K., Neki, N. S., Attri, J. P., Chatrath, V., ... amp Kaushal, D. (2015). Hand Hygiene. International Journal of Current Research, 7(3), 13448-13449.
Megeus, V., Nilsson, K., Karlsson, J., Eriksson, B. I., amp Andersson, A. E. (2015). Hand hygiene and aseptic techniques during routine anesthetic care-observations in the operating room.Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control,4(1), 5.
NMBA. (2017). Registered nurse standards for practice. Retrieved from https//www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Statements/Professional-standards/registered-nurse-standards-for-practice.aspxPearrieta-de Crdova, M. I., Castaeda-Hidalgo, H., Acevedo-Porras, G., Rangel-Torres, S., Gonzlez-Salinas, F., amp Garza-Hernndez, R. (2014). Role and working conditions of hospital nurse managers A binational study from Peru and Mexico.Journal of Hospital Administration,3(3), 91-99.
Pihlainen, V., Kivinen, T., amp Lammintakanen, J. (2016). Management and leadership competence in hospitals a systematic literature review.Leadership in Health Services,29(1), 95-110.
Ricciardi, B. F., Bostrom, M. P., Lidgren, L., Ranstam, J., Merollini, K. M., amp Annette, W. (2014). Prevention of surgical site infection in total joint arthroplasty an international tertiary care center survey.HSS Journal,10(1), 45-51.
Sehgal, N. L., Neeman, N., amp King, T. E. (2017). Early experiences after adopting a quality improvement portfolio into the academic advancement process.Academic Medicine,92(1), 78-82.
Shah, N., Desai, C., Jorwekar, G., Badyal, D., amp Singh, T. (2016). Competency-based medical education An overview and application in pharmacology.Indian Journal of Pharmacology,48(Suppl 1), S5.
Sinclair, P. M., Bowen, L., amp Donkin, B. (2013). Professional nephrology nursing portfolios maintaining competence to practise.Ren Soc Aust J,9(1), 35-40.Zhang, X., Chen, Y., Li, Y., Hu, J., Zhang, C., Li, Z., ... amp Xiang, H. (2018). Needlestick and sharps injuries among nursing students in Nanjing, China.Workplace Health amp Safety,66(6), 276-284.