Nurse Graduate Application Essay
New Graduate Application to Australia NSW health
1. An understanding of the professional, ethical and legal requirements of the Registered Nurse
Throughout my studies to become an Assistant in nursing as well as work under the supervision of the Registered Nurse (RN), I have developed an in-depth understanding of what is required of a Registered Nurse. This includes adhering to ethical, legal and professional requirements as outlined by The Nurses and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA, 2018. For instance, during my 2 months working as in AIN position in Concord Community Hostel, Rhodes, I consistently pursued and improved my understanding of the responsibilities of the Registered Nurse. As a future nurse, I will, therefore, be required to abide by the code of conduct, current Competency Standards and all other ethical, legal and professional requirements and this will help me in maintaining my registration as a nurse. In addition, I will also be required to adhere to nursing practices strictly and to develop skills and knowledge through training and research as well as conform to the hospital procedures.
2. Demonstrated high level interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.
I have always demonstrated excellent interpersonal as well as communication skills all through my clinical placements and employment as an assistant in Nursing and working at the barbecue restaurant. My experience within several clinical placements such as Renal ward, acute aged care Ward, dialysis Ward, Community Nurse, Rehabilitation Ward, and Aged care facility has led me to appreciate the importance of working in teams and the need for establishing excellent communication skills as pointed by (Cashin et al. 2017). My communication capabilities are usually portrayed in specific areas and particularly when interacting with patients, families and individuals with diverse cultural issues that might be culturally, ethically and linguistically sensitive in various clinical placements. In addition, I am outstanding in written communication, and this is demonstrated through adhering to the ethical legal or lawful requirements of keeping accurate records.
3. Demonstrated clinical knowledge and clinical problem-solving abilities.
In the course of my clinical placements and employment, I have learned to improve my clinical knowledge as well as my problem-solving skills. My understanding of the correct knowledge of the history and present condition of patients is essential when dealing with the safe administration of medications. For instance, when administering medications that are not known to me, it is always my responsibility to look out for resources that will help me to administer the medication safely. Assessing the initial presentation of the patient to emergency and updating the team to assess and increase the monitoring of essential signs is critical in managing patients as argued by (Missen et al., 2016). For instance, on one occasion while working as an assistant in nursing, I recognized an improper transfusion of blood to an older patient and my due diligence enabled an immediate review and consequently engaged the responsible nurse for intervention.
4. Demonstrated ability to work within a team.
It is important within a clinical environment to have the capability of maintaining and achieving positive results by adhering to set goals within the interdisciplinary setting. The set goals for patient care and best practise comprise of those set by specialist physicians, doctors, professionals and nurses (Brown & Crookes, 2016). Therefore, to enable cohesive patient care management, every team must use accurate verbal and record-keeping skills that inform all the team members of the changes in patient care.
The development and usage of my communication skills during my clinical placements and employment has improved proficiency when working in a team environment. The development of the clinical practises or approaches also increased my ability to identify when patients and the support network are required and therefore coming up with suitable referrals according to set goals of the team.
5. A demonstrated understanding of Australia NSW Health’s CORE Values, Collaboration, Openness, Respect and Empowerment.
Within the team, collaboration, as well as communication regarding the treatment of the patient, must recognize the holistic patient treatment alternatives. Collaboration in health services is important in ensuring that patients are capable of coping up with the ongoing needs after discharge (Croker & Croker, 2016). Trust among the team members helps in fostering openness; open communication networks among the patients and health professionals helps in maintaining the integrity of the patient care. Respect helps in recognizing and understanding the different needs of every patient, and these include those with ethical or cultural concerns that might come during the treatment process. Therefore, our role involves acknowledging their wishes and rights to healthcare.
Quality health care is important in empowering an interdisciplinary team with regard to the care of the patients, but it brings accountability and responsibility. Continuous professional development helps in empowering us to offer the best practice to our patients.
6. Demonstration of ability to accept professional accountability for own actions
Accountability in nursing includes being responsible and answerable for his or her judgements, actions, outcomes and inactions. Registered Nurse accepts their responsibility of being accountable and upholds the ethical, legal and professional aspects of the nursing practice (Gabrielsson et al., 2016). For instance, while working as an assistant in Nursing and during my placement at acute aged care Ward, I initiated, updated and evaluated my care plan for my patients and this informed the delivery of safe, professional and ethical care.
References
Brown, R. A., & Crookes, P. A. (2016). What are the ‘necessary’ skills for a newly graduating RN? Results of an Australian survey. BMC nursing, 15(1), 23. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12912-016-0144-8
Cashin, A., Heartfield, M., Bryce, J., Devey, L., Buckley, T., Cox, D. & Fisher, M. (2017). Standards for practice for registered nurses in Australia. Collegian, 24(3), 255-266. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1322769616300038
Croker, N., & Croker, J. (2016). Rhythms of Collaborative Practice. In Collaborating in Healthcare (pp. 141-148). Sense Publishers, Rotterdam.https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-6300-806-8_9
Gabrielsson, S., Sävenstedt, S., & Olsson, M. (2016). Taking personal responsibility: Nurses’ and assistant nurses’ experiences of good nursing practice in psychiatric inpatient care. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 25(5), 434-443. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/inm.12230
Missen, K., McKenna, L., & Beauchamp, A. (2016). Registered nurses’ perceptions of new nursing graduates’ clinical competence: A systematic integrative review. Nursing & health sciences, 18(2), 143-153. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/nhs.12249
NMBA. (2018). Code of conduct for nurses. Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.