Critique of Nursing Practice14
Critique of Nursing Practice14
Critique of Nursing Practice14
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NUR392
Melissa Hansen
INTRODUCTION
During this course you have had a chance to look at concepts related to health and
wellness as well as factors that influence not only the individual but also the family.
Often as nurses or nursing students, we are working with individuals who are
seeking care because of an illness. Buthow do we work with individuals and
families to promote health?
The purpose of this assignment is to give students time to critique their practice in
relation to health promotion and identify areas of strength and opportunities to
adapt their approach in a variety of areas.
CRITIQUE
1. Take a moment to reflect on what you have learned in this course and its impact
on your current nursing practice or on what you think your practice would be. If
you are not currently working in nursing or healthcare, reflect on your
experiences from clinicals in nursing school or other employment. Use your
reflection to respond to the prompts in the table below.
2.
How do I
communicate with
my patients/clients,
e.g., what % of
open ended
questions do I use
or do I rely on
yes/no questions?
Specific
Personal
Example
When I am working
in admitting I
typically rely on
yes/no questions. I
will sometimes ask
the patient what
brings them in for
a procedure, but
usually I have
already read their
chart and will
confirm with them
why they are
having a
procedure.
Strength(s) in my
Approach
We are usually on a
tight schedule and
by asking open
ended questions,
some patients will
elaborate more
than necessary,
which can get us
off track. This may
result in a longer
admission process
and thus the
physician waiting
for us to finish the
admission.
How I might
adapt/alter my
approach
By asking open
ended questions
my patients will
feel that I do care
about their health
and wellbeing.
They may also be
more relaxed and
not feel like they
are being rushed
through an
assembly line.
How do I advocate
for my patients or
families or the
nursing profession?
How do I utilize
evidence about
health promotion
(Maville, 2013, p.
3) in my nursing
In our admission
process we ask all
of our patients if
there are any
religious or cultural
beliefs that may
affect the care or
education they will
receive while in our
facility. The only
time I have had a
patient answer
Yes to this
question is a
Jehovah Witness
regarding blood
products. We also
rely on names. We
have employees
who are from
Albania, Bosnia
and Mexico. We
ask these
employees about
names of patients
and if they know
where they may be
from to give us an
idea of their
background.
I tell all of my
patients that we
will try our best to
make sure they are
comfortable during
their procedure.
When I am working
with the physicians
during procedures,
I do not hesitate to
ask the physician if
I can give more
medications, if I
observe the patient
experiencing pain
or discomfort.
I educate patients
about screening
colonoscopies. We
know that colon
cancer starts from
2
As most patients
find this to be an
odd question, it
eliminates the
guessing for our
nursing staff.
Some patients are
noticeably from a
different cultural
background, but
some are not. I
cannot tell the
difference of a
Jehovah Witness
and a Christian just
by looking at them.
I tend to be pretty
vocal to the
physicians about
my patients. I try
my hardest to do
what is in the best
interest of my
patient. One thing
I need to improve
on is including the
patients family.
I need to approach
this in a nonlecturing form.
Some patients will
quit listening if
How do I promote
cost efficiencies in
my nursing
practice?
3.
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colonoscopies to
their patients, but
patients usually do
not understand
what a polyp is and
that by removing it
can prevent it from
developing into
colon cancer.
This decreases
wasting supplies.
Thus allowing us to
keep are
procedural cost
lower than the
hospitals.
Making signs to
post in the
procedure rooms
as a reminder to
nursing staff. Then
the physicians will
also know and will
hopefully be
patient for the
nurse to open the
supplies.
When you look at the roles of the nurse in health promotion (Huerta, 2013, p. 59),
which role do you feel is essential when using a health-promotion approach with
individuals and families?
Make your selection.
Explain your selection.
Include an example of how this role could/would be utilized in your
current/future nursing practice.
I feel educator is an essential role in health-promotion nursing. Huerta stated that
Education to remedy health-promotion deficits is essential for solving problems
(2013, p. 59). If we do not educate our patients, they will not know what the
recommendations are or what changes they need to make in their lifestyle to
become or remain healthy. As I mentioned earlier, I educate patients on the need
for colon cancer screenings. A colonoscopy is not a procedure most people want to
endure, by educating the patients they will hopefully realize it beats the alternative
of colon cancer. Yes, patients can access the internet, but the information may
inaccurate or difficult to interpret. Nurses educating patients can help translate the
medical terminology and provide accurate information.
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References
Huerta, C. G. (2013). The role of the nurse in health promotion. In J. A. Maville & C.
G. Huerta (Eds.), Health promotion in nursing (3rd ed.; pp. 53-71). Clifton
Park, NY: Delmar, Cengage Learning.
Maville, J. A. (2013). Health promotion: Past, present, and future. In J. A. Maville & C.
G. Huerta (Eds.), Health promotion in nursing (3rd ed.; pp. 2-17). Clifton Park,
NY: Delmar, Cengage Learning.
Sanchez, M. S. (2013). Cultural considerations. In J. A. Maville & C. G. Huerta (Eds.),
Health promotion in nursing (3rd ed.; pp. 90-106). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar,
Cengage Learning.
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