week 3

Nursing Roles

  • Caregiver – direct, holistic client care; coordinate & communicate across team

  • Critical Thinker – analyze, prioritize, delegate, problem-solve

  • Advocate – protect rights/preferences; challenge unsafe orders; support autonomy

  • Change Agent – identify system gaps; lead quality & safety improvements

  • Educator – tailor teaching, use teach-back/return demo, reinforce info

  • Counselor – therapeutic communication, support coping & lifestyle change

  • Leader – influence team, delegate, speak to administration

  • Mentor – guide new nurses, model professionalism, provide emotional support

  • Researcher – apply evidence-based practice, develop/implement protocols

  • Care Coordinator/Case Manager – arrange services, ensure continuity across settings

Professional vs Unprofessional Behavior

  • Professional: critical thinking, clear communication, policy adherence, continuous learning, responsibility, compassion

  • Unprofessional: incompetence, impairment, dishonesty, boundary/HIPAA violations, misconduct

Impairment in Practice

  • Red flags: slurred speech, odor of alcohol, errors, unsteady gait

  • Action: do NOT confront; report to charge/supervisor immediately; maintain confidentiality

Nursing Organizations (examples & focus)

  • ANA – practice standards & advocacy

  • NLN – nursing education quality

  • NSNA – student networking/leadership

  • Specialty bodies (e.g., AACN-CCRN) – certification & advanced skills
    Benefits: CEUs, networking, journals, professional commitment

Responsibility vs Accountability

  • Responsibility = assigned duties/tasks (e.g., med admin)

  • Accountability = personal ownership & answerability for actions; cannot be delegated

Informed Consent

  • Provider explains risks, benefits, alternatives; patient must comprehend & sign

  • Nurse verifies comprehension & signed form; never provides primary explanation

  • Do NOT sign if education not witnessed/understood

Novice-to-Expert Progression (Benner)

  • Novice – focused on rules; relies on preceptor

  • Advanced Beginner – task-oriented; selects mentor; risk of missing "big picture"

  • Competent (≈22 yrs) – organized, independent, coping strategies

  • Proficient – holistic view, anticipates needs, resourceful

  • Expert – intuitive grasp, multitasks effortlessly, precepts others

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

  • Goals: safest, cost-effective, patient-centered care

  • 66 Steps: 1) Ask clinical question 2) Gather evidence 3) Critically appraise 4) Implement 5) Evaluate outcomes 6) Disseminate

  • Clinical question format: PCOT (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, Time)

Lifelong Learning & Credible Sources

  • Required CE for license renewal

  • Enhances competence, career growth, satisfaction

  • Use peer-reviewed journals, professional orgs, recent (<55 yrs) studies; avoid anecdote/social media as sole evidence

Nursing Shortage

  • Drivers: aging population, retiring workforce (large losses by 20302030), burnout, limited faculty/program seats

  • Consequences: higher ratios, errors, stress, turnover – cycle perpetuates shortage