Foundations of Nursing - Professional Practice

Acknowledgment of Country

  • The University of Notre Dame Australia recognizes traditional owners of the land:

    • Fremantle Campus: Wadjuk Country

    • Broome Campus: Yawuru Country

    • Sydney Campus: Cadigal Country

Learning Objectives

  • By the end of this lecture, you will understand:

    • Professional practice vs professionalism

    • Personal characteristics affecting professionalism

    • Professional identity and ‘Professional self’

    • Professional boundaries

    • Emotional intelligence in clinical settings

    • Capability, fitness to practice, and duty of care

Professional Practice vs Professionalism

  • Professional practice:

    • Maintain quality in nursing and midwifery care

    • Evaluates practice according to:

    • Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) standards

    • Codes of conduct and ethics

    • Core requirements of AHPRA

  • Professionalism: Traits defining a professional individual:

    • Conduct: How a nurse behaves in a professional setting

    • Aims: Objectives, aspirations at work

    • Qualities: Personality traits and values influencing professionalism

Personal Characteristics and Nursing

  • Personal attributes drive professionalism; factors include:

    • Communication style

    • Decision-making processes

  • Psychological factors affecting communication:

    • Attitudes, beliefs, and prejudices

    • Defense mechanisms

  • Importance of recognizing these influences in decision-making.

Professional Persona Components

  • Professional persona encompasses:

    • Appearance: Nursing uniform, hygiene

    • Personality: Traits fostering teamwork

    • Competencies: Skills relevant to nursing, continuous learning

    • Differentiation: Unique qualities nurturing patient care

Importance of Professional Appearance

  • Nurses perceived as well-groomed relate to higher trust and professionalism (Willis et al., 2018)

  • Inadequate appearance may indicate lower confidence and care levels.

Professional Identity

  • Defined as the sense of self obtained through nursing roles

  • Influenced by interactions and societal position

  • Strong professional identity correlates with:

    • High job satisfaction

    • Patient care quality

Challenges to Professional Identity

  • Stressors (e.g., transitions, staffing issues) can challenge nursing identity.

Emotional Intelligence in Nursing

  • Emotional Intelligence (EI): Ability to manage emotions positively and negatively:

    • Requires self-awareness

    • Situational awareness

    • Insight into personal well-being

    • Good communication and interpersonal skills

Strategies to Enhance Emotional Intelligence

  • Perform self-assessments and reflections on practice

  • Seek peer feedback and learn from challenging situations

Professional Boundaries

  • Defined as limits that ensure safe interactions between nurses and patients:

    • Protect professional power

    • Allow objective engagement

Communication in Bereavement

  • Barriers:

    • Fear of upsetting individuals

    • Uncertainty about the communication process

  • Strategies for Effective Communication:

    • Preparation and planning for discussions

    • Utilizing frameworks (e.g., ISBAR)

    • Role-playing scenarios to increase confidence

Fitness to Practice

  • Nurses must demonstrate capability to practice without restrictions and adhere to ethical standards.

  • Core requirements include:

    • No damaging criminal convictions

    • Free of physical/mental incapacity that may hinder practice

Responsibilities for Personal Well-being

  • Nurses must recognize symptoms of burnout and stress to ensure patient safety and personal health.

  • Self-assessment checklist: evaluates physical & mental readiness for practice.