NURS1001 Mod3: Approaches to Nursing Practice - Professionalism and Database Searching

Learning Objectives for Professionalism and Database Searching

• Explain and apply Rolfe's Reflective Framework as a tool for professional growth.

• Understand the fundamental principles of reflective writing in a nursing context.

• Master the documentation of database searches using both narrative and table formats.

• Discuss the critical elements and necessity of informed consent in clinical practice.

• Distinguish between the constructs of law and ethics within healthcare.

• Examine the professional and legal definitions of confidentiality and privacy.

Class Expectations and Conduct

• Phone Usage: Limit use to necessary communication or accessing specific learning materials.

• Food and Drink: Small snacks and drinks are permitted in class.

• Punctuality: Classes start exactly on time. Sessions finish $10$ minutes early to accommodate transitions between classes or personal breaks.

• Preparation: Engagement with lecture videos, skills videos, required readings, and tutorial worksheets prior to class is expected.

• Participation: Active participation in all class activities is required to meet attendance criteria.

• Professionalism: Maintain a respectful demeanor at all times.

• Photography and Filming: Do not record or photograph individuals or materials without explicit permission.

• Attendance Requirement: This subject carries a $100\%$ attendance requirement. Students must verify their attendance with tutors (where $1$ indicates present and $0$ indicates absent). If a class is missed, an application for Special Consideration must be submitted immediately.

Ethics, Consent, and Confidentiality in Nursing

Ethics and Ethical Dilemmas

• Ethics: Ethics refers to the moral principles that govern a person's behavior or the conducting of an activity. In nursing, it involves the values and standards that guide professional conduct and decision-making reaching beyond simple legal requirements.

• Ethical Dilemma: An ethical dilemma occurs when there is a conflict between two or more ethical principles, where any chosen action may result in an unfavorable outcome or a violation of another moral imperative.

• Relevance to Nursing: Ethics is central to nursing practice as it ensures patient safety, maintains public trust, and provides a framework for resolving complex care decisions where right and wrong are not immediately clear.

Informed Consent

• Definition: Informed consent is the process by which a patient voluntarily confirms their willingness to undergo a specific medical intervention or participate in research after having been informed of all aspects of the decision.

• Obtaining Consent: To obtain informed consent, the practitioner must ensure the patient is competent, provide comprehensive information about risks and benefits, and ensure the patient is not under duress.

• Importance: Consent is vital to respect patient autonomy and is a legal requirement to protect both the patient from unwanted interventions and the practitioner from legal repercussions.

Confidentiality and Privacy

• Definition: Confidentiality is the professional duty to keep a patient's personal and health information private, sharing it only with those directly involved in the patient's care or as required by law.

• Ensuring Confidentiality: This is achieved through secure documentation, avoiding discussions about patients in public areas, and using password-protected electronic health records.

• Examples: Examples include not sharing a patient's diagnosis with their family members without permission and ensuring clinical handovers are conducted in private spaces.

Rolfe’s Reflective Framework

Rolfe’s Reflective Framework is a structured methodology designed to help practitioners learn from their experiences, analyze the meaning of events, and support continuous professional improvement and growth.

The Three Stages of Reflection

• 1. What? (Describing the Situation):

  • What exactly happened?

  • What was my specific responsibility?

  • Who else was involved in the situation?

  • What was the final outcome?

• 2. So What? (Analysis and Sense Making):

  • Why does this event matter?

  • What were my feelings during and after the event?

  • What did the event mean for me and for others involved?

  • Which specific skills did I utilize during the situation?

  • What were the immediate and long-term consequences?

• 3. Now What? (Future Actions):

  • What specific actions will I take differently if a similar situation arises?

  • What is the primary lesson learned from this experience?

  • How will I apply this new knowledge in the future?

  • What immediate steps need to be taken now?

Database Searching and Search Planning

Core Databases

To conduct rigorous nursing research, the following databases are utilized:

• CINAHL Plus with Full Text: A comprehensive source for nursing and allied health journals.

• ClinicalKey for Nursing: A clinical search engine that provides access to nursing-focused books, journals, and point-of-care content.

Search Planner and Limiters

When using CINAHL Plus with Full Text, the following limiters and Boolean operators are used to refine results:

• Language: Restricted to English only.

• Date Range: Literature published within the last $5$ years to ensure currency.

• Source Type: Academic journals only.

• Example Search String: Medication errors AND registered nurses (as seen in clinical search demonstrations yielding results such as "Nurses' experience of medication errors in residential aged care facilities" and "Factors contributing to medication errors").

Zoom Recording Procedure for Presentations

1. Open Application: Launch the Zoom desktop application.

2. Initiate Meeting: Click on the "New Meeting" icon.

3. Entry: Join the meeting audio and video.

4. Verification: Check camera framing, lighting, and audio quality.

5. Start Recording: Click the "Record" button on the meeting toolbar.

6. Storage: Select "Record on this Computer" if prompted.

7. Identification: Introduce yourself and clearly show your student identification card to the camera.

8. Screen Sharing: Click the "Share" button.

9. Content Selection: Choose the specific window for your presentation and begin.

10. Delivery: Conduct the presentation as planned.

11. Conclusion: Click "Stop Recording" once finished.

12. Termination: Click "End" then select "End Meeting for All."

13. Conversion: Zoom will automatically convert the recorded session into an $MP4$ video file. Students should review the final recording to ensure it aligns with the marking rubric before submission.

Academic Resources and References

Ethics

• Johnstone, M. (2021). Ethics in nursing. In J. Daly & D. Jackson (Eds.), Contexts of nursing: An introduction (6th ed., pp. $119-128$). Elsevier Australia.

• International Council of Nurses (ICN) Code of Ethics.

Informed Consent

• Adrian, A. (2021). An introduction to legal aspects of nursing and midwifery practice. In J. Daly & D. Jackson (Eds.), Contexts of nursing: An introduction (6th ed., pp. $129-164$). Elsevier Australia.

• National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards - Partnering with Consumers.

Confidentiality

• Conway, J. (2021). Connecting clinical and theoretical knowledge for practice. In J. Daly & D. Jackson (Eds.), Contexts of nursing: An introduction (6th ed., pp. $349-367$). Elsevier Australia.

• Potter, P. (2025). Informatics and documentation - Fundamentals of Nursing. In P. Potter (Ed.), Fundamentals of Nursing (12th ed., pp. $391-408$).