Question

what can a novice nurse do to improve their clinical reasoning skills?

Answer 1

Clinical competence is to carry out the tasks with excellent results in a different of adjustments. According to various studies, one of the factors influencing clinical competence is work experience. This experience affects the integrity of students' learning experience and their practical skills. Many nursing students practice clinical work during their full-time studying. The aim of this qualitative research was to clarify the role of clinical work during studying in novice nurses' clinical competence.

Methods: This qualitative content analysis performed with the conventional approach. All teaching hospitals of Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences selected as the research environment. To collect data, deep and semi-structured interviews, presence in the scene and manuscripts used. To provide feedback for the next release and the capacity of the data, interviews were transcribed verbatim immediately.

Results: 45 newly-graduated nurses and head nurses between 23 and 40 with 1 to 18 years of experience participated in the study. After coding all interviews, 1250 original codes were derived. The themes extracted included: task rearing, personality rearing, knowledge rearing, and profession rearing roles of clinical work during studying.

Conclusion: Working during studying can affect performance, personality, knowledge, and professional perspectives of novice nurses. Given the differences that may exist in clinical competencies of novice nurses with and without clinical work experience, it is important to pay more attention to this issue and emphasize on their learning in this period.Nursing training plans combine skills for pupils to acquire competencies to satisfy the requirements of clinical training and enhance the flexibility of amateur therapists while they begin clinical conditions. These will intensify their morale, lowering turnover scores, and store the terms and cost for the re-education of novice nurses. Evidence shows that nurses between 21 and 35 have the highest dissatisfaction from their work because they do not have the necessary experience, and they are not competent enough to meet the patients' needs and provide care with high quality.

1. Cultural Awareness

This is essential to giving complete, patient-centered care. Different cultural beliefs and values influence a patient’s view of health, wellness, care, acceptance of and adherence to treatment, and even death.

Understanding, respecting and accommodating your patients’ preferences and needs with regards to their individual beliefs, customs and practices should be part of both your planning and delivery of nursing care.

Recognizing your own biases is the first step to giving culturally competent care. From there, increasing your knowledge and awareness through educational opportunities of your practicing institution or organizations like the Transcultural Nursing Society can help you further develop this skill.

2. Professionalism

Outside of your external appearance and demeanor, remember that everything you say and do reflects your ethical principles and moral values. Nurses should always exhibit professionalism in front of patients, but also with colleagues as well.

Professionalism is a nursing skill encompassing many areas: respect, attitude, integrity, responsibility, and discipline to name a few. Focus on your daily work as part of a collaborative whole, and remember that your day-to-day role and responsibilities are only part of the larger picture of patient care.

Tackling your work with a sense of professionalism reflects your dedication to the altruistic ideal of the nursing profession.

3. Attention to Detail

Developing and perfecting your attention to detail not only ensures that you’ll avoid a medical mistake, but it also helps you give great patient care.

Focus on active listening—observing non-verbal cues from your patient as well as hearing their spoken words. This helps your patient feel understood, not just heard. It also helps you tune in on his or her unspoken concerns and needs.

Also try to consider your work from a different perspective. Think of your to-do list as “people-oriented” rather than “task-oriented”. Be present and mindful with each patient encounter and avoid the distraction of the thinking about the long list of other things waiting for you to do.

4. Critical Thinking

Nurses must be problem-solvers. Time and resources are always in short supply, and the to-do list is long. Skills that help bring these into balance will make your life much easier. Critical thinking integrates information, evidence, outcomes, and experiences, and translates them into effective plans and solutions for patients.

Identify problems and don’t be afraid to discuss them with your supervisor. Keep current with the findings of professional journals and become involved with your facility’s quality improvement processes. These are just two ways that you can expand your critical thinking skills.

5. Compassion

Nurses are on the front lines dealing intensely with patients, their families, and barriers in the healthcare system. Maintaining compassion is essential to providing good care, but difficult to do in today’s environment.

Nurse fatigue is a real phenomenon that requires nurses to take care of themselves first to avoid. Exercise, meditation, or volunteerism can all be effective ways to reconnect and nurture the desire to help others that first led you toward a nursing career.

If you find you’re having trouble coping on your own, discuss your concerns with your nurse manager. More and more employers are engaging their nurses in courses on self-help techniques and stress management.

6. Time Management

Prioritize your work. Stay organized with personal checklists, flowcharts, or spreadsheets, and multi-task whenever possible. Utilize your nursing skills of anticipation, delegation, and supervision to this end.

Remember, good time management involves people management! Take the time to get to know and understand your facility’s available resources and maximize their use.

Lastly, find a nurse mentor or co-worker and brainstorm ways to maximize effective use of your time each day.

7. Communication

Nurses are the vital link between patients and providers and must communicate effectively with other healthcare personnel to coordinate patient care. Be concise and logical, and remember that how you communicate information is just as important (or more) as what you say.