Discussion: Professional Development and Certification

Consider the following scenario:

Isabel recently earned certifications offered by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and the American Organization of Nurse Executives for nurse managers and leaders. She was especially proud of this accomplishment and was confident it would serve her well as she continued her career. At a conference last week, she had found herself talking with a colleague about certification. To her surprise, her colleague suggested that she look into certification through the Project Management Institute. It had not occurred to Isabel that she might need or want that type of certification, but upon further reflection she could see how important it was to be able to manage projects effectively. She wondered how pursuing this type of certification might further her professional development and lead to new opportunities down the road. At the very least, she decided it was worth exploring further.

As you are aware, numerous nursing organizations offer opportunities for professional development, community service, and information gathering. There are also many certifications you can obtain through professional societies or organizations. Certifications recognize an individual’s specialty area knowledge and skills and can lead to professional empowerment. By obtaining certifications, you can help improve your quality of practice and increase your earning potential.

In this Discussion, you consider development opportunities afforded through professional associations and examine how earning certifications can advance your career.

To prepare:

Reflect on your professional goals. These goals may relate to the practicum professional development objectives you established in Week 1 (Document Attached), but you are encouraged to take a broader view of what you would like to accomplish in the immediate future, as well as five or 15 years from now. Identify at least one goal that is especially important to you.

Think about the benefits of becoming involved in professional organizations and obtaining certifications.

If you already have a specialty or clinical certification, reflect on how this has impacted the achievement of your professional goals thus far.

Review information about two or more of the professional organizations listed in the Learning Resources. Consider the following questions:

As you explore each organization’s website, review the mission, vision, and value statements. Also examine the strategic plan, if possible. How do these align with your interests and your professional goals?

Investigate whether the organization offers networking opportunities with fellow professionals. Is there a local or regional chapter you could join?

What are the potential benefits of obtaining a certification through each organization? Examine the criteria for certification.

Evaluate your readiness and desire to become certified through each organization. What hesitations, if any, do you have?

How and why might this certification be useful to you and/or enhance your professional development?

Post a description of one or more of your professional goals. Explain a certification provided by a professional organization that would be of interest to you. Explain how and why this additional certification would be useful to you and/or enhance your professional development. Evaluate your readiness to obtain this certification, noting any reservations you may have.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.

Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days, using one or more of the following approaches:

Ask a probing question, substantiated with additional background information, evidence, or research.

Share an insight from having read your colleagues’ postings, synthesizing the information to provide new perspectives.

Validate an idea with your own experience and additional research.

Required Readings (Please use all references mentioned below)

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Reminder: Review resources from previous courses as necessary.

Matthews, J. H. (2012). Role of professional organizations in advocating for the nursing profession. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 17(1), 1.

Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

 

The author addresses the importance of involvement in professional organizations for nursing professionals.

Shekleton, M. E., Preston, J. C., & Good, L. E. (2010). Growing leaders in a professional membership organization. Journal of Nursing Management, 18(6), 662–668.

Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

 

 “In order to grow leaders an organization must make a commitment to develop and maintain an infrastructure that supports leadership development activities” (Shekleton, Preston, & Good, 2010, p. 667). The authors discuss findings from a leadership development program.

 American Association of Critical Care Nurses. (n.d.). Certification for nurse managers and leaders. Retrieved May 20, 2013, from http://www.aacn.org/wd/certifications/content/cnmlhome.pcms?menu=certification

 

The American Association of Critical Care Nurses Certification Corporation, in collaboration with the AONE credentialing center, offers certification for the nurse leader-manager.

 American Medical Informatics Association. (2011). Clinical informatics becomes a board-certified medical subspecialty following ABMS vote. Retrieved from http://www.amia.org/news-and-publications/press-release/ci-is-subspecialty

 

This article addresses the movement to recognize clinical informatics as a subspecialty.

 American Nurses Association. (2013). Leadership. Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ThePracticeofProfessionalNursing/Leadership

 

The ANA offers a leadership institute for professional development.

 American Nurses Credentialing Center. (2013). ANCC certification center. Retrieved from http://www.nursecredentialing.org/certification.aspx

 

The ANCC is the largest and most prestigious credentialing organization. View the certifications available by specialty area.

 American Organization of Nurse Executives. (2012). AONE credentialing center. Retrieved from http://www.aone.org/resources/certification/about_certifications.shtml

 

The AONE credentialing center, in collaboration with American Association of Critical Care Nurses Certification Corporation, offers certification for the nurse leader-manager.

 Healthcare Information and Management Systems. (2013). Health IT certifications. Retrieved from http://www.himss.org/health-it-certification?navItemNumber=13588

 

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has specified certification criteria for electronic health records.

 NMA. (2012). Welcome to NMA! Retrieved from http://www.nma1.org/

 

This organization promotes the development of leadership competencies and interpersonal skills.

 Project Management Institute. (2013). What are PMI certifications? Retrieved from http://www.pmi.org/Certification/What-are-PMI-Certifications.aspx

 

PMI recognizes that many professionals of varying skill and education levels are or will be involved with projects. The organization offers certification for professionals involved in project management.

 

"Looking for a Similar Assignment? Get Expert Help at an Amazing Discount!"

Discussion: Practicum Professional Development

Objectives: Progress Appraisal

In Week 1, you developed your practicum professional development objectives. How have your experiences thus far in the practicum contributed to your growth as nurse leader-manager or nurse informaticist? What difficulties, if any, have you experienced, and how might this affect the achievement of your objectives?

In this Discussion, you assess your progress toward fulfilling your practicum professional development objectives and consider how you could enhance or alter your activities to achieve your aims.

To prepare:

Reflect on the practicum professional development objectives you developed and outlined in your Practicum Professional Experience Plan in Week 1.

Keeping in mind the practicum activities you have engaged in thus far, consider the following questions:

How have these activities helped to promote your professional development?

Are you satisfied with your progress toward meeting your objectives? If not, what will you do to ensure you achieve them before the end of your Practicum Experience? As a reminder, you must complete all of your practicum hours on or before Day 5 of Week 11.

What challenges or unexpected opportunities have arisen at your practicum site? How has this affected your professional development?

Think about the experiences you may have in the forthcoming weeks. Do you foresee any particular challenges on the horizon? If so, what is your plan for addressing those challenges?

Think about the time you have spent with your Preceptor. How has this time enhanced or changed your understanding of the role and functions of the nurse leader-manager or nurse informaticist?

Post an assessment of your progress toward achieving your practicum professional development objectives, including how your involvement in specific practicum activities has contributed to your development. Explain what you will do to ensure you achieve your objectives by the end of your practicum. Summarize challenges or unexpected opportunities that have arisen, as well as any challenges that you anticipate may arise. Explain how you will address those challenges. Finally, summarize what you have learned about the role and functions related to your specialization through time spent with your Preceptor.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.

Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days, using one or more of the following approaches:

Ask a probing question, substantiated with additional background information, evidence, or research.

Share an insight from having read your colleagues’ postings, synthesizing the information to provide new perspectives.

Validate an idea with your own experience and additional research.

Required Readings

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Cipriano, P. F., & Murphy, J. (2011). The future of nursing and health IT: The quality elixir. Nursing Economic$, 29(5), 286–289.

Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

 

“Technology tools will continue to revolutionize how we plan, deliver, document, review, evaluate, and derive the evidence about care” (p. 289). This article examines how nurses can use information technology to transform nursing and redesign the health care system. It focuses on the use of technology to promote quality and notes that technology can also be used to address challenges in education, research, leadership, and policy.

McKimm, J., & Swanwick, T. (2009). Setting learning objectives. British Journal of Hospital Medicine, 70(7), 406–409.

Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

 

This article clarifies the terminology associated with learning objectives and explains how learning objectives relate to professional development and the transformation from novice to expert. It also introduces common pitfalls when setting learning objectives and provides suggestions for avoiding them.

Murphy, J. (2011). The nursing informatics workforce: Who are they and what do they do? Nursing Economic$, 29(3), 150–153.

Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

 

The author examines the nursing informatics workforce, explaining that professionals in this well-established specialty area can play an integral role in transforming health care.

Sørensen, E. E., Delmar, C., & Pedersen, B. D. (2011). Leading nurses in dire straits: Head nurses’ navigation between nursing and leadership roles. Journal of Nursing Management, 19(4), 421–430.

Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

 

“Successful nursing leaders navigate between nursing and leadership roles while nourishing a double identity” (p. 421). In this article, the authors examine how individuals in key professional roles negotiate between and apply nursing and leadership skills.

Warm, D., & Thomas, B. (2011). A review of the effectiveness of the clinical informaticist role. Nursing Standard, 25(44), 35–38.

Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

 

The authors investigate the application of specialized knowledge and expertise to facilitate the appropriate use of emerging technologies in clinical settings. They argue for informaticists’ involvement in strategic development and delivery of information management and technology initiatives to promote patient-centered outcomes.

Wilkinson, J. E., Nutley, S. M., & Davies, H. T. O. (2011). An exploration of the roles of nurse managers in evidence-based practice implementation. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 8(4), 236–246.

Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

 

In this article, the authors examine the role nurse managers should play in leading and facilitating evidence-based practice.

 Armstrong, P. (2013). Bloom’s taxonomy. Retrieved from http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/teaching-guides/pedagogical/blooms-taxonomy/

 

Vanderbilt University provides this overview of Bloom’s taxonomy. This site also presents the original and updated versions of the taxonomy along with verb suggestions for each level.

 Clark, D. (2013). Bloom’s taxonomy of learning domains. Retrieved from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html 

 

This article addresses three domains of learning: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor.

 University of Central Florida, Office of Experiential Learning (n.d.). Writing SMART learning objectives, Retrieved from http://explearning.ucf.edu/registered-students/tips-for-success/writing-smart-learning-objectives/195

 

This blog post focuses on the distinction between learning outcomes and objectives. Consider this information as you develop your practicum professional development objectives this week.

 The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Center for Teaching & Learning. (2013). Writing objectives using Bloom’s taxonomy. Retrieved from http://teaching.uncc.edu/articles-books/best-practice-articles/goals-objectives/writing-objectives-using-blooms-taxonomy

 

This resource outlines elements of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

 Document: Practicum Professional Experience Plan (Word Document)

 

Use this form to develop your Practicum Professional Experience Plan as outlined this week.

 Document: Practicum Professional Experience Plan (Word Document)

 

Use this form to develop your Practicum Professional Experience Plan as outlined this week.

 Document: Practicum Journal (Word Document)

 

During your Practicum Experience, you are  required to submit your time log and three journal entries. You will use this  form to complete your journal reflections.

 Document: School of Nursing Practicum Manual: Master of Science in Nursing (MSN): Quarter-Based Programs (PDF)

 

This comprehensive manual outlines all of the requirements for the Practicum Experience.

Clinical Resources

 Document: Introduction to Clinical Experiences (PowerPoint)

 Document: Practicum Manual (PDF)

 

"Looking for a Similar Assignment? Get Expert Help at an Amazing Discount!"

Discussion: Practicum Project Methodology and Evaluation

Consider the following scenario:

With a clear conception of her Practicum Project goal and objectives, Sandra was optimistic that she was on the right track. Then she started to consider the methodology for her project and realized how much she still needed to figure out. She began to think about the theories and concepts she had examined in her program of study and how they might inform her methodology. The biggest challenge, she discovered, was in mapping the strategies that would help her achieve each objective. How would she decide what would be most effective? What barriers were likely to arise? She also realized that she needed to think about evaluation early in order to establish appropriate criteria and make sure she could assess the evidence related to the process, impact, and outcomes of her project. She wondered how she might use formative evaluation to develop and improve the project, as well as how she could use summative evaluation following the implementation of the project to determine if it had been successful.

Consider the models, theories, and concepts you have examined in your program of study as they relate to your project. Which of these can be applied to the development of methodology to help you achieve the project objectives? Which ones can be used to help you establish criteria and methods of evaluation for your project?

In this Discussion, you examine and propose the methodology for your Practicum Project, as well as evaluation methods. The insights you gain through this Discussion should be integrated into your Practicum Project Plan, which is due in Week 5.

To prepare:

Reflect on the Practicum Project goal and objectives you developed in Week 3.

Refer to the Practicum Project Plan (PPP) Overview document as needed for information related to the assignment.

Consider the models, theories, and concepts you have examined in your program of study as they relate to your project. How can this information be applied to the development of the methodology and evaluation for your project?

Review the information on methodology in the Learning Resources, and conduct additional research to facilitate your analysis for your project. Evaluate the who, what, how, where, and when associated with each objective: Who will make what change, by how much, where, and by when? Consider the methods you could use to meet each objective. Devise your methodology in as much detail as possible to identify how you could meet each objective. For example, identify which professional organizations or regulatory bodies you would consult (by viewing their websites or contacting them directly) to gather evidence.

Review the information on formative and summative evaluation in this week’s Learning Resources, and conduct additional research to facilitate your analysis for your project. How could you evaluate achievement of your Practicum Project objectives using formative and/or summative evaluation? Begin to develop an evaluation plan for your Practicum Project.

Post a brief summary of your Practicum Project focus, including the goal and objectives of your Practicum Project (to serve as a reminder for your colleagues). Explain your selected methodology, and justify your selection. Include a detailed explanation of how you could meet each objective using this methodology. Also explain your evaluation plan, noting at which points during your Practicum Project formative and/or summative evaluation will occur.

Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days, using one or more of the following approaches:

Comment on your colleague’s methodology, offering suggestions for improvement as appropriate.

Suggest an alternative evaluation method for your colleague’s project.

Required Readings

Reminder: Review resources from previous courses as necessary.

Black, P. (2010). Formative assessment. In P. Peterson, E. Baker, & B. McGaw (Eds.), International encyclopedia of education (3rd ed., pp. 359–364). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.

Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

 

This article outlines the history of formative assessment and its application and use as an evaluation tool.

Duers, L. E., & Brown, N. (2009). An exploration of student nurses’ experiences of formative assessment. Nurse Education Today, 29(6), 654–659.

Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

 

This article compares formative and summative assessment and presents examples of the application of formative assessment in nursing education.

Gantt, L. T. (2013). The effect of preparation on anxiety and performance in summative simulations. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 9(1), e25–e33.

Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

 

This article provides an example of how formative and summative evaluation is used in a nursing simulation lab. The article discusses strategies for improving nurses’ performance on summative evaluations and explores the use of formative evaluation as a strategy for improving performance on summative evaluations.

Pellegrino, J. W. (2010). Technology and formative assessment. In P. Peterson, E. Baker, & B. McGaw (Eds.), International encyclopedia of education (3rd ed., pp. 42–47). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.

Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

 

The author discusses the importance of formative assessment and examines how technology can be used to support the assessment process.

 

"Looking for a Similar Assignment? Get Expert Help at an Amazing Discount!"

 

Using the client family from your Week 3 Practicum Assignment, address in a progress note (without violating HIPAA regulations) the following:

• Treatment modality used and efficacy of approach
• Progress and/or lack of progress toward the mutually agreed-upon client goals (reference the treatment plan for progress toward goals)
• Modification(s) of the treatment plan that were made based on progress/lack of progress
• Clinical impressions regarding diagnosis and or symptoms
• Relevant psychosocial information or changes from original assessment (e.g., marriage, separation/divorce, new relationships, move to a new house/apartment, change of job)
• Safety issues
• Clinical emergencies/actions taken
• Medications used by the patient, even if the nurse psychotherapist was not the one prescribing them
• Treatment compliance/lack of compliance
• Clinical consultations
• Collaboration with other professionals (e.g., phone consultations with physicians, psychiatrists, marriage/family therapists)
• The therapist’s recommendations, including whether the client agreed to the recommendations
• Referrals made/reasons for making referrals
• Termination/issues that are relevant to the termination process (e.g., client informed of loss of insurance or refusal of insurance company to pay for continued sessions)
• Issues related to consent and/or informed consent for treatment
• Information concerning child abuse and/or elder or dependent adult abuse, including documentation as to where the abuse was reported
• Information reflecting the therapist’s exercise of clinical judgment

Note: Be sure to exclude any information that should not be found in a discoverable progress note.

Part 2: Privileged Note

Based on this week’s readings, prepare a privileged psychotherapy note that you would use to document your impressions of therapeutic progress/therapy sessions for your client family from the Week 3 Practicum Assignment.

In your progress note, address the following:

• Include items that you would not typically include in a note as part of the clinical record.
• Explain why the items you included in the privileged note would not be included in the client family’s progress note.
• Explain whether your preceptor uses privileged notes. If so, describe the type of information he or she might include. If not, explain why.

 

"Looking for a Similar Assignment? Get Expert Help at an Amazing Discount!"

mid term exam

 

"Looking for a Similar Assignment? Get Expert Help at an Amazing Discount!"