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Month: January 2023

Prepare for Transition Eportfolio Post

Prepare for Transition Eportfolio Post

As I move towards graduation, licensure, and my first job, I am brimming with several emotions. For instance, I am incredibly excited to utilize all the knowledge and skills I have gained through lectures and clinical rotations to help those around me. I am grateful for the excellent education and experience I have had at UNE, as well as the pride that I am graduating with a degree in nursing. I also am feeling a level of anticipation for what will come with my new job but looking forward to starting this next chapter in my life.
With all that being said, I have some anxiety at the same time about all the upcoming changes and many adjustments in my life. As a new graduate, I will be encountering a new work environment and new colleagues, learning new skills, and applying skills I have learned throughout this program for the first time as a new nurse treating patients.
In addition, I am tentative about how long it will take me to adapt to the culture of my new workplace and whether my colleagues will be supportive. I worry about making mistakes, but I know I have the tenacity and committed to becoming an effective caregiver. Additional anxiety involves adjusting to the physical requirements with the long hours, shift changes, and sometimes a lack of staff. Still, I will care for myself by getting rest, eating well, and exercising whenever possible.
Although I have some anxiety about my future role as a nurse, I am incredibly grateful I am embarking on a journey to help others around me, which is my goal in life. That said, I need to focus on planning and preparing my weekly studies throughout this semester to stay on track to graduate and attain my licensure. In doing so, I will utilize the SMART goal method, which entails specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals. Then, I will create a calendar to plan my weekly goals for completing assignments and other needs each week. Then, I will outline them daily with specific times applicable to complete required tasks while making them achievable and relevant to class material. Then, I will also include other obligations on the daily schedule to ensure that I meet my other responsibilities, personally and educationally, without getting overwhelmed, so it will be meaningful for me to leave time for mental, emotional, and physical health.
Regarding Nurse Logic 2.0, I will reflect on three new things I have learned from each module. Module one, “NurseLogic Knowledge and Clinical Judgement Advanced,” focused on the knowledge required for patient care and clinical judgment to ensure safe, high-quality client-centered care. Concerning the knowledge of patient care, I have learned that a nurse needs a fundamental understanding of many aspects that influence excellent patient care. I learned that considerations should be made when administering care to provide the most optimum care possible, which will help me excel in my future career in nursing. For example, one question focused on the proper application of benzocaine ear drops for pain relief in a child with acute otitis media. For this question, I was previously unaware that these drops were refrigerated; therefore, they need to be warmed to room temperature before installation. In this case, the ear drops are warmed to prevent the risk of further pain and trauma for the toddler. This is imperative information that a nurse should know, and with this new information, I will administer ear drops properly as a nurse. In addition, in this module, a question focused on the proper teaching a nurse should give to a client for dumping syndrome. Although I have previously learned about dumping syndrome, I was unaware of the appropriate education a nurse should give regarding diet. Thus, this module has taught me that a client should be encouraged to eat foods high in soluble fiber, such as peanut butter and toast, because it reduces the frequency and severity of dumping syndrome. Lastly, this module allowed me to review previous content surrounding active pulmonary tuberculosis. In this review, I learned that tuberculin is an effective screening tool for detecting a client exposed to tuberculosis who has developed antibodies. However, it is ineffective in distinguishing an active case of tuberculosis in someone previously exposed.
Likewise, for module two, “NurseLogic Nursing Concepts Advanced,” I have reviewed and learned valuable content that will significantly prepare me to become a nurse. For instance, I learned that when a client is having an allergic reaction by demonstrating urticaria and angioedema, the correct answer may only sometimes be to administer epinephrine based on what the question is asking. This question allowed me to reflect on my test-taking strategies. I need to read what the question is asking thoroughly. In this case, the question asked what the nurse should do first, with the correct answer being to determine the client’s respiratory rate. Although this question did not necessarily teach me new content, it taught me to reflect on and strengthen my test-taking strategies to excel in future exams. In addition, this module strengthened my understanding of the side effects of Betamethasone. For instance, I have learned that this medication does not affect neonatal vital signs, although it is used to prevent respiratory distress syndrome in premature infants. Instead, a complication the nurse should assess for is hypoglycemia in the neonate because this medication can lead to hyperglycemia in the mother, which thereby can predispose to hypoglycemia in the neonate within the first few hours following delivery. Lastly, this module strengthened my previous understanding of interdisciplinary collaboration among health professionals. For instance, if a client has undergone an amputation, I was previously aware that a social worker and physical therapist should be involved in coordinating care. However, I have now also learned that a dietician should also be involved in coordinating client care because they have the knowledge to help provide dietary contributions for wound and muscle repair and healing. Once again, this module allowed me the opportunity to better prepare for my future as a nurse.
Similarly, module three, known as “NurseLogic Priority setting Frameworks Advanced,” outlined the significance of priority setting and decision-making. It provided a good understanding of aids to good decision-making on prioritizing matters that could face us daily. For instance, this module enforced my education about triaging clients during a mass causality. It taught me that the highest priority of treatment is assigned to those with a life-threatening condition who also have a high probability of survival following treatment. Then, the second priority patients treated include those who have not life-threatening injuries but still have endured significant injuries. They can wait 30 minutes to 2 hours until a medical team is available to treat them. Lastly, unfortunately in a mass casualty situation, the lowest priority patients are those who do not have a high chance of survival.
Furthermore, this module taught me to utilize the “unstable versus stable priority setting framework.” This application technique gives unstable clients priority treatment because it threatens their survival. In addition, this module taught me nursing content, which is of utmost importance for nurses to know in their future careers. For instance, this module enhanced my understanding of the early manifestations of a fat embolism in a client, including a change in the client’s level of consciousness.
The final module, module four, “Testing and Remediation,” allowed me to deepen my knowledge of nursing content and skills. It also emphasized the significance of priority setting and decision-making in nursing. In addition, this module provided an opportunity to review content I have learned in past semesters that needed strengthening or provided me with new nursing knowledge I have not yet encountered. For instance, this module touched based on antihypertensive medications I learned in previous semesters, which was a helpful overview. Also, I learned that aspirin could potentially reduce the antihypertensive effects of Captopril. Therefore the patient must be educated to avoid taking aspirin if taking Captopril. Also, this module reinforced my understanding of mental health disorders that I have the potential to encounter with patients in my future career in nursing. For example, this module reviewed the manifestations of borderline personality disorder, and I learned that these include unstable relationships, impulsivity, unstable mood, and a distorted self-image. Lastly, one of the questions I was given focused on a client experiencing an anastomotic leak postoperatively following a gastric bypass, which is content material I had not encountered yet. Thus, this was an excellent learning opportunity that taught me that a gastric bypass is when the stomach, part of the jejunum, and duodenum, are bypassed by connecting the small intestine to a surgically created stomach, and an anastomotic leak occurs when gastric/ intestinal fluid leaks at the connection. Another piece of information that I have learned from this is that oliguria is a typical manifestation indicating that the client might be experiencing an anastomotic leak. Overall, this review allowed me the opportunity to better prepare for my future as a nurse.

Transition to Practice

Transition to Practice

Course Description and Objectives

Course Description:

This course is designed to facilitate the transition from student nurse to professional registered nurse. Emphasis is placed on the knowledge, skills, and behaviors required for licensure, development of professional identity and social conscience, and career advancement.

Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1.      Demonstrate development of clinical judgment necessary for provision of safe, evidence-based nursing care that improves health outcomes for individuals, families, and communities. (Clinical Judgment/Evidence-based Practice) 

2.      Demonstrate use of data to develop knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary for successful licensure by examination.  (Informatics) 

3.      Demonstrate professional communication skills necessary for gaining entry into practice. (Leadership) 

4.      Demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary for effective collaboration with the interprofessional care team. (Interprofessionalism) 

5.     Demonstrate personal responsibility for professional growth through reflection and remediation. (Professionalism/Self Care) 

Final Project With an IP Team: The Blanket Project

Final Project With an IP Team: The Blanket Project

This semester, I had the privilege of participating in a collaborative service-learning project called “The Blanket Project.” This project involved a team of Bachelor of Science in Nursing students from the University of New England’s (UNE) Portland and Biddeford campuses, and we worked as an interprofessional group to connect with and assist marginalized communities in Portland, Maine. Faculty members, Trisha A Mason, the Director of WCHP Service Learning, and nursing professor, Esmeralda Ulloa, assisted with our student-led project. Teamwork, dedication, and collaboration between the students and faculty enabled the creation of fifteen fleece, no-sew blankets with accompanying laminated notecards that included inspirational messages and a list of community resources to support local people in need. Once completed, we delivered the blankets and notecards to a homeless day shelter and food distribution center named Preble Street Resource Center, located in the heart of Portland. The center’s staff then distributed the blankets and notecards to consumers who may suffer from mental illness, homelessness, and/or addiction. These individuals often do not have access to necessities, such as warm blankets, especially in the frigid winter months. This service-learning opportunity aimed to immerse us in this community to provide valuable support while promoting emotional, physical, and mental health. In doing so, I had the opportunity to deepen my understanding of Interprofessional Practice (IPP) and achieve the course objectives for the class, “Passport to Integration,” that I will discuss during this paper. 

Throughout this experience, I worked closely with fellow students and faculty from UNE and the staff from Preble Street to learn about and assist with health issues facing individuals in our community which simulated my future in the interprofessional world of nursing. The rewarding experience educated me on the benefits of IPP, and I now recognize that IPP in healthcare is not simply collaborating with individuals of another specialty to make a positive difference medically, but it is also working together as team to explore and improve values and ethics while striving to make a positive impact that can benefit individuals in need within our community. After immersing myself in the exploration of social issues in Portland, I realized that there is a lack of education and awareness within marginalized populations, especially regarding physiological and psychological needs essential to promote self-care, safety, and survival. 

To address social issues within my community and deepen my understanding of IPP, I worked with Preble Street staff to focus our project on the needs of their consumers to promote their well-being. Most Preble Street consumers are homeless and spend hours outdoors each day. They struggle to stay warm during the winter months in Maine which can lead to a decline in all facets of health. Preble Street’s priority is to promote safety and self-sufficiency among its consumers, which is consistent with the goals of our project. Our coordinated effort was compatible with the ethical and moral tenets inherent in nursing, including promoting self-sufficiency and safety. Our goal was to help reverse the challenges of the homeless by providing them with accessible resources for a healthier lifestyle. The creation of blankets with helpful notes met a community need and a class objective. The results of this project fortified trust, improved communication, and provided necessary support between healthcare and marginalized populations by fulfilling a need by promoting mental, emotional, and physical well-being and safety. 

 To achieve success, our IPP group generated an action plan that included the submission of a grant proposal to UNE requesting funding to buy materials to make the blankets and notecards; an outline of assigned tasks and timeline for completion as well as a date for delivering them to Preble Street for distribution. In achieving our objective, we identified characteristics of effective communication to successfully develop and execute the plan to assist the consumers of Preble Street which met a class objective. The characteristics of effective communication and knowledge exchange that I used for this project included the establishment of appropriate methods for timely and efficient group communication; the use of repetition to ensure that the group understood the tasks at hand; an open mind and mutual understanding; and the use of clear and accurate information transmission. For example, project members were located in various locations, therefore, to ensure adequate communication throughout the project, we communicated over internet platforms, using email for immediate correspondence and ZOOM calls for our weekly meetings to surpass spatial barriers. I learned that communication within interprofessional groups is difficult. Still, with appropriate and effective communication, any goals can be attained which positively contributes to our community’s well-being. Since we knew these means of communication would be time-efficient and effective, the group ensured that everyone involved had access to these platforms when the project was initiated. With everyone juggling a hectic schedule, internet platforms are flexible and convenient because they do not require travel, so members were able to attend ZOOM meetings without difficulty. Following each session, we created and sent everyone a Google document reiterating all the critical points discussed and a description of upcoming goals and further plans to ensure effective communication to keep us on track to complete the project in a timely fashion effectively. Using these communication methods, we achieved another class goal of investigating how the role of technology and information management increases the effectiveness of health care. I learned how technology and information management support a successful collaboration between members of an IPP plan who otherwise would not have had the opportunity to engage with each other. It helped us provide the best possible outcome for the marginalized community we were servicing and deepened our understanding of IPP.

All of us involved with this project collaborated to provide the consumers of Preble Street compassion, empathy, trust, and loving-kindness by being present to support and assist with their basic needs and providing emotional and mental support, which helped cultivate a trusting relationship between the marginalized community and health care community. Thus, I met our class objective because it implemented the concepts of compassionate care as reflected in Watson’s Carative Factors. Along with the blankets, we included laminated notecards with positive messages to provide emotional support and encouragement to illicit perseverance among the population we were servicing. An example of the inspirational statements we included on the notecards were: “Believe in Yourself,” “You are Brave,” and “I Am Enough.” By including these simple messages, we encouraged the consumers of Preble Street to believe in themselves, practice kindness, and enhance their human dignity, which we hoped would reinforce self-love, build character, uplift self-esteem, and inspire a life’s purpose. Furthermore, to foster a higher level of connection, communication, and support, as another component of our IPP plan, we included a list of resources and outreach services, including shelters, food pantries, support groups, and helplines on each notecard. To best communicate these programs to those receiving the blankets, we ensured that the print on the cards was easy to read and provided phone numbers, addresses, and a brief description for each resource listed. We sought to establish an authentic caring relationship between the healthcare community and marginalized populations and a healing environment for those in need. In doing so, attaining these objectives deepened my understanding of IPP.

Overall, the classroom objectives I met were educational, and this rewarding experience allowed me to learn about and understand the benefits of Interprofessional Practice. I now realize that an interprofessional collaboration can help improve processes and deliver better outcomes by reducing inefficiencies to achieve a common goal and better my community. Although I did not utilize one of the class objectives, which was to build a professional social media presence in the future to educate the public about disparities vulnerable populations face, it would be a perfect format to enhance learning, catalog achievements, and new experiences for future projects.

Class Objectives for Spring Semester 2022 Passport to Integration (NSG-353-A): 

  1. Explore the concepts of compassionate care as reflected in Watson’s Carative Factors in the planning and evaluation of care for individuals, families, and communities. (EBP, CJ, Professionalism)  
  2. Explore the role of technology and information management in the efficacy of health care delivery. (Informatics)  
  3. Identify the characteristics of effective communication and shared knowledge in the development of an effective interprofessional plan of care for diverse of individuals, families, and communities. (Leadership/Interprofessionalism)  
  4. Build a professional social media presence to enhance learning, catalog achievements, and highlight new learning experiences. (Professionalism, Informatics) 
  5. Identify the moral, ethical, and legal tenets inherent in the formation of professional nursing values including the role of self-care in safety for individuals, families, and communities. (Professionalism /Self-care)  
Entry 3: Focus on leadership (third semester)

Entry 3: Focus on leadership (third semester)

Throughout my time enrolled in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program at UNE, I have strengthened and developed new leadership skills that have prepared me to be a leader in my future career of nursing as well as a leader in our community to assist with vulnerable populations in need. Specifically, two courses I have completed during the third semester of my program included Leadership and Evidence Based Practice 2 (EBP) which both greatly contributed to my development and helped to enhance leadership qualities within myself.

For instance, in my Leadership class, we learned that nursing leadership attributes include the ability to inspire, influence, and encourage other nurses and associated professionals while working as a collaborative team to ensure optimal patient care. The primary goal of a nurse leader is to maximize the potential of the team and achieve the intended goal. Nurse leaders are motivators, mentors, and advocators for themselves, their patients, and their associative medical team all-encompassing. My instructor instilled in me an understanding that the components of nursing leadership include excellent clinical skills as well as specific personal traits and characteristics that make a nurse highly successful in their role. Nurses who possess strong leadership skills are those who are more likely to provide exceptional patient care because they are progressive and creative thinkers, inclusive team builders, highly organized, and have exceptional time management skills. In addition, they are effective communicators who promote the involvement of the entire team, including the patient, other medical care providers, and the patient’s support system, e.g., their family and friends. Thereby, as a result of this beneficial class, I understand that being a nurse leader is an important role that benefits not only patients but the entire team. Furthermore, my gifted instructor inspired me to be the best student possible, pushing me to reach my full potential with encouragement and caring nature. Learning about the qualities of a good nursing leader taught me ways to improve and strengthen inner qualities within myself and how to use them in practice when I am a nurse.

In addition, in this class, I learned about the importance of emotional intelligence within nurses, which includes the ability to identify, understand and manage emotions in ourselves and others. As a result, one can successfully facilitate effective reasoning, even in the most overwhelming environments, because one has the ability to maintain their emotions, especially during stressful situations. I have learned that although we can become anxious and stressed during some situations in the nursing field, it is of utmost importance to recognize our emotions quickly and manage them accordingly. Strong emotions, such as anxiety and stress, can be challenging in the work environment, but it is critical to control them to remain focused on the tasks and goals to ensure quality patient care. Overall, my instructor taught me that the best nurses practice self-awareness and emotional awareness, which leads to an understanding of ourselves and improves the ability to recognize emotional triggers and learn how to manage them properly. As a future nurse, I will strive to develop these optimum leadership qualities in order to provide the highest level of patient care. 

Furthermore, another class, Evidence-Based Practice 2, taught me that nurses can practice their leadership skills while participating in evidence-based projects. My instructor advised that there has been increased participation in nurses in evidence-based practice (EBP), and it has become key to achieving optimum patient outcomes. EBP is a coordinated effort that utilizes research evidence, clinical expertise as well as involving the patient’s opinions about their healthcare as part of a problem-solving approach to developing the best individualized and effective patient plans.

In this EBP 2 class, I had the opportunity to deepen my own leadership qualities by formulating an EBP project proposal with the assistance of another student. For further information, the name of the project was “Analyzing the Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Yoga in Reducing Nurse Burnout: An Evidence-Based Approach.” The aim of the study was to create an educational program for nurses that focuses on the consequences of nursing burnout and ways to reduce it by providing an incentive-based Mindfulness-Based Yoga program in the emergency room at a large hospital in New England.  This proposal design was developed from the synthesis of peer-reviewed research studies that demonstrate the impacts of nursing burnout at the individual, patient, and organizational levels as well as evidence-based practice recommendations for reducing nursing burnout, such as the use of Mindfulness-Based Yoga. Overall, we strengthened our leadership qualities by creating a project goal, conducting research for implications of practice, and creating an implementation plan as well as a method of evaluating the outcome. Notably, I have attached the EBP project poster at the bottom of this entry.

Nurses make up the largest population of the healthcare workforce and they spend more time with patients than any other occupation. Therefore, nursing leadership is critical to the success of our overall healthcare system, so consequently, it is my goal to be the best possible leader in my future career as a nurse so that I may positively impact my patients, fellow colleagues, and our community as a whole. It is my goal to continuously improve upon my leadership competencies to maximize the delivery of quality patient care. Because I know that a collaborative effort is critical to achieving optimum success, I will work as a leader to enhance the entire healthcare process by mentoring others, developing partnerships, supporting a team effort, and diligently working to provide the highest quality healthcare possible.

Entry 2: Focus on working with vulnerable populations (second semester)

Entry 2: Focus on working with vulnerable populations (second semester)

Over the course of the summer semester and continuing through September, I have had the privilege of participating in a collaborative service-learning project, Run Across America, which is a social enterprise that began in May 2020 because of the pandemic. The primary focus was to advocate for and help those facing hunger across America, in which I was able to assist vulnerable populations across America.         

Run Across America was formed to support causes, such as feeding vulnerable families across America, those who are food insecure because of COVID-19. Since its inception, there has been as many as 68,000 participants who have raised money and resources to supply more than four billion meals annually for individuals and families facing food insecurity in our communities and across the country. Because countrywide lockdowns resulted in unemployment and businesses closures, the pandemic has created widespread food insecurity especially in families with young children. For the last two years, the everchanging COVID-19 virus has progressively changed our society and taken a toll on our economy. Consequently, two social determinates that I have advocated for during my involvement with Run for America includes economic stability as well as improved health and healthcare. Many citizens cannot afford food or healthcare, so my efforts with Run Across America has been rewarding, and I am grateful for this positive opportunity because it has allowed me to help not only my community but those in need across the country. 

Joining Run Across America, I signed up for the event early this past July with members of my family, friends, and peers with the goal of completing a total of 50 km (about 31.07 mi) or more of running, walking, or bike-riding by Labor Day and ultimately raising money for individuals who are food insecure. As a group, we have run in neighborhoods all over Falmouth and Portland as well as Mackworth Island, Back Cove and Eastern Promenade Trails all located in Maine. We have already made great strides by exceeding the hours of 8-10 required for this course, and I am excited to continue my efforts for this wonderful cause. Overall, this service-learning opportunity aims to immerse us in the community to provide valuable support while promoting emotional, physical, and mental health for those facing hunger today. By helping those in need, as an Interpersonal Practice (IPP), our coordinated effort is also consistent with the values and ethics inherent in nursing. It has been our goal to help reverse the challenges of hunger by providing food to those in need while at the same time promoting a healthier lifestyle as well. In doing so, I have had the opportunity to deepen my understanding of IPP and I have strengthened my skills involved with the roles and responsibilities in collaborative practices including values and ethics for interprofessional practice, interprofessional communication, interprofessional teamwork and team-based care. 

Throughout my experience with Run Across America, I have worked closely with family, friends, and peers to learn about and assist individuals facing food shortages, poverty, and hunger within our community and across America. This effort has simulated my future in the interprofessional world of nursing. As a group, we delegated roles and responsibilities to ensure our efforts were successful. They pertained to deciding about the running/walking trails, maintaining suitable time management, supplying snacks and water, as well as the assignment of a leader who focused on the overall coordination of the event. At the same time, effective interprofessional communication was utilized which increased efficiency and fostered us working better as a team. For instance, we created a telephone group-chat in which we could designate times and locations, and every Sunday, we developed a weekly plan of action. In addition, we communicated online each night to ensure everyone was aware of developing details. This ensured there were no miscommunications, everyone showed up on time and was prepared which made for a smooth implementation of our plan. 

Our effort with Run Across America is an example of how an IPP collaboration using effective communication can facilitate a positive outcome for those in need within our communities and across the country, such as those facing food insecurity. Although the communication was within our small group to raise awareness of the issue of hunger, additionally we can further communicate with others within our community to advocate for marginalized populations. To further facilitate positive outcomes for individuals in need, we could utilize social media platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook to raise awareness about the benefits of Run Across America, so others may join this wonderful cause and raise additional money and resources for those in need. 

Consequently, this rewarding experience, Run Across America, has further educated me on the benefits of IPP and I now recognize that IPP is highly focused on working together cohesively to explore and improve values and ethics while striving to make a positive impact on the lives of individuals in need in our communities and across our country. 

Entry 1: Focus on service learning (first semester)

Entry 1: Focus on service learning (first semester)

This semester, I had the privilege of participating in a collaborative service-learning project called “The Blanket Project.” This project involved a team of Bachelor of Science in Nursing students from the University of New England’s (UNE) Portland and Biddeford campuses, and we worked as an interprofessional group to connect with and assist marginalized communities in Portland, Maine. Faculty members, Trisha A Mason, the Director of WCHP Service Learning, and nursing professor, Esmeralda Ulloa, assisted with our student-led project. Teamwork, dedication, and collaboration between the students and faculty enabled the creation of fifteen fleece, no-sew blankets with accompanying laminated notecards that included inspirational messages and a list of community resources to support local people in need. Once completed, we delivered the blankets and notecards to a homeless day shelter and food distribution center named Preble Street Resource Center, located in the heart of Portland. The center’s staff then distributed the blankets and notecards to consumers who may suffer from mental illness, homelessness, and/or addiction. These individuals often do not have access to necessities, such as warm blankets, especially in the frigid winter months. This service-learning opportunity aimed to immerse us in this community to provide valuable support while promoting emotional, physical, and mental health. In doing so, I had the opportunity to deepen my understanding of Interprofessional Practice (IPP) and achieve the course objectives for the class, “Passport to Integration,” that I will discuss during this paper. 

Throughout this experience, I worked closely with fellow students and faculty from UNE and the staff from Preble Street to learn about and assist with health issues facing individuals in our community which simulated my future in the interprofessional world of nursing. The rewarding experience educated me on the benefits of IPP, and I now recognize that IPP in healthcare is not simply collaborating with individuals of another specialty to make a positive difference medically, but it is also working together as team to explore and improve values and ethics while striving to make a positive impact that can benefit individuals in need within our community. After immersing myself in the exploration of social issues in Portland, I realized that there is a lack of education and awareness within marginalized populations, especially regarding physiological and psychological needs essential to promote self-care, safety, and survival. 

To address social issues within my community and deepen my understanding of IPP, I worked with Preble Street staff to focus our project on the needs of their consumers to promote their well-being. Most Preble Street consumers are homeless and spend hours outdoors each day. They struggle to stay warm during the winter months in Maine which can lead to a decline in all facets of health. Preble Street’s priority is to promote safety and self-sufficiency among its consumers, which is consistent with the goals of our project. Our coordinated effort was compatible with the ethical and moral tenets inherent in nursing, including promoting self-sufficiency and safety. Our goal was to help reverse the challenges of the homeless by providing them with accessible resources for a healthier lifestyle. The creation of blankets with helpful notes met a community need and a class objective. The results of this project fortified trust, improved communication, and provided necessary support between healthcare and marginalized populations by fulfilling a need by promoting mental, emotional, and physical well-being and safety. 

 To achieve success, our IPP group generated an action plan that included the submission of a grant proposal to UNE requesting funding to buy materials to make the blankets and notecards; an outline of assigned tasks and timeline for completion as well as a date for delivering them to Preble Street for distribution. In achieving our objective, we identified characteristics of effective communication to successfully develop and execute the plan to assist the consumers of Preble Street which met a class objective. The characteristics of effective communication and knowledge exchange that I used for this project included the establishment of appropriate methods for timely and efficient group communication; the use of repetition to ensure that the group understood the tasks at hand; an open mind and mutual understanding; and the use of clear and accurate information transmission. For example, project members were located in various locations, therefore, to ensure adequate communication throughout the project, we communicated over internet platforms, using email for immediate correspondence and ZOOM calls for our weekly meetings to surpass spatial barriers. I learned that communication within interprofessional groups is difficult. Still, with appropriate and effective communication, any goals can be attained which positively contributes to our community’s well-being. Since we knew these means of communication would be time-efficient and effective, the group ensured that everyone involved had access to these platforms when the project was initiated. With everyone juggling a hectic schedule, internet platforms are flexible and convenient because they do not require travel, so members were able to attend ZOOM meetings without difficulty. Following each session, we created and sent everyone a Google document reiterating all the critical points discussed and a description of upcoming goals and further plans to ensure effective communication to keep us on track to complete the project in a timely fashion effectively. Using these communication methods, we achieved another class goal of investigating how the role of technology and information management increases the effectiveness of health care. I learned how technology and information management support a successful collaboration between members of an IPP plan who otherwise would not have had the opportunity to engage with each other. It helped us provide the best possible outcome for the marginalized community we were servicing and deepened our understanding of IPP.

All of us involved with this project collaborated to provide the consumers of Preble Street compassion, empathy, trust, and loving-kindness by being present to support and assist with their basic needs and providing emotional and mental support, which helped cultivate a trusting relationship between the marginalized community and health care community. Thus, I met our class objective because it implemented the concepts of compassionate care as reflected in Watson’s Carative Factors. Along with the blankets, we included laminated notecards with positive messages to provide emotional support and encouragement to illicit perseverance among the population we were servicing. An example of the inspirational statements we included on the notecards were: “Believe in Yourself,” “You are Brave,” and “I Am Enough.” By including these simple messages, we encouraged the consumers of Preble Street to believe in themselves, practice kindness, and enhance their human dignity, which we hoped would reinforce self-love, build character, uplift self-esteem, and inspire a life’s purpose. Furthermore, to foster a higher level of connection, communication, and support, as another component of our IPP plan, we included a list of resources and outreach services, including shelters, food pantries, support groups, and helplines on each notecard. To best communicate these programs to those receiving the blankets, we ensured that the print on the cards was easy to read and provided phone numbers, addresses, and a brief description for each resource listed. We sought to establish an authentic caring relationship between the healthcare community and marginalized populations and a healing environment for those in need. In doing so, attaining these objectives deepened my understanding of IPP.

Overall, the classroom objectives I met were educational, and this rewarding experience allowed me to learn about and understand the benefits of Interprofessional Practice. I now realize that an interprofessional collaboration can help improve processes and deliver better outcomes by reducing inefficiencies to achieve a common goal and better my community. Although I did not utilize one of the class objectives, which was to build a professional social media presence in the future to educate the public about disparities vulnerable populations face, it would be a perfect format to enhance learning, catalog achievements, and new experiences for future projects.

Class Objectives for Spring Semester 2022 Passport to Integration (NSG-353-A): 

  1. Explore the concepts of compassionate care as reflected in Watson’s Carative Factors in the planning and evaluation of care for individuals, families, and communities. (EBP, CJ, Professionalism)  
  2. Explore the role of technology and information management in the efficacy of health care delivery. (Informatics)  
  3. Identify the characteristics of effective communication and shared knowledge in the development of an effective interprofessional plan of care for diverse of individuals, families, and communities. (Leadership/Interprofessionalism)  
  4. Build a professional social media presence to enhance learning, catalog achievements, and highlight new learning experiences. (Professionalism, Informatics) 
  5. Identify the moral, ethical, and legal tenets inherent in the formation of professional nursing values including the role of self-care in safety for individuals, families, and communities. (Professionalism /Self-care)  
About Fuld Scholarship

About Fuld Scholarship

The Helene Fuld Health Trust is the nation’s largest trust devoted exclusively to student nurses and nursing education. Helene Schwab Fuld had a passionate interest in health during her lifetime. After her death in 1923, her children Leonhard and Florentine created a foundation to honor her memory. Leonhard was a fervent advocate for public health, and in the early 1960’s he focused the foundation’s giving to “the improvement of the health and welfare of student nurses.”

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