Category: Professional Development

Introduction

Action research (AR) covers both action and research outcomes. Action research relies on a participative approach in achieving change and responsiveness to situations. AR achieves change by searching for absolute evidence in an existing situation. AR focuses on action and critical reflection of results in order to give solutions. Therefore, action and research enhance each other.

AR strives to improve work practices through a collaborative inquiry in planning, acting, observing, and reflecting in order to get a better understanding of change and development processes. AR aims to pass the control of practice over to an individual teacher in a given setting. The idea is to enable the practitioners to follow certain actions and reflection procedures to enable them to improve upon the unsatisfactory situation. The procedure identifies a problem and subsequently provides resolution through the processes of observation, solution, action, reflection, and modification (Sleeter & Cornbleth, 2011).

Proponents of AR view the observer as the primacy who offers a course of action for others to follow. However, there are still some theoretical aspects that guide the course of actions the observer undertakes.

Prevalent approaches to action research

The fundamental aim of AR in pedagogy is to research aspects of teaching or assessment practices, students’ learning experience or academic performance, and another appropriate variable in learning processes. The prevalent methods or approaches to action research include the use of questionnaires, observation, and interviews.

In AR, questionnaire research covers both the questionnaire (to find out information about peoples’ habits, behaviors, and demographics) and measurement or attitude scale design (to measure peoples’ attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors). The respondents have the opportunity to complete the questionnaire honestly than they might respond to questions in an interview, particularly if they can provide their responses anonymously.

Paper-based and electronic surveys are flexible, and the respondent can complete them at his or her own time and convenience. However, not all respondents will provide feedback to the researcher. This survey is useful when the researcher needs quantitative data from a large sample of the study. The researcher should be careful when designing questionnaires in order to design questionnaires that will give analyzable data (Norton, 2009).

Another approach in AR is to conduct an observational study. The researcher must decide what behavior to observe and how he will record his findings. The observational approach involves three types of observation. Indirect observation, the respondents know that the researcher is observing them. This method has the advantage of no deception. However, it creates an artificial behavior among respondents because they know that they are under observation by the researcher.

This is suitable for teaching because the nature of teaching requires some observation to see how learning occurs. Secondly, naturalistic observation occurs when the populations of study have no idea the researcher is observing them. The method is spontaneous making its data ecologically valid. However, naturalistic observation must contend with issues of consent and ethics due to infringement of personal freedom and confidentiality.

Lastly, in participant observation, which can be direct or naturalistic observation, the observer becomes a part of the group under observation. This enables the researcher to obtain an insider’s view. Therefore, there are minimal chances of the researcher misinterpreting the behaviors because he or she also engages in the same behavior under observation. However, group activities may engage the researcher and prevent him from making objective recordings.

AR also uses interviews as a research method. Interviews tend to be easy since they rarely involve analysis of any data. Interviews also provide live experience to the researcher (first-hand information). However, interviews consume a lot of time to conduct. Interviews are also cumbersome to record, particular during transcription. The researcher can conduct interviews through focus groups to give him a range of opinions rather than consensus.

However, outspoken respondents normally pose the risks of dominating focus group discussions. The researcher may also use semi-structured interviews with predetermined questions but are flexible to elicit further information when necessary. This enables the researcher to understand the respondent’s point of view. Occasionally, AR uses unstructured interviews to enable the researcher to gain insight about the respondent’s experience and beliefs. Unstructured interview tends to be long, requires the trust of the respondent and expertise of the researcher. Finally, structured interviews have predetermined questions with the flexibility to clarify questions when respondents misinterpret or do not understand them (McNiff, 1993).

Action research distinctive paradigm

The fundamental paradigm of AR is that professionals can learn, gain, and create knowledge and theory on the basis of their concrete experience. This occurs through observation and reflection on experience, forming abstract conceptualizations and generalizations, and by testing the implications of these concepts in new situations. AR shows that the process of learning is not linear, unpredictable, unidirectional, but rather cyclical, recursive, continuing, exploratory, creative, flexible, ongoing and lifelong (Pine, 2009).

Action research consists of four cycles. Planning which includes problem and context analysis and design of a strategic plan to improve the situation. The next cycle involves action or implementation of the strategic plan. Once the researcher has implemented the strategic plan, he can observe i.e. systematic monitoring, obtaining feedback and evaluating the process. Finally, the researcher reflects on the results of evaluation critically for any new developments.

Action researcher may revise the original plan and go through the cycle until he achieves the desired outcome in the given time limit. Therefore, the idea of action research is not linear or theory-oriented like in the traditional research. Traditional research starts with theory or hypothesis, tests the hypothesis by restricting or reducing the social phenomena to confined and defined variables. The researcher confirms the hypothesis as right or wrong. However, AR is cyclical, problem-oriented, action-oriented, non-positivist and dialectical (results can be both right and wrong).

Research paradigm and research methods

Action research assumes several research approaches. A paradigm contains several methodologies. Every methodology in the paradigm uses a number of techniques for data collection and interpretation e.g. survey interviews and data analysis. Paradigm and research methods in action research work to complement each other.

The most common paradigm in action research is positivism, which seeks to find out the truth by use of surveys and experimental methods. Another paradigm is the interpretivism which argues that other methods force views on their subjects instead of gaining, describing and comprehending those world views. On the other hand, critical postmodernism states that these forced views absolutely support varied scientific knowledge that utterly result into capitalists structures responsible for inequality (McNiff, 1993).

Commercial and conventional professional development

Researchers can exploit action research at professional levels to create an education system appropriate to the demands of modernity in order to establish a foundation of knowledge and skill for all learners. This will nurture distinct talents of each child.

Conventionally, in a contemporary society, there are individuals struggling to obtain equality of opportunity and social justice in national education systems. Education systems can perpetuate or curtail education disadvantages for marginalized groups. Therefore, we can use findings of action research to address inequality in education systems. AR also looks at the gains and effects of special education to its pupils.

Action research through a critical reflection can transform individuals and community practices, both on personal and professional level. If we evaluate some implications of education systems, consider a research-based approach to teacher education and acknowledge the fact that we have to support this paradigm, we will be ready to change the educational systems and change the society (Sagor, 1992).

Argument in its defense of action research

Researchers conduct action research in order to improve their own situation. Actions researchers carry out a study to establish whether they can do better than the existing situation. Unlike other scientific researchers such as investigative journalism, which look at what others are doing or should be doing, action research looks at what the researchers themselves are doing or should be doing.

AR consists of elements of creativity and flexibility. Therefore, it is highly suitable in a workplace for dealing with the dynamic social and organizational issues in unprecedented situations. This is the reason why AR has gained intellectual and institutional attention.

The cyclical and collaborative nature of AR enables it to incorporate theory and practice, research and action into a single cyclic process. Action research is systematic, rigorous in its approach, and always presents its results to the public through publications. This enables peers to make use of the findings.

References

McNiff, J. (1993). Teaching as learning: An action research approach. New York: Routledge.

Norton, L. S. (2009). Action Research in Teaching and Learning: A practical guide to conducting pedagogical research in universities. New York: Routledge.

Pine, G. J. (2009). Teacher action research; building knowledge democracies. Boston: Sage Publications.

Sagor, R. (1992). How to Conduct Collaborative Action Research. Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Sleeter, C. E. & Cornbleth, C. (2011). Teaching with vision: Culturally Responsive Teaching in Standards-Based Classrooms. New York: Teachers College Press.

The Case Study

Considerations

Mr. Weston should consider the social interaction ability of Alana because she exhibits aloofness and becomes aggressive easily. Examining the cause of the withdrawnness and aggressiveness that Alana exhibits is critical as it helps Mr. Weston to understand her condition. Social interaction has significant benefits to children because it does not only promote learning, but also encourages development of life social skills.

Humans are social beings and thus they must have effective social skills for effective interaction. Psychologists define socialization as “the process whereby people acquire the rules of behavior and systems of beliefs and attitudes that equip a person to function effectively as a member of a particular society” (Romanowski, 2006, p. 126). Therefore, Mr. Weston should consider the ability of Alana to interact with other children in a bid to help her to interact well.

Mr. Weston should consider the socioeconomic status of Alana’s parents to help her to overcome her condition. Mr. Weston has repeatedly requested her parents to attend the parent-teacher conference, but they have neither attended nor replied to the invitation. In this view, Mr. Weston should find out what makes the parents not to attend the conference.

After probing Alana, Mr. Weston realized that while her father is too busy with work and cannot risk attending the conference without being sacked, the mother is also busy taking care of the other children.

Moreover, the family is contemplating being homeless due an impeding eviction. These socioeconomic factors complicate Alana’s situation, and thus Mr. Weston should consider them in helping Alana overcome the problems. Bradley and Corywyn (2002) assert that socioeconomic factors have multilevel impacts on individuals, families, and neighborhood and in this view, Mr. Weston should consider the level of socioeconomic impacts on Alana.

Impact on Cognitive Development

The social economic status of Alana’s family influences her cognitive development in many ways. Socioeconomic factors such as income, education, and occupation “are associated with better parenting, which in turn affects school achievement via skill-building activities and school behavior” (Bradley & Corywyn, 2002). Given that her mother is unable to read and his father is busy at work, most probably Alana will perform dismally in class.

Additionally, given that Alana’s family belongs to low socioeconomic class, her cognitive development might be poor, as she does not receive the educational support that children from affluent families get. Moreover, the inability of her parents to attend the parent-teacher conference is an indication of the nature of care that Alana receives in the family. As Alana is one of the students who have the poorest family backgrounds, she cannot afford to acquire essential materials for her studies.

Impact on Social Development

Socioeconomic status of Alana’s family also has considerable impact on her social development. Alana cries when Mr. Weston seeks to know more about her home and this implies that Alana is experiencing some problems at home.

After Mr. Weston examines whether the problems she is experiencing originate from home, school, or both, he realizes that the family has contributed significantly to her situation. The abnormal behavior that Alana exhibits originates from the socioeconomic factors that surround her life. Socioeconomic factors have overwhelming influence on socioemotional development of children.

According to Bradley and Corywyn (2002), children who belong to families of low socioeconomic status “more often manifest symptoms of psychiatric disturbance and maladaptive social functioning than children from more affluent circumstances” (p.377). Hence, the withdrawnness, aggressiveness, and emotional breakdown that Alana portrays emanate from underlying socioeconomic issues that she is experiencing at home and school.

Strategies and their Downsides

In a bid to help Alana cope with the conditions that she is experiencing, Mr. Weston and the parents should employ strategies such as cooperation when encouraging her, attending the parent-teacher conference, and providing her with essential academic materials. In the case study, it is evident that Alana is experiencing major problems at home. Her aggressive behavior, withdrawnness, and emotional breakdown indicate that she is not getting enough parental love.

Hence, encouragement from parents and teachers is necessary for her to gain self-esteem and start interacting with other children properly. Even in the face of eviction, the parents and teachers should cushion Alana from its consequences by encouraging her to face it with courage, for such an experience is quite traumatizing.

Her parents should show their educational and moral support by attending the parent-teacher conferences. Alana cries when asked why her parents do not attend the conferences, which implies that she feels abandoned.

Thus, Mr. Weston should plan with parents on the appropriate day to attend the conference. In the last strategy, Mr. Weston and parents should ensure that Alana has essential academic materials so that she can be at par with other children in school. Mr. Weston should advise the parents on how to get assistance whenever they are in dire need.

However, the above strategies have their downsides because their effectiveness depends on the prevailing circumstances. In the first strategy, although Mr. Weston and the parents can encourage Alana, they cannot prevent her from experiencing economic hardships associated with poverty and the impeding eviction.

Expressing moral support by attending the parent-teacher conference is the second strategy but its downside is that, the day of the conference might coincide with a working day when the father is busy. Even though Mr. Weston can arrange with the parents, it is difficult for the school administration to come up with a day that suits the needs of one parent. The downside of the third strategy is that the parents are poor and cannot guarantee providing Alana with the essential reading material at all times.

Ethnic Diversity in the Classroom

Ethnic diversity is important in classrooms because it provides an opportunity for children to gain socialization skills. According to Romanowski (2006), schooling provides children with diverse socialization opportunities because children can interact with their peers, other children of different ages, and adults.

Hence, schooling increases the number of people that children interact with in their classrooms. Victimization usually has detrimental effects on social and academic development of students. A body of the literature indicates, “Victims tend to have low self-esteem and feel more lonely, anxious, and depressed than their non-victimized peers do” (Graham, 2006, p. 317). These effects degrade academic performance in schools because they are distractive and demeaning.

Two strategies that a teacher should use in school to limit bullying and victimization include the use of punishment and education. The use of punishment is essential in punishing bullies to deter others from perpetuating the behavior. Additionally, the use of education is effective in transforming the general behavior of students. If students could understand the impact of bullying and victimization on other students and themselves, they would stop practicing it and thus transform the school culture.

Miscommunication

Differences in cultural backgrounds of communicators can result into miscommunication. For example, smile has different meanings in the United States and Japan. When Japanese are expressing an apology on serious issues such as the occurrence of death in a family, they use smile. In contrast, Americans use smile when expressing their happiness and friendliness (LeBaron, 2003).

Differences in smiling behavior due to cultural difference can cause miscommunication and give way to serious conflicts between the communicating parties. Additionally, nonverbal gestures such as nodding have different meanings depending on cultures. For instance, in the United States, nodding means ‘yes’ but it means ‘no’ in other cultures (Schwartz, & Conley, 2000). Nonverbal cues have a different meaning and are responsible for miscommunication amongst communicators from different cultures.

In an attempt to prevent miscommunication from occurring, communicators should understand other people’s cultures. Since the ability to express ideas contribute to miscommunication, adoption of standard language is necessary (National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, 2011).

Development of standard language would enhance intercultural communication. The use of nonverbal communication confuses communicators from different cultural backgrounds because they attach different meanings to same nonverbal cues. Hence, nonverbal communication should be minimal in instances of intercultural communication.

Communication Disorder

Communication disorders that affect hearing, speech, and expression abilities of children influence learning. Miscommunication usually occurs due to communication disorders that affect children and inhibit their learning (LeBaron, 2003). A child who has lost his or her hearing ability cannot understand anything in class.

This means that a teacher cannot give information via verbal means. Additionally, a dumb child is unable to ask for clarification in class and thus s/he will not learn like other normal students who have the ability to talk. According to Schwartz and Conley (2000), vocal and neural problems affect expression abilities and understanding of students during learning. Therefore, as learning involves the use of communication, communication disorders impair the transfer of information and cognitive assessment of the same.

There are different ways to promote positive communication among students with communication disorders such as speech, language, and hearing disorders. Students with speech and language problems require support services such as diagnosis of their problem, counseling, and rehabilitation programs to improve their conditions (National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, 2011).

Children with hearing impairments require assistive devices that amplify sound and enhance hearing. Hence, assistive devices are important in promoting communication among deaf students in the classroom.

Literacy Development

Literacy development among children begins from home literacy environments. Steensel (2006) argues that literacy development in children does not commence with writing and reading, but children acquaint themselves with literacy “through observing and participating in literacy activities in their homes” (p. 367). Hence, selecting a topic that revolves around home literacy environment would enable children create non-personal narrative.

Since elementary children understand football, I would instruct children to identify great footballers and explore their abilities. In the assignment, children would choose one footballer of their choice and provide a biographical narrative of the player. This move would offer an opportunity for children to create non-personal narrative. I would direct students to search from the Internet about famous footballers to gather sufficient information.

In an attempt to improve literacy development among children, I would apply the principle of externalization to expand their perception on issues. Formation of discussion groups in a classroom encourages collaborative thinking because children debate on various topics and share insightful ideas.

Korat (2001) concurs that meaningful learning among kindergarten children occurs during the process of externalization. Through externalization, children can exchange ideas and gain knowledge from their peers. Therefore, teachers should form discussion groups and encourage children to discuss issues because groups provide them with an opportunity to expand their learning skills.

Diversity Programs

Faculty diversity is an available program on the website of American Federation of Teachers. The program operates on the premise that ethnic and racial diversity has positive impacts on educational performance of students. Thus, the program focuses on enhancing faculty diversity to reflect racial and ethnic diversity of students.

Cultural differences do not only hinder communication among children, but also impair the learning process (LeBaron, 2003). In this view, faculty diversity plays a central role in promoting learning as children can interact with diverse personalities. As a program, the faculty diversity aims at enhancing diversity among faculty members so that they can keep abreast with the increasing diversity of students in learning institutions.

Faculty diversity program is important because it ensures that faculty members have ethnic and racial diversity that reflects the diversity of students, thus promoting learning. Diversity of faculty members is also important for it caters for the unique needs of families for effective interaction between parents and teachers.

Schwartz and Conley (2000) argue that a diverse society provides opportunities for all people, thus encouraging social development. Hence, I would recommend my classmates to examine the importance of faculty diversity program in the website of American Federation of Teachers because it provides invaluable means of enhancing diversity in learning institutions.

References

Bradley, R., & Corywyn, R. (2002). Socioeconomic status and child development. Annual Reviews Psychology, 53, 371-399.

Graham, S. (2006). Peer victimization in school: Exploring the ethnic context. Association for Psychological Science, 15(6), 317-321.

Korat, O. (2001). Cultural pedagogy and bridges to literacy: Home and kindergarten. Early Childhood Education Journal, 28(4), 225-230.

LeBaron, M. (2003). Cross-cultural communication. Web.

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. (2011). Speech & Language Impairments. NICHCY Disability Fact Sheet, 2, 1-7.

Romanowski, M. (2006). Revisiting the common myths about homeschooling. The Clearing House, 79(3), 125-129.

Schwartz, E., & Conley, C. (2000). Human Diversity: A Guide for Understanding (4th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw.

Steensel, R. (2006). Relations between socio-cultural factors, the home literacy environment and children’s literacy development in the first years of primary education. Journal of Research in Reading, 29(4), 367-382.

Self-Assessment

Exploring one’s personal development is critical to determining issues that could hamper the progress and ensuring continuous psychological and emotional growth. Thus, it is necessary to assess one’s learning abilities and determine possible areas of concern, outlining the further course of personal improvements. The proposed self-assessment tool is a perfect means of locating the direction in which one can develop professionally and personally (Skela-Savič & Kiger, 2015).

Due to the multilateral nature of the assessment and its ability to define one’s strengths and weaknesses in several domains of learning, the test should be seen as a valid instrument for determining the directions for one’s personal growth. Based on the outcomes of the analysis, it will be important for me to participate in cross-disciplinary teams and understand how theory is translated into practice, thus analyzing the available evidence to ensure high-quality clinical practice.

According to the test results, there is a lack of ability to link theory to practical experiences, which is why the specified area should be the focus of my efforts this semester. An NP student must be able to translate theoretical information into practice to address patients’ needs (Saifan, AbuRuz, & Masa’deh, 2015). For this purpose, I will have to learn how to integrate the available evidence into clinical practice and connect it to the acquired theoretical knowledge. The specified objective should also be connected to the promotion of continuous improvement of my professional skills so that I could broaden the area of my expertise.

The issue described above should be correlated with the problem of maintaining the continuum of care, which I may have according to the test results. Moreover, the significance of culturally diverse care that implies recognizing patients’ culture-specific needs should also be mentioned as the scope of my further studying. Indeed, in the ever-changing setting of the global community, a nurse needs to learn how to target different types of patients and provide culture-specific care.

Thus, improving my cultural competency is the key issue that I should explore during this semester. For example, sociological aspects of health should make an important aspect of my learning (Ebrahimi, Eklund, Dahlin-Ivanoff, Jakobsson, & Wilhelmson, 2017). Learning how to change patients’ behaviors and habits by appealing to their cultural background will allow me to practice culturally competent care.

The importance of offering the full spectrum of care and giving a full range of services, including health promotion, disease prevention, and management of health issues, should also be on the list of my priorities in learning. As an NP, one should maintain competency in a range of domains from medicine prescription to counseling to anticipatory guidance (Ebrahimi et al., 2017). Therefore, I will need to coordinate the process of learning by building a knowledge system in which every element of nursing practice is linked to the rest of the components, and where collaboration and knowledge sharing are crucial for maintaining the quality of care high.

Professional Development Plan

To start my learning, I will need to prioritize my needs as a learner. For instance, at present, I need to develop the skills of cross-disciplinary cooperation and a culturally sensitive approach toward meeting the needs of diverse patients. Therefore, the study of interdisciplinary collaboration and culturally sensitive nursing care currently the core phenomena that I will need to attain.

Determining the essential learning objectives is another important stage of the professional development plan. To improve my current skills, I will need to split the task of building cultural competence and interdisciplinary collaboration skills into several objectives. First and foremost, I will need to explore strategies for information sharing and negotiation in the nursing setting. Thus, the levels of stress during interdisciplinary cooperation will be reduced (Islam, Hutchinson, & Bucknall, 2018).

The next step will involve expanding my cultural competence and related skills. As a student, I will need to seek all available community resources that shed light on nursing in a multicultural community (Ebrahimi et al., 2017). Specifically, the latest studies on nursing strategies for advancing cross-cultural care, articles that detail the needs of vulnerable groups, and similar resources will be consulted to improve my current level of cultural competence and recognize the need to address the needs of diverse populations. In this regard, the means of building a reciprocal connection with a multicultural community will be explored, including the latest innovations in ICT as the pathway to establishing a nurse-patient dialogue. Thus, I will be ready to address the requirements of a particular cultural group appropriately.

Concerning the connection between theory and practice, as a nurse, I will have to participate in simulations that will guide me through the process of adjusting theoretical principles to nursing practice. Thus, I will learn how to translate the existing theoretical knowledge to practical issues that I will have to face in a nursing setting. Furthermore, the collaborative effort mentioned above will also help me to advance in applying theory to practice since sharing knowledge will enrich my set of skills and inform my choices in future practice.

Simultaneously, analyzing carefully current clinical cases and studying recent research concerning nursing practice will allow me to develop a profound understanding of the essence of nursing practice (Hussein & Osuji, 2016). As a result, I will become prepared for the challenges that await me after I finish my studies and enter the realm of evidence-based nursing.

One should also expect several obstacles that may hinder the process of personal and professional growth. For instance, the lack of peer support should be seen as a potential barrier that may hamper the acquisition of the required skills and information. The specified problem is quite common in the modern nursing environment due to the strenuous setting in which nursing experts are often forced to work (McKenna, Halcomb, Lane, Zwar, & Russell, 2015).

Apart from a reluctance among the rest of the participants to engage in meaningful collaboration, arguments, and conflicts in the workplace can be expected as a result of the described issue. Therefore, one will need to promote the principles of shared knowledge and cooperation to a team, thus encouraging other students to grow professionally and personally.

Practicing nursing implies dealing with an ample number of challenges, yet, with the focus on interdisciplinary collaboration, the needs of culturally diverse patients, and the connection between theory and practice, I will be able to succeed. I expect that, during this course, I will build the platform for becoming a successful nurse. The personal development plan outlined above will help me to become a better expert and meet the needs of my patients. While requiring much effort and numerous resources, the plan provided above will serve as the starting point for my professional improvement.

References

Ebrahimi, Z., Eklund, K., Dahlin-Ivanoff, S., Jakobsson, A., & Wilhelmson, K. (2017). Effects of a continuum of care intervention on frail elders’ self-rated health, experiences of security/safety, and symptoms: A randomised controlled trial. Nordic Journal of Nursing Research, 37(1), 33-43. Web.

Hussein, M. T. E., & Osuji, J. (2016). Bridging the theory-practice dichotomy in nursing: The role of nurse educators. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 7(3), 20-25. Web.

Islam, T., Hutchinson, A. M., & Bucknall, T. K. (2018). Nurse manager risk information management for decision-making: A qualitative analysis. Collegian, 25(4), 401-407. Web.

McKenna, L., Halcomb, E., Lane, R., Zwar, N., & Russell, G. (2015). An investigation of barriers and enablers to advanced nursing roles in Australian general practice. Collegian, 22(2), 183-189. Web.

Saifan, A., AbuRuz, M. E., & Masa’deh, R. (2015). Theory practice gaps in nursing education: A qualitative perspective. Journal of Social Sciences/Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 11(1), 20-29. Web.

Skela-Savič, B., & Kiger, A. (2015). Self-assessment of clinical nurse mentors as dimensions of professional development and the capability of developing ethical values at nursing students: A correlational research study. Nurse Education Today, 35(10), 1044-1051. Web.

Assessment

As a nurse, I have such strengths associated with psychotherapy course student learning objectives as the implementation of evidence-based practice and guidelines as well as experience in planning educational interventions to increase patients’ awareness of their health problems. The first strength relates to the consideration of evidence-based research and its application in the context of a patient’s cultural background, family history, along with specific needs and expectations. Consistent with Corey and Corey (2013), I consider that relationship creation between a psychotherapist and a patient is a paramount goal in receiving positive clinical outcomes. Since the identified course also implies the construction of evidence-based care plans, I believe that my experience will be helpful. The second strong point of providing educational interventions was mastered by me while working with patients and explaining to them the essence of diseases. In psychotherapy, patients expect understanding of their mental conditions and the subsequent aid in addressing challenges. Accordingly, educational sessions are of great importance to meet patients’ needs in diagnosis and treatment comprehension.

Along with my strengths, it is critical to outline some knowledge deficits. I have insufficient knowledge in risk assessment for homicide, suicide, and other similar mental states. Suicide ideation prediction and early identification of perceived burdensomeness are likely to prevent adverse consequences as noted by Ma, Batterham, Calear, and Han (2016). In this regard, I need to improve my awareness of the above issues. My second knowledge deficit refers to complete mental status examination that should integrate cognitive functioning, stress and anxiety levels, concentration, perceptual processes, and plenty of other significant aspects pertinent to a particular patient. In my opinion, I need more relevant information and guidance on how to collect and interpret the mentioned data, thus creating a comprehensive patient evaluation and promoting the subsequent treatment planning. Proper patient assessment skills are likely to help me in providing individual and group therapy to assist patients in addressing one or another mental difficulty (Wheeler, 2013). The development of therapeutic relationships also seems to be dependent on adequate and comprehensive patient evaluation.

Plan

My first learning goal in terms of the given psychotherapy course is receiving new knowledge and skills along with their further application in practice. I would like to learn about theories, strategies, and instruments in the field of psychotherapy, focusing on assessment, planning, and implementing processes. The above goal also implies the consideration of various mental disorders in adults and children, both in individual and group therapeutic sessions (Prochaska & Norcross, 2018). It is of paramount importance to master the application of relevant theories and interventions in order to utilize them effectively and achieve best patient health outcomes possible. By understanding the foundations of psychotherapy, I would be able to assess patients and provide appropriate treatment.

The second goal I would like to note is to learn about the influence of chronic and acute medical conditions on psychiatric treatment. In particular, I will strive to understand how to approach different mental disorders and consider them specifically in terms of psychotherapy. The accomplishment of the above goal may be measured by the level of mastering my knowledge and skills in diagnosing patients. The successful alignment of the theory and practice will illustrate that I have achieved this goal. In addition, my ability to formulate detailed and comprehensive care plans for different patients will also reflect my progress in professional development.

Action and Evaluation Sections

Actions Section

I had set two goals for this program at the start of the semester. I planned to increase my skill level in psychotherapy from 2/10 to 7/10 by the end of the course. I used multiple interventions to attain this goal. The first one was reading core texts and other materials to learn about counseling theories, interventions, and tools as well as methods in patient assessment and treatment. I acquired skills of how to create an atmosphere of openness, respect, and empathy in a group set up to promote member interaction and client change (Corey & Corey, 2013). From Wheeler’s (2013) text, I learned evidence-based approaches to interpersonal therapy and CBT, helping traumatized patients, and different diagnostic tools, among others. Another intervention I used to achieve this goal was observing my preceptors and practicing with them during therapy sessions. Through my clinical internship, I gained practical skills in planning and implementing appropriate treatments, handling diverse clients, and self-monitoring.

To meet my second goal, I engaged in multiple direct service activities. The first one was skills training to teach clients coping tactics and help them perform daily self-care activities. I collaborated with my preceptor in developing and reviewing at least two comprehensive care plans per week. I was exposed to case management and referral of patients with chronic and acute medical conditions that impact their psychiatric treatments. Additionally, I used formal intake assessment for clients presenting with diverse problems. The screening was followed by case formulation and development of therapy goals and interventions (Easterbrook & Meehan, 2017). I was able to carry each client through an average of 4-5 sessions.

Evaluation Section

Meeting Each Goal and Why

In light of the above actions, I can state that I have met the first learning goal that I set out at the start of the semester. The reason for making this claim is that I have gained general skills in individual and group psychotherapy and empirical knowledge in intake assessment and treatment planning. I have also acquired experience in utilizing different theoretical models and interventions to help with client growth. I can now rate my competency in psychotherapy at 7/10, which is a significant improvement from a rating of 2/10 when I began my clinical internship.

I have also met my second goal of learning about chronic and acute medical conditions and their impact on treatment outcomes. Through exposure to direct service activities, such as skills training, preceptor-guided development of care plans, case management and referral, and formal intake assessment, I can now handle clients with diverse needs and concerns. I have acquired competencies in providing individual and group psychotherapy.

Changes to the Plan

My proposed change to my professional development plan (PDP) entails including self-improvement goals. I should focus on improving my emotional and cultural intelligence as a part of my PDP. According to Cartwright, Rhodes, King, and Shires (2014), an increased awareness of the self can help reduce the effects of counter-transference, resulting in effective therapeutic relationships. I feel that personal beliefs impact my effectiveness in offering emotional and culture-sensitive support to clients. I believe that it is my professional obligation to acquire skills on how to treat patients from different cultures. Therefore, I should include cultural and emotional competence goals in my PDP. Another change I should consider is working with children to gain experience in this area. I would like to set goals in pediatric psychotherapy in my PDP and strive to achieve them.

References

Cartwright, C., Rhodes, P., King, R., & Shires, A. (2014) Experiences of countertransference: Reports of clinical psychology students: Countertransference and psychology training. Australian Psychologist, 49(4), 232-240. Web.

Corey, M. S., & Corey, G. (2013). Groups: Process and practice (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks Cole.

Easterbrook, C. J., & Meehan, T. (2017). The therapeutic relationship and cognitive behavioural therapy: A case study of an adolescent girl with depression. The European Journal of Counselling Psychology, 6(1), 1-24. Web.

Ma, J., Batterham, P. J., Calear, A. L., & Han, J. (2016). A systematic review of the predictions of the Interpersonal–Psychological theory of suicidal behavior. Clinical Psychology Review, 46, 34-45. Web.

Prochaska, J. O., & Norcross, J. C. (2018). Systems of psychotherapy: A transtheoretical analysis (9th ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Wheeler, K. (2013). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

Introduction

Psychology is a profession which can be fulfilled if the psychologist plans to have a progressive career development. McMurran (2006, p. 1) believes that psychology is a field that is built on cumulative knowledge. This can be achieved by identifying areas of interest, meeting the requirements and planning to develop.

This research paper will identify an area of emphasis in psychology and give a brief description of the field. It will also evaluate and discuss the state of Maryland’s licensure in relation to professional plans. It will also include a reflection of professional plans, changes and reasons for change and assess the role of the class.

This research paper will discuss professional development plan membership and benefits of membership and networking. It will specify the area if interest and the plans for its development. In addition, this research paper will recap positive psychology and evolutionary psychology models and discuss their applicability in addictive psychology as well as give ways that the models contribute to the understanding of human beings.

The emphasis area and a brief discussion

There are various areas of emphasis in psychology. Addiction psychology is one of them and it gives assistance to patients with addiction disorders. Addiction psychologist provides an addiction therapy and treatment. Addictions may be in different forms in different individuals.

Some may have drug addiction, alcohol addictions, food addictions, internet addictions, sex addictions and other behaviors that are addictive like gambling. In the treatment programs they use, imminent features include: support, counseling, interventions, and recommendation to support groups as well as rehabilitation centers.

Addiction psychologists give support to patients with behavioral disorders such as drug addiction, alcoholism, gambling, eating problems like anorexia and bulimia as mentioned in the Association for Natural Psychology (2008, p. 1). The psychologist provides the individual with help that make them realize their addiction as a disorder.

They can achieve this by engaging the client into a group and conduct sessions with an aim of assisting them overcome addiction. The psychologists often involve the client’s immediate family members. Addiction psychologists are also responsible for establishing curriculums that discourage behaviors that lead to addiction.

An evaluation and discussion of the Maryland licensure requirements and its relation with professional goals

The state of Maryland has a Psychology Board that offers licenses to professional psychologist. Maryland Psychology Board is a body whose main function is to offer certificates to psychologist to practice lawfully. Among other procedures they engage the psychologist into two professional examinations prior to licensing.

The applicants pay a fee for registration to the Board. The board also performs other tasks such as authorizing psychology associates, replace licenses for the already licensed psychologist, evaluate the education system, establish and enact control mechanism in the profession, establish the range of practice, disseminating information to those already licensed and receive feedback concerning all aspects of the board (Maryland Psychology Board, 2011).

For a psychologist to be licensed as counseling psychologist, they must be graduates from a certified university that teaches psychology. Importantly, they must demonstrate that they have undergone supervised internship. The license is obtained from the board after the applicant meets all the requirements of the board.

Those who graduate with masters and doctorate qualify to become counselors while doctorate degree holders qualify to be supervisors. The application process is intensive and the applicant is required to be honest and provide extensive information. They are supposed to give details of their training and experiences in different facilities.

Moreover, they are supposed to give information on internship at different levels of training such as undergraduate and post graduate internship. What is more, they should disclose the names of their supervisors and the nature of supervised activities. The requirements are strict and in most cases, where supervision was distant a letter is required.

The number of hours spend on supervision is also given by the applicant. The supervisors also play a part by responding to questions that are in the application form concerning the type of activities among other questions. Moreover the applicant must provide names of three referees.

Maryland Psychology Board (2011) indicates that a two year experience for applicants who have completed their master’s degree and doctorate is compulsory. This two year experience must be acquired under close supervision of a registered professional psychologist. The experience is considered from the date the applicant completed the degree program.

The Licensing Board licenses, bio- psychologists, clinical psychologist, child clinical psychologist, school psychologist, counseling psychologist, social psychologist, family psychologist and substance abuse/ addiction psychologist among others. Bio- psychologists give attention to the psychological development of animal in relation to continued existence, progress in reproduction and adaptation to their environment (Maryland Psychology Board 2011).

In accordance with the Association for Natural psychology (2008, p. 1) clinical psychologist treats psychological disorders. Patients with emotional as well as mental illness due to life challenges can get assistance from a clinical psychologist. The child clinical psychologist helps children and the adolescent in a similar way as the clinical psychologist.

School psychologist assists students with psychological problems while incorporating the school teachers and the parents in their approach. Counseling psychologist give advice to people so that they can make informed decisions. Social psychologists approach human problem by examining the individual’s environment.

Family psychologist deal with psychological issues related to the emotional and mental problems within the family. Addiction (or Substance abuse) psychologist aids patients with addiction problems such as alcohol and drugs among others.

A reflection of the professional plan, changes in plan, reasons for change and the role of the class

In line with Ryan 2002, developing a professional plan is an important task in the career development to ensure that time and efforts at work are well utilized for a successful career (p.1). Time management is a key element in professional plan.

It involves ensuring that one maximizes on the time given to attain set goals. In order to achieve the best out of the time given in the career, change is important in order to conduct a regular assessment of self. While doing the self assessment it will be possible to depict changes in the professions that a psychologist must adjust to. Moreover, it will be possible to reinforce strengths and note areas of weakness so as to be able to make efforts to improve in the areas of weaknesses (Ryan 2002, p. 6).

Improving research skills besides paying attention to existing rules to research will be a step to developing an action plan. This action plan will encourage a psychologist to conduct research regularly and becoming competent. The most notable change in this plan is that a psychologist will participate actively in the professional seminars and symposiums within and outside the organization.

These meetings may have insights on the relevant areas of research. Consequently, they provide an opportunity for other avenues that may aid in the research process as pointed out by Ryan (2002, p. 6). The plan to engage in critical thinking is also significant and can be incorporated together with improving research skills so as to be more accurate and creative.

The approach can be changed so that more modernized ways of conducting research are embraced. This is because technology is becoming more popular and people are using it more often. The psychologist can use the website, blogs and social sites. Other changes in the professional plan include setting time aside to reflect on the progress of career.

Ryan (2002, p. 2) indicates that reflecting is a powerful tool that can enable a professionals to become self- aware. This is accomplished by reviewing journals and other publications. The psychologist can also keep a record of the working opportunities that they have accomplished in their profession.

Another change is to consider information from other professionals. They could be supervisors, fellow professional staff and mentors who are knowledgeable. The main goal is to maximize learning skills that are helpful. Furthermore, continue attending professional courses and pursue certification programs.

Considering information from other professionals will lead to competence in knowledge (Ryan 2002, p. 2). This class has a significance of enabling the learner to acquire knowledge not only in planning but also in development. Development leads to competency which is much needed in the psychology.

Ryan (2002, p. 1) emphasizes that experience is highly valued. Consequently, the skills learnt in critical thinking are vital. Moreover, the class increases understanding of psychology and remains increasingly informative.

Continued professional development

Discussion of two professional membership and the benefits of the membership

According to Lewis (2010, p. 1) there are a number of professional organizations that a professional psychologist can become a member. The American Psychological Association (APA) is one of the organizations with the largest membership. APA main objective is to progress in the practice of psychology based on scientific research.

The member form a meaningful network of professional who discuss relevant research topics that are up to date. APA is also an accrediting body to the doctorate level of study. They establish, enact and maintain certain standards of the profession.

Moreover, they review the curriculum to ensure that there is uniformity in the standards across the subfields of psychology. The benefit obtained from membership is that the network of professionals makes it possible for psychologists to share ideas and to insight each other on relevant areas of research.

Furthermore, being a member makes a practicing psychologist to have access to the requirements and be involved in career building opportunities like conferences and workshops. Whenever there are changes in the standards, members get first hand information.

Another professional organization a professional psychologist can consider acquiring membership is the Association for Psychological Sciences (APS). APS is an organization whose main task is to promote research based on scientific method and encourage partnership in psychology.

Being a member of this association enables psychologists interested in research to network. Psychologist with similar interest in research can exchange ideas and make collaborations that lead to great success than in a situation where researchers conduct research as individuals. Members also benefit from regular conferences, research findings conducted by the association and publications.

Moreover, APS advocates for social activities that benefit the society and give experience to its members. Membership is flexible and one can choose to renew their membership annually or become a member for a lifetime. Additionally, students of psychology can become members regardless of their level of study. The faculty as well as professionals can mentor young professionals.

Discussion on a networking filed and the steps to be taken

As a professional addiction psychologist, networking in a local clinic could be of benefit to psychological career development. The local clinic will offer an opportunity to interact with experienced psychologist. It will also be an opportunity to serve the community by offering assistance to patients in need of help.

The benefits of networking and how it can help in career development

American Psychological Association (2006, p. 5) mentions that networking brings benefits to the psychologist. Networking enables one to have mentors. Mentors are significant as they offer advice in career in the coveted profession. One can get hints on the research topics, and give information on first salary and task.

When an individual is ready to set up own firm, mentors come in handy by giving relevant information on the requirements. Mentors of same identity could share experiences on matters concerning gender, race and age among others. Corresponding to American Psychological Association (2006, p. 6) psychologist who network have a greater chance of getting information pertaining to employment.

In addition, networking is effective in experiences and giving opportunities that lead to partnership in research. Inevitably, networking is the most important channel for new graduates to be able to learn fast and develop in career. This is because networking offers some form of support to the young professionals.

Networking exposes a professional psychologist to diversity. One gets to interact with different psychologists who may have similar or different background. Sharing experiences with other psychologists may prove to be of great benefit in exposing one to different diverse views.

The area of interest in addiction psychology and the plans for development

Addiction psychology is an area that mainly deals with behavioral disorder. It also requires the incorporation of the patients close family and implementation of a program to help the patient recover from addiction as argued by the Association for Natural Psychology (2008, p. 1).

Since human beings behavior keeps changing due to technology it is necessary to engage in research so as to learn more about internet addiction. Duran (2003, p. 1) discusses the internet disorder which has come about from the use of internet. Duran (2003) also notes that concerns arise from the fact that internet can be accessed from anywhere and the use is less confined may have consequences.

Information on the internet disorder can be obtained by engaging in scientific research. Through networking one can get more information and insights that may lead to developments. Moreover, reviewing existing information and innovating ways of obtaining accurate information will be a development plan. Partnering with researchers with similar interest will be of great value. Partnership can be achieved through networking.

Psychological perspectives

Positive psychology

Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi (2000, p. 4) note that positive psychology is a model that has adopted a positive approach in dealing with human functions to be able to treat psychological problems in individuals, families and society. Positive psychology complements the traditional psychology in treatment.

It achieves this by giving a hand to individuals so that they can have productive lives. Likewise, they pay attention to the right actions rather than the wrong actions. They emphasize happiness in their model and use it as the method study.

Evolutionary psychology

Evolutionary psychology studies the evolution of adaptive characteristics of human being from psychological adjustments as revealed by Haselto and Ketelaar (2005, p. 6). Evolutionary psychologist investigates human beings languages, understanding of the world and the memory.

They believe that human beings behavior is as a result adaptation to challenges that have happened in the evolution. Haselto and Ketelaar (2005, p. 4) further argue that human beings have the potential of making friendships and associations based on the perceptions.

Discussing how positive psychology and evolutionary psychology apply in addiction psychology effectively

Positive psychology can be applied in addiction psychology by offering counseling services that will assist patients with all forms of addiction to overcome addiction disorder. Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi (2000, p. 7) believes that putting emphasize on the positive actions and the right activities will lead to healthy living and reduce psychological problems.

Duran (2003, p. 1) in his article believes that internet addiction can be overcome if the patient can be made to understand that it is a disorder and be advised on the right activities that would lead to a productive life with happiness. Addiction psychology could incorporate evolutionary psychology in the treatment of psychological disorders.

The patients environment makes them develop perceptions based on the events that happen which lead to adaptive behaviors of the patient as Haselto and Ketelaar (2005, p. 10) argues. This is the case in the patients with addiction, for instance internet addiction; patients change their behavior to suit their need to use the internet.

Moreover, they choose to have relationships with those with similar interest (Duran 2003, p. 1). Addiction psychology enables the patient to realize the addictive behavior and to be able to overcome the disorder. The psychologist can make use of the peers, family members and the community to help the patient recover.

Ways positive psychology and evolutionary psychology contribute to the understanding of human behavior

Positive psychology is a model that portrays individuals as beings who are interested in pursuing happiness. Furthermore, human beings can choose to engage in positive actions that will enable them be happy and also uphold such virtues as kindness, love and gratitude among others Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi (2000, p. 4).

In reference to Haselto and Ketelaar (2005, p. 10) evolutionary psychology is a model that reveals the behavior of human beings as adaptive in nature. Woodman (1982, p. 3) mentions that human beings change their character over time and are also greatly influenced by other human beings in their environment.

Conclusion

Addiction psychology is a profession that will involve planning for development and making necessary changes to progress in the career. Besides planning, it is important to observe requirements for licensure so as to be able to practice within Maryland State. Becoming a member of the APA and APS will be strategy to benefit from the membership and the networking in order to be able to establish a career development.

Psychological models such as positive psychology and evolutionary psychology can be incorporated into addictive psychology to assist patients with addiction disorders. Additionally, the models contribute to the understanding of the human nature.

Reference List

American Psychological Association. (2006). Committee on Early Career Psychologist. Web.

Association for Natural psychology. (2008). Understanding Psychologist. Web.

Duran, M. G. (2003). Internet Addiction Disorder. AllPsych Journal. Web.

Haselto, M. G. and Ketelaar, T., (2005). The Evolutionary Psychology of Emotions and Behavior. Web.

Lewis, J. (2010). Professional Psychology Association. Web.

Maryland Psychology Board. (2011). Psychology License. Web.

McMurran, M. (2006). The Psychology of Addiction: Contemporary Psychology Series. New York USA: Psychology Press ltd.

Ryan, R., (2002). Creating a Professional Development Plan. Web.

Seligman, M. E. P., and Csikszentmihalyi, M., (2000). Positive psychology American psychologist 1-14. Web.

Woodman, M. (1982). Addiction to perfection The Still Unravished Bride: A psychological Study. Canada USA: University of Toronto Press.

The core element of professional development is a balanced combination of the worker’s ability to improvise, innovate and solve problems by analyzing. Thus, both critical and creative thinking is necessary.

With the development of technologies, the work structure of many professions vastly changed. The majority of them involve working with computers and different software, and to operate those, an employee has to be able to think critically. Most of the employers agree that basic skills such as writing, reading, and arithmetic are already insufficient. According to research conducted by American Management Association, more than 70% of 2115 interviewed managers and administrators believe that the employees should be measured in critical thinking, and approximately 57% of them admit the importance of creativity (Executives Say the 21st Century Requires More Skilled Workers, 2010, para. 8).

An ability of an individual to think rationally let them better control their work, faster cope with various assignments, etc. (Professional and Personal Development, n.d.). That is because the primary standards for such kinds of employees are clarity, precision, accuracy, depth, breadth, logic, relevance, and fairness (Elder & Paul, 2010). Therefore, they always ask for additional details, consider different points of view, investigate relevant questions and use logical operations. Besides, critical thinking is closely connected with evidence-based practice, so, employees can better deal with real-life problems, analyzing their mistakes.

Creative thinkers, on the other hand, besides using all of the skills mentioned above also apply different approaches, finding several possible solutions instead of only one. Creativity implies improvisation, “spontaneous free-flowing manner”, even risk-taking and making mistakes (Weisser, 2012, p. 23). Due to this, employees become open to failures. As Moore (2010) says, “critical thinking is not a panacea, intelligent failures still can be expected” (p. 77). It is not a disaster or a catastrophe – it is just another reason to overdo yourself. Einstein made 23 crucial mistakes, and in spite of them (or because of them) he still succeeded (Schoemaker, 2011, p. 147).

To conclude, both critical and creative thinking are valuable. However, only their combination can make a difference in professional development.

References

Elder, L., & Paul, R. (2010). Universal Intellectual Standards. Web.

Executives Say the 21st Century Requires More Skilled Workers. (2010). Web.

Moore, D. T. (2010). Critical Thinking and Intelligence Analysis. Washington, DC: DIANE Publishing.

Professional and Personal Development. (n.d.). Web.

Schoemaker, P. J. H. (2011). Brilliant Mistakes: Finding Success on the Far Side of Failure. Philadelphia, PA: Wharton Digital Press.

Weisser, L. (2012). Facing the Future: What skills will your employees need? The Canadian Learning Journal, 16(1), 23-25.

Introduction to the APN Professional Development Plan

Advanced practice nurse (APN) is a position characterized by one’s independence, leadership skills, and professionalism. Nurse practitioners in Florida are certified to perform a variety of activities, including patients’ assessment, treatment, and drug prescription. To apply for a job in the field of AP nursing, one has to evaluate the regulations and guidelines of the state, in which the APN is planning to work. Furthermore, one should assess his or her qualities and skills to establish the level of experience and readiness for the job.

Finally, it is vital for students and recently graduated nurses to learn various networking strategies and marketing techniques which can help find a suitable job and impress the employer before, during, and after the interview. This paper analyzes the scope of practice for the APN in the state of Florida, provides a personal assessment of the author based on the Benner’s Self-Assessment Tool, includes an example of a possible Curriculum Vitae (CV), and discusses some networking and marketing techniques for successful employment.

APN Scope of Practice

Florida’s regulations allow APNs to perform a broad range of activities. Sastre‐Fullana, Pedro‐Gómez, Bennasar‐Veny, Serrano‐Gallardo, and Morales‐Asencio (2014) note that the level of autonomy of APNs has greatly increased over the years. However, some practices remain unavailable or limited for nurses in Florida. According to the Florida Board of Nursing (2018), nurses can receive an APN certificate if they already have a registered nurse (RN) license recognized in the state of Florida. Moreover, all persons must have a master’s degree in a specialty area relevant to their practice. If a nurse is adequately qualified and fulfills all requirements, he or she can become an APN.

The scope of practice for APNs is outlined in the Nurse Practice Act of the state. According to it, APN’s main activities may include drug prescription of any kind (Florida Board of Nursing, 2018). Moreover, APNs can administer and dispense drugs and controlled substances, if they possess necessary training related to the area of expertise. APNs can also choose and start specific therapies for patients and order medication.

Medical diagnosis with further treatment is also an activity that is available to an APN. However, it is vital to remember that all procedures of an APN should be recorded in a special supervisory protocol, which should be available to the department upon request.

APNs also have different specialties which further expand their scope of practice. For example, certified registered nurse anesthetists may perform anesthetic services and order various diagnostic procedures and preanesthetic medication, participate in preanesthesia care, and treat them during postanesthesia recovery (Florida Board of Nursing, 2018). Certified nurse midwives also fall into the category of APNs.

They have a different set of available activities, which are also covered by the Nurse Practice Act. The healthcare facility at which these specialists work should have an established protocol for procedures that midwives can perform. For instance, some minor surgical procedures and management of obstetrical patients are possible for these nurses. Furthermore, a psychiatric nurse can prescribe psychotropic substances for treating patients with mental disorders. All in all, the actions of an APN should all be outlined in a protocol with a managing physician, who supervises the practice of nurses.

Personal Assessment

The significance of personal evaluation in the process of entering the job market cannot be overstated. It is clear that nursing students need to have a set of professional skills to succeed in their search for a suitable position. However, one’s training is not the only part that should be accounted for before applying for opened positions. Nurses should understand their level of preparedness and expertise in various areas of this profession. For example, the Benner’s Model views self-assessment as a range of experiences in different situations that can happen in the workplace (Lima, Newall, Kinney, Jordan, & Hamilton, 2014). One’s competence is also related to confidence, preparedness, and understating of self.

Self-assessment can include different categories of preparedness and one’s thoughts about the future. According to Lima et al. (2014), the competence of graduate nurses is hard to measure due to the lack of work experience. While most students usually work while receiving their education, their current experiences differ from their future occupation. Barnes (2015) points out that such a transition between roles complicates the process of self-assessment and often yields misleading results.

First of all, it is necessary to ask oneself, which career elements seem the most valuable and appealing to the nurse (DeNisco & Barker, 2015). For instance, I would like to focus on progressive adult care as I already possess significant knowledge about telemetry care, emergency departments, and acute care. I feel comfortable and confident in my experiences in this area of work. Therefore, it seems significant to me to progress by learning more about these spheres of care. Second, one should assess his or her expectations of the new position. I look forward to having more autonomy over my actions and being able to participate in patient care more actively.

The occupation of an APN can open new possibilities for long-term commitments and goals. However, I am also nervous about assuming a role with more responsibilities. Currently, one of my weaknesses is the inability to manage my time. While my experience with acutely ill patients gives me an advantage in the situation of emergency, my new position may pose challenges that could be hard to overcome. Thus, my main weakness should be addressed for me to succeed at the job.

Furthermore, one should discuss some ways to deal with stress. For example, I cope with excessive stress by trying to look at the complicated situation from a different angle. By distancing myself from the initiators of stress and perceiving the problem from a different point of view, it becomes easier for me to search for the source of the negativity. Finding the stressor can greatly reduce its impact. Taking some time to relax is also essential in dealing with stress. Finally, communicating your feelings to other people and finding support in them are also viable techniques for coping with stressful situations.

By analyzing past experiences and existing skills, one can establish the level of competence for the current or future position. My work has given me the opportunity to test my abilities and improve my understanding of the profession. While the role of an APN will be new for me, my knowledge of the practice setting and extensive experience in a particular sphere of patient care make me a proficient nurse. I would place myself on the third stage of the Banner’s Model, as I still have many opportunities for growth.

Networking and Marketing Strategies

Job searching may become difficult for nurses who are not used to their new level of training. It is hard to realize one’s preparedness for new tasks. Moreover, one may feel as though he or she does not possess enough information about the details of finding a good job. While the role of nursing is said to become more significant in the future, ANPs can still struggle to find a position that will allow them to implement the full scope of acquired knowledge. Employment opportunities may seem scarce for individuals who do not know how to research their local job market.

It is crucial to remember that many vacancies are not published online or in print sources (DeNisco & Barker, 2015). Therefore, people get access to these open positions through referrals and connections. In this case, networking can significantly improve one’s chances of finding a suitable job opening. Nurses should engage with their local community of peers and other medical workers to acquire insight about other organizations.

Professional memberships can also contribute to one’s networking, as they provide one with more information about the state of the job market. Nurses need to stay in touch with their professional contacts to maintain the relationships. Engaging in conversations and inviting people to casual and formal meetings can open vacancies that are not published elsewhere. For instance, one can start a discussion about a new study and encourage other persons to participate. Communication can happen both online and in real life.

National and local organizations encourage networking and provide their members with better opportunities for employment. For example, the AANP Job Center (2018) is an initiative of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, which allows employers and future employees to communicate through their website. The description of vacancies on this website reveals some marketing techniques. For example, many hospitals highlight their location, describing the local landscape. Many employers discuss the high standard of living for the residents and offer various non-financial benefits to the future employees. It is possible that these strategies are meant to entice nurses to choose their job not only for the position but also for the community and location.

Conclusion

To create a viable APN professional development plan, one should acquire information about different areas of his or her future career. First of all, knowing the scope of practice is crucial as it provides one with an outlook of the future responsibilities. APNs in Florida work according to the Nurse Practice Act, which explains their duties and responsibilities. Florida has a restricted practice for nurse practitioners. One’s assessment is also essential in developing a plan for the future. In my opinion, my knowledge and range of occupations make me a competent nurse. My Curriculum Vitae showcases my skills. However, my experiences are not enough to find a successful job. It requires communication and collaboration with others. Organizations often promote networking to connect students, employees, and employers.

References

AANP Job Center. (2018). Recent jobs. Web.

Barnes, H. (2015). Exploring the factors that influence nurse practitioner role transition. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 11(2), 178-183.

DeNisco, S., & Barker, A. M. (Eds.). (2015). Advanced practice nursing: Essential knowledge for the profession (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Florida Board of Nursing. (2018). Advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP). Web.

Lima, S., Newall, F., Kinney, S., Jordan, H. L., & Hamilton, B. (2014). How competent are they? Graduate nurses self-assessment of competence at the start of their careers. Collegian, 21(4), 353-358.

Sastre‐Fullana, P., Pedro‐Gómez, D., Bennasar‐Veny, M., Serrano‐Gallardo, P., & Morales‐Asencio, J. M. (2014). Competency frameworks for advanced practice nursing: A literature review. International Nursing Review, 61(4), 534-542.

Action

The willingness to engage in continuous professional development can be listed among the key features of an ambitious specialist who does not want to remain complacent. Professional growth is extremely important, and such practices as self-assessment and goal-setting can be helpful in improving one’s ability to cope with different work-related tasks. I identified two goals based on the results of psychiatric self-reflection in order to focus on skills and outcomes that need improvement. This paper places emphasis on actions taken to achieve the goals.

To begin with, it was planned to improve my skills related to the third student learning outcome, the ability to perform risk assessment procedures. In order to achieve the above-mentioned goal, I used a variety of measures that involved both theory and practice. When it comes to theory, learning more about the key principles of risk assessment in psychotherapy, such as confidentiality and the absence of prejudiced attitudes, was the initial step taken to achieve the goal.

As for practice, I started by conducting my own research to understand what should be done to build more trustful relationships with clients and assess risks more accurately. It helped me to understand that controlling facial expressions is pivotal since some patients can misinterpret them and become less sincere. I used facial expression management techniques when assessing risks to avoid demonstrating any signs of amazement (especially when collecting data on patients’ sexual history, memories related to traumatic events, etc.). This strategy was used to improve risk assessment interventions and make reserved or depressed clients more sincere.

To achieve the second goal, it was necessary to learn more about cultural and financial factors and their relation to psychotherapeutic interventions. Understanding that the approach to talk therapy should reflect clients’ cultural background and financial situation, I designed a strategy to improve my cultural competence. For the most part, it included reading literature about ethnic minorities and problems that they usually have (including financial difficulties).

In order to incorporate that knowledge into practice and reach the goal, I worked with clients belonging to various ethnic groups such as African Americans, Asian Americans, American Indians, and others. Also, I tried to learn more about different cultures to reduce the harmful effect of stereotypes. Asking clients whether they associated themselves with their native culture and encouraging them to share honest opinions about certain traditions were actions helping to achieve the goal (Consoli, Beutler, & Bongar, 2017). The information on clients’ beliefs and attitudes toward family traditions was actively used to plan CBT sessions, perform mood checks, and understand the notions of right and wrong related to culture.

Evaluation

As it is clear from the action section, I tried to achieve the first goal by studying the principles of risk assessment and using that information in psychotherapeutic interventions. The ability to assess risks properly is inherent in well-developed interpersonal skills since the absence of trust can reduce the effectiveness of any interventions (Söchting, Tsai, & Ogrodniczuk, 2016). The actions described in the previous section enabled me to perform more accurate risk assessments because they had a positive impact on client sincerity.

For instance, when I started controlling my spontaneous non-verbal signs during sessions, many clients became more open emotionally and ventured upon sharing controversial facts that they used to disassemble. Thus, some patients with depression told me about the acts of self-harm and their thoughts about other taboo activities. This made it easier to identify high-risk patients and improve treatment strategies to focus on the sources of psychological pain widely discussed by modern researchers (Heisel, Talbot, King, Tu, & Duberstein, 2015). Due to these changes, I believe that I have managed to meet the goal.

The second objective was related to improving the ability to work with people from different backgrounds. As for me, the goal was partially achieved due to certain limitations that I could not control. In particular, ethnic composition differs in various parts of the country, and certain minority groups can be underrepresented among psychotherapeutic clients. Obviously, I did not have an opportunity to work with all ethnic minorities.

Despite this fact, the attempts to make sessions more culturally sensitive proved fruitful. For example, one of my clients was a Western European immigrant who had mood swings. In his native culture, people are not encouraged to show their emotions in public or smile at strangers for no reason, and the discussion of this fact helped him to assess his mood more properly. Along with other examples, this case demonstrates that cultural sensitivity clearly impacts psychotherapeutic outcomes.

Finally, certain changes could be made to increase the effectiveness of the plan. To start with, it would be beneficial to strike the right balance between theory and practice and focus on studying only practically relevant information. Apart from that, to improve risk assessment skills, even more, it could be necessary to collect more information on factors causing patient insincerity. I asked a few clients to describe habits or behaviors making psychotherapists look untrustworthy, but providing more accurate results would require using larger samples. Regardless of these potential changes, I consider the actual plan quite effective since it encouraged me to take a fresh look at many work-related situations.

References

Consoli, A. J., Beutler, L. E., & Bongar, B. (Eds.). (2017). Comprehensive textbook of psychotherapy: Theory and practice (2d ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Heisel, M. J., Talbot, N. L., King, D. A., Tu, X. M., & Duberstein, P. R. (2015). Adapting interpersonal psychotherapy for older adults at risk for suicide. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 23(1), 87-98.

Söchting, I., Tsai, M., & Ogrodniczuk, J. S. (2016). Patients’ perceptions of treatment credibility and their relation to the outcome of group CBT for depression. Archives of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 4, 7-15.

Orthopedic medicine course is one of the basic modules of the Orthopaedic Medical Technology Programme and students are taught how to treat the patients with the effective medical prescription. The Orthopaedic Medical Technology Programme educate the clinical practitioners how to implant orthopaedic mechanics and materials, fracture fixation and joint muscles replacement.

The basic objectives of the Orthopaedic Medical Technology Programme are to develop understanding of the medical students about the advanced technologies of orthopaedic and application of the basic principles related with the development of orthopedic knowledge (Orthopaedic Medicine (Medical Technology Programme), 2007). The knowledge of orthopaedic medicine and orthopedic medical technology program contributes greatly to enhance the professional skills and ability so that they may work efficiently in the competitive environment or workplace by employing all technological tactics (Orthopaedic Medicine (Medical Technology Programme), 2007).

Course Aims and Learning Outcomes

• The main objectives and prospects of orthopaedic medicine course which should be keep in mind when you are going to join any medical institute for the enhancement of professional skills. Some course aims and outcomes are mentioned below:
• For the development of understanding the basic knowledge of functional biomechanics, physiology and anatomy of the musculoskeletal system, the course is important to diagnose or evaluate musculoskeletal disorders (Assessment Handbook, 2004).
• There is a need of improving the student’s skills in planning, implementing and evaluating the wider range of therapeutic involvements, related with orthopaedic medicine.
• To improve the student’s abilities in using the complex techniques of injection protocols efficiently.
• The basic aim of the course is to promote inter-professional understanding, competitive working relationship via collaboration of different professional fellows (Assessment Handbook, 2004).
• After completion of the course, the students will be able to generalize and execute the techniques of functional biomechanics for the critical evaluation of the complex musculoskeletal disorders.
• The professional medical practitioner will show the mastery skills in diagnosing musculoskeletal problems with perfect treatment.
• The course training will be helpful in developing mastery skills and employing therapy techniques of injection protocols and appropriate treatment.
• The trainees will be facilitated with effective ways of communication and collaboration with their professional colleagues (Assessment Handbook, 2004).

Significance of Professional Development Portfolio

When you are well-acquainted with these basic aims and outcomes of the course, you may compile up your professional development portfolio in order to recognize the evidences of your learning, related with professional practice of orthopaedic medicine course. The basic aim of the Professional Development Portfolio (PDP) is to boost up the professional expertise and scope of clinical practices by ensuring the guaranteed professional career of the students. The main aim of composing the Professional Development Portfolio (PDP) is to demonstrate the individualistic achievements in the professional career (Assessment Handbook, 2004).

The Professional Development Portfolio (PDP) is very significant to identify the learning experience in the clinical field, showing the professional interests and individual professional practice in the clinical environment by getting new knowledge. The Professional Development Portfolio (PDP) is considered as an integral part of experience in commencing the course and it is important to develop linkage between theoretical aspects of the course and the latest knowledgeable practice in the clinical environment. The Professional Development Portfolio (PDP) should be arranged according to the learning environment, professional and organizational objectives of the orthopaedic medicine course (Assessment Handbook, 2004).

Outlines of Professional Development Portfolio

The Professional Development Portfolio comprises following main features of the clinical practitioner as mentioned here:

• Personal details (GMC certificate, exam certificates, date of qualification)
• Academic qualifications
• Professional qualifications
• Academic activities – e.g. publications, conference presentations
• Professional involvements – e.g. membership of professional community
• Previous posts – classifying main areas of dependability and most important achievements
• Current post – giving the details about major areas of responsibility, and major achievements (Assessment Handbook, 2004).
• Research experience and aspirations
• Case presentations
• Memorable events and patients
• Audit projects undertaken and planned
• Publications
• Teaching notes and critique (Brigden, 1999)

This Professional Development Portfolio is a supportive tool to enhance the managerial performance and potentiality as it is a personal record of employment, training tenure and developmental stages of professionalism. A Professional Development Portfolio demonstrates your persistent commitment and devotion to your profession, reviewing the entire experience of professional development, basic requirements and learning activities (Professional Development Portfolio for Education and Children’s Services Managers and Officers, 2005).

This portfolio has a great significance in the terms of employability, performance and success while working in the competitive environment. There is a need of developing transferable skills, professional responsibility, positive and flexible attitude during the learning stage. The Professional Development Portfolio is an instrumental tool to enhance one’s professional practice, encompassing formal or informal, course-based work and nature of individualistic collaborative learning skills or aptitudes (Professional Development Portfolio for Education and Children’s Services Managers and Officers, 2005).

The content of the portfolio should be comprehensible and intelligible for everyone either he or she has some knowledge about the nature of your work. You can use cross-references, reflection and commentary to prove the competence or excellence in the specific field. There is a need of addition of experience, showing your record of learning opportunities during different courses of professional development (Brigden, 1999).

The composition of the portfolio should make a clear sense of your work to yourself and others, reflecting on your motivation, philosophy and nature of the work experience. A large-sized portfolio is not necessarily fine one and you can select, organize the materials showing the acquirement of further experience and learning opportunities in the form of cycle of personal as well as professional development.

There is a complete balance between reflection and evidence in the context of proper learning activities and outcomes, showing enthusiasm, flair and innovative imagination (Brigden, 1999). As a learner or student of orthopaedic medicines, it is your responsibility to perceive information, evaluate its impact upon your personal and professional development with critical comparison of the experiences and learning schemes (Conner, 2008). Kolb and Fry have designed a sketch of the experimental learning process in the most perfect manner, showing all critical assessment of the weaknesses and strengths of the learners (Kolb, 1996).

The professional portfolio demonstrates the individualistic learning experiences by perfect reviewing reflection and transparent decisive power in order to build confidence via learner’s skills and qualities. What should be supporting or facilitating activities which cause the progress of the professionals in clinical field by linking the specific knowledgeable criteria to empower the learners with perfection and skillfulness (What is an e-portfolio, 2008). During the clinical practice, it is fundamental to improve the ability of the judgments about the different situations by developing the deep compassion for the concerned patient and family.

The learning experience is a reflection of the new insights or perceptions by self-practice, determining one’s vision or understanding and practical wisdom. The reflective practitioners have to develop their own mindful and practical wisdom according to the specific situation by knowing the different unique patterns of learning; the practitioner can gain new insights into self and be empowered to respond more congruently in future situations within areflexive spiral towards realising one’s vision as a lived reality. Reflexivity is a way of reviewing self’s development and influences of the previous and future experiences, revealing the systematic and disciplined quest for the desirable practice (Becoming Reflective, 2004).

Why I choose Society of Orthopaedic Medicine Diploma Course?

The Society of Orthopaedic Medicine Diploma Course has been attributed by Middlesex University, introducing the highly advanced collaborative venture between University and the Society of Orthopaedic Medicine. It is well-recognized in Europe for continuing professional development program which provides significant opportunities to boost up the practicability and expertise of the physiotherapists and medical practitioners. This course has been designed to develop clinical, research-oriented work experience and advanced practice via multiple project development and research methodologies (PG Dip/MSc Orthopaedic Medicine, 2007).

The Orthopaedic medicine course is related with musculoskeletal medicine and therapy with the combination of the academic program and clinical experience which is the main source of professional development and clinical enhancement. The course is very assistive to enable the medical practitioners and physiotherapists in developing their mastery skills in the application and integration of the clinical practice with the treatment of orthopaedic medicine. It is very effective course to uplift the level of the patient care, especially in the field of the musculoskeletal medicine and physiotherapy (PG Dip/MSc Orthopaedic Medicine, 2007).

This advanced course of orthopaedic medicine is designed to review and improve the manual skills of the medical practitioners and chartered physiotherapists, evaluating their professional practice and knowledge of the advanced practice of orthopaedic medicine. I want to improve my professional skills in the field of physiotherapy by employing all orthopaedic medicine techniques. I want to enhance my clinical practice with the help of the creative and innovative approach, showing excellent performance and excellence (Advanced Clinical Practice in Orthopaedic Medicine, 2008). This course will help me out in enhancing my skills in this specific area and I will have chance to explore more in this field.

Improvement of Professional and Personal Skills

I want to devise such personal development plan in order to develop my personal, organizational and professional skills by fulfilling all required demands. I want to improve my professional skills by utilizing IT advanced technologies. I want to cover up my all weakness and lack of confidence by having critical analysis. I have a plan of improving psychosocial characteristics in order to maintain the effective relationship with patients and clinical patients.

I want to negotiate with my colleagues in order to enhance collaborative expertness. I want to enhance my expertise by developing understanding of resourceful managements and politico-economic vision. The course outlines may help to improve professional leadership and creative ideas by complete reliance on professional characteristics (Assessment Handbook, 2004).

When you are going to plan a project of medical practice, there is a need of identification of your goals for learning in accordance with the credentials of professional qualifications and experience. I will plan such practical projects, identifying the learning needs and achieving the determined goals by getting more advanced education via such advanced clinical courses. I want to improve my intellectual by improving IT skills so that I may use well-developed technologies of multimedia for compiling information, related to chosen subjects. I will present psychosocial and politico-economic ideologies to acquire depth of knowledge according to the healthy practical polices and learning goals (Assessment Handbook, 2004).

I want to emphasize upon my following research interests in Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery by enhancing my potentiality via great practice and experimental studies. The main research interests are mentioned here:

• Foot Pressure Analysis
• Footwear and Orthotic Design
• Gait Analysis
• Lower Limb Biomechanics
• Osteoporosis
• Prosthetics
• Bone Density
• Seating and Wheelchairs
• Finite Element Analysis (Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, 2008)

I have developed a research-oriented aptitude to find solutions of the difficult clinical experience, developing inter-professional and inter-personal skills and expertise as a clinician of orthopaedic (Fish and Coles, 1998). I have achieved success in gaining new knowledge and technological skills to deal my patients expertly without any hesitation. I can treat them by using all essential remedial tactics, physiotherapeutic techniques and medicines. As I have undergone different process of learning and training by working on different assessment worksheets of physiotherapy which are included in this course of orthopaedic medicine.

I have learned how to provide careful and effective treatment to different kinds of patients by handling all physio-therapeutic issues. I get knowledge how to achieve my learning goals within the competitive clinical environment where I can collaborate with my colleagues confidently on the basis of my improved professional achievement and development (Assessment Handbook, 2004). All kinds of treatments can be applied on different patients’ joints or soft tissues, knowing the serious conditions of the disease.

In my opinion, orthopaedic mobilization is one of the most effective remedial techniques for chronic back pain and serious kinds of spinal disorders and an expert therapist can use such therapeutic techniques in order to relieve the patients from severe pain (Treatment Orthopaedic Medicine, 2008).

I can attend different medical seminars, collaboration experiences with different physicians and therapists to update my own professional knowledge. I have developed professional confidence and self-reliance by joining this well-recognized medical institute, the society of orthopedic medicines. I have been facilitated to observe different conditions, diseases and problems of the patients in order to learn all technological orthopaedic treatments by diagnosing musculoskeletal and neurological problems of the patients.

As a physiatrist, I have been trained in management of musculoskeletal disorders and other various conditions including pharmacologic control of spasticity, neurological problems with behavioral training in head-injured patients, bowel and bladder management. I get expertise to use techniques of injection protocols for the treatments of arthritis, bursitis, myofascial pain syndromes and tenosynovitis. I get knowledge how to prescribe physical medicines according to the physical principles and dynamic intervention so that the pain can be reduced by maximizing the functionality of musculoskeletal system (The Medical Student’s Guide to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2008).

I have been also learned how to introduce exercise programs according to the patients’ needs in order to maintain and enhance the muscular movements, proprioception (awareness of joint position in space) and muscle relaxation by preventing contracture in a spastic spinal cord of the patient. As a therapist and physician I have to use all kinds of assistive equipments including gait and mobility aids, communication aids and environmental control devices (The Medical Student’s Guide to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2008).

According to my professional studies in physiotherapy, I can treat and identify the health issues and want to promote well-being of the patients by preventive advice and rehabilitation. I have knowledgeable skills as chartered physiotherapist by treating the patients via manual therapy, application of electro-physical modalities and therapeutic exercises. There is a need of compliance with your patients according to the psychological, social and cultural influences in order to help them frankly (The Medical Student’s Guide to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2008).

I can implement my all professional expertise and practical reflection to solve the problems and the systematic clinical approaches are best for patient-centered care. I have learned how to work with a broader range of physical problems, related with neuromuscular, cardiovascular, and musculoskeletal and respiratory systems, getting opportunities to work with physiotherapy colleagues or team of healthcare professionals (The Medical Student’s Guide to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2008).

Orthopedic Medicine is the non-surgical assessment and management of the moving parts of the body. It is a “low-tech,” hands-on approach for diagnosing and handling musculoskeletal problems by implementing orthopaedic physicians’ osteopathic licensure and the diagnostic schema. I have now well-acquainted with all basic treatment modalities which are effective and practical methods (Gracer, 1997). Orthopedic medicine presents a wide-ranging way to elucidate and treat musculoskeletal problems in a reproducible, rational way. By treating the chief causes of pain, and recognizing that the body will restore to health itself if allowed, problems can often be solved, instead of palliated.

This course of orthopaedic medicines also allows for proper references of those patients who need specific Orthopedic Medical involvement to physicians, as well as referral by physiotherapists to well-trained manual therapists for the many modalities in which they have expertise (Gracer, 1997).

You can find out the best guidelines how to identify and treat orthopaedic issues of patients by studying Essentials of Orthopedic Surgery, very exclusive piece of writing and all surgeons, nurses and physician therapists may get knowledge and remedial tips by formulating the excellent treatment plans (Essentials of Orthopedic Surgery, 1993). I have gained knowledge how to play a leading role in the context of the clinical, educational and scientific aspects of musculoskeletal trauma care and its association with other specialties.

There is a need of patient care in multi-disciplinary specialties especially in general surgery, orthopaedic, neurosurgery, nursing, urology, physiotherapy and psychiatry. Due to such helpful clinical training courses, I have developed my professional skills with such operative experiences by dealing multiple cases (Guidelines for Orthopaedic Trauma Fellowships, 2008).

I have been trained in surgical and non-surgical treatment of musculoskeletal injuries according to the procedural steps of injury management. I have learned how to rehabilitate by giving intense care to the patients, understanding the complications and sequellae of musculoskeletal problems. I have been engaged in the activities of developing the skills, related with laboratory and clinical research on orthopaedic trauma by taking care of the ethical, legal and economical issues.

I can organize and supervise orthopaedic trauma service by coordinating with other administrative units who are engaged in management of orthopaedic trauma patients. In order to develop a research work for orthopaedic trauma care, there is a need of comprehensive management of the orthopaedic trauma patients (Guidelines for Orthopaedic Trauma Fellowships, 2008).

The orthopaedic medicine is related with the chronic pain of muscles and joints and it is main duty of the physiotherapist how to relieve the patients by utilizing different remedial methods (Goodley, 2007). There is incredible changeability in the supervision of patients with ordinary orthopaedic problems, including non-operative care and a extensive range of operative options. As Berven says: “Determining which option leads to the greatest and most reliable improvement of quality of life is an important goal of the outcomes effort….With accurate information on outcomes of different approaches to caring for a patient, we can empower the patient to make informed choices on what is best for them individually”(Outcomes: The Tough Job of Finding What Works, 2006).

Orthopaedic medicine provides fine methodological clinical examination by perfect diagnosis and treatment of non-surgical musculoskeletal abrasions. If you want to improve your knowledgeable skills in applied anatomy, injection therapy techniques, clinical assessments and effective ways of treatments, you should train yourself via different clinical courses of different medical institutes (Orthopaedic Medicine seminars, 2008).

I have updated my knowledge and understanding about the functional biomechanics, anatomy and physiology of the musculoskeletal system via advanced research and studies, developing my analytical skills in evaluation of musculoskeletal disorders. This newly acquired expertise in different treatment regimes are very effective to foster inter-personal and inter-professional understanding and communications for quick responses of the patients.

Works Cited

Orthopaedic Medicine (Medical Technology Programme), Page last modified. 2007. Web.

Assessment Handbook, Edited by Foxit PDF Editor, Copyright (c) by Foxit Software Company, 2004 – 2007.

Professional Development Portfolio for Education and Children’s Services Managers and Officers, VSC, 2005. Web.

Brigden, David Brigden (adviser for medical and dental education, Mersey Deanery, Liverpool L3 6AL) Career focus, Constructing a learning portfolio BMJ 7201 Volume 319. Web.

Conner, Marcia L. Conner, Learning from Experience. Web.

David, a. Kolb, david a. kolb on experiential learning, 1996. Web.

What is an e-portfolio?, 2008. Web.

Becoming Reflective, BARC01. 2004. Web.

PG Dip/MSc Orthopaedic Medicine. 2007. Web.

Advanced Clinical Practice in Orthopaedic Medicine. 2008. Web.

Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery (in the Division of Surgery and Oncology. 2008. Web.

Fish and Coles, 1998, Developing Professional Judgment in Health Care: Learning through the Critical Appreciation of Practice Editors: D Fish and C Coles 518 pp. ISBN 0-7506-3123-6 (paperback) Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Web.

Treatment Orthopaedic Medicine, 2008. Web.

The Medical Student’s Guide to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2008. Web.

Gracer, 1997, Richard I. Gracer, MD, Overview of Orthopedic Medicine, reprinted from TLfDP, 1997. Web.

W.B. Saunders (2007) Essentials of Orthopedic Surgery. Wiesel, Sam W.; Delahay, John N. (Eds.) Originally published by W.B. Saunders 3rd ed., XII, 620 p. 306 illus., Softcover ISBN: 978-0-387-32165-3. Web.

Guidelines for Orthopaedic Trauma Fellowships – 2008. Web.

Goodley, 2007, Paul H. Goodley, MD, Goodley Intentions: Why, Orthopaedic Surgery? Web.

Outcomes: The Tough Job of Finding What Works, 2006. Web.

Orthopaedic Medicine seminars, 2008. Web.

Nurse practitioners (NP) are at the frontline of the provision of care to patients. The recent empowerment of these healthcare professionals facilitates the development of the American healthcare system as nurses are engaged in various aspects of clinical practice, as well as administrative and scholarly incentives. Nurse practitioners in Missouri still have certain boundaries to overcome, but they also need to master numerous competencies to provide care within the scope of their practice (Missouri State Board of Nursing, 2017).

The major national nurse practitioner organizations, as well as smaller ones (state institutions), have created detailed guidelines that can be followed at different levels to ensure the delivery of patient-centered care. This professional development plan includes a brief description of the scope of practice of nurses in Missouri, as well as some competencies nurses should have to provide high-quality care.

APN Scope of Practice

The state of Missouri allows restricted NP practice, which implies the supervision of a nurse’s practice by another healthcare professional. Without such supervision, nurse practitioners in Missouri cannot diagnose, interpret tests, develop treatments, or prescribe medications (American Association of Nurse Practitioners [AANP], 2018). In this state, nurses receive Registered Nurse (RN) license and can be recognized as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) if they have the corresponding educational background (Missouri State Board of Nursing, 2017).

The recognized APRNs obtain a Document of Recognition that authorizes these professionals to work in Missouri healthcare facilities. APRN education is grounded on national certification requirements and should include at least 500 hours of clinical practice conducted under the supervision of a health provider. The recognition process of APRN is implemented by nationally approved certification organizations that specialize in specific areas such as midwifery or critical care. APRNs, who had a pharmacology course and have at least 300 hours of preceptorship, need to collaborate with a physician. When an APRN has, at least, 1,000 hours of experience, this healthcare practitioner can apply for prescriptive authority.

Nurse Practitioner (NONPF) Core Competencies

The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) listed a number of competencies enabling nurses to perform the necessary tasks successfully and achieve continuing growth in their clinical practice. One of the competencies I see as my strength is a scientific foundation competency. I always try to translate “research and other forms of knowledge to improve practice processes and outcomes” (National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties [NONPF], 2014, p. 2).

I believe that the use of the most recent strategies and techniques in nurses’ daily activities can contribute to the development of nursing practice. I tend to review the most recent peer-reviewed articles, and other reputable sources, on the aspects that interest me, and I manage to apply my new knowledge, which makes me a more effective caregiver. I also advocate for the use of some methods by discussing them with my peers and suggesting the corresponding projects to nurse leaders and administrators.

Another competency I consider to be one of my strengths is related to quality. I anticipate “variations in practice,” and I am “proactive in implementing interventions to ensure quality” (NONPF, 2014, p. 5). As mentioned above, I address nurse leaders and administrators when I find a technique or strategy that can be instrumental in achieving a higher quality of care. I am also willing to participate in projects and initiatives involving the introduction of novel practices or norms. I am open to new solutions and approaches, which makes me ready to address the challenges that may arise on a daily basis.

Clearly, certain competencies remain the areas for my personal growth, such as leadership competencies. I take up a leading role in some processes, especially when it comes to interacting with people who are less knowledgeable or less willing to lead. However, I feel I do not fully or successfully assume “complex and advanced leadership roles to initiate and guide change” (NONPF, 2014, p. 3). I think the lack of confidence is one of the primary obstacles to mastering this competency.

My educational achievements and experience will make me more confident and more prepared for leading roles. I also intend to implement a study in terms of my master’s program that will equip me with the necessary skills and knowledge to become a more effective leader. This endeavor will help me in my daily practice, as well as the development of the organization I will work for at that period.

Another area for my personal growth is linked to an independent practice competency. According to NONPF (2014), an effective nurse “[p]rovides patient-centered care recognizing cultural diversity and the patient or designee as a full partner in decision making” (p. 12). I try to provide patient-centered care and respect patients’ autonomy by paying attention to their cultural backgrounds. Nevertheless, I often need help in negotiating the optimal treatment plan with patients and their caregivers. I sometimes find it difficult to prevent my bias from intervening with the delivery of high-quality care.

Again, one of the reasons for such behavior, in my opinion, is the lack of knowledge and skills. Apart from conducting a review of the academic (and other) sources concerning cultural diversity and methods to avoid bias, I will try to participate in conferences and workshops on the matter. Sharing information is one of the major ways to improve the healthcare system and the performance of each healthcare professional. I will also try to initiate knowledge sharing within the boundaries of my healthcare facility, our community, and our state.

Leadership Skills

In order to provide high-quality patient-centered care, nurses should be ready to take up leading roles and become nurse leaders. One of the leadership skills necessary to achieve this goal is facilitating autonomy and independence in patients, their relatives, as well as other healthcare professionals (Lamb, Martin-Misener, Bryant-Lukosius, & Latimer, 2018). Nurse leaders should inspire people to become more confident and knowledgeable about numerous health-related aspects.

In order to master this skill, I will need to learn more regarding transformational leadership techniques. I will need to practice using these skills when interacting with my patients, my colleagues, as well as my family or friends. Nurses train patients and raise their awareness of various subjects related to their health and wellbeing. The ability to make patients responsible, empowered, and able to undertake autonomous steps, as well as live independently addressing their current or upcoming health conditions, is critical for a nurse practitioner. This approach creates an environment where people behave responsibly and try to maintain their health for a long period.

Apart from the skill mentioned above, a nurse leader should be able to discuss numerous issues, including uncomfortable topics. Initiating “meaningful communication” is another leadership skill nurse leaders need to have (Lamb et al., 2018, p. 405). For instance, patients often find it easier to discuss some sexuality issues with nurses rather than other healthcare providers or family members (Lamb et al., 2018).

Different aspects of care also seem challenging for many people, but these issues need to be discussed in order to make patient-centered care possible. Reviewing scholarly sources related to communication, spirituality, and ethics, among other topics, will be instrumental in gaining these skills. I will search for other sources of information as well because I believe practitioners’ experience is as valuable as scholarly knowledge. Hence, I will participate in conferences or look for diverse platforms for sharing professional knowledge.

Conclusion

To sum up, APRN in Missouri have to operate within a restricted scope of practice. However, they can obtain more autonomy by gaining knowledge (completing a master’s degree) and experience. Nurse practitioners are still reluctant to take up leading roles in the process of the transformation of the current system of care delivery. However, the empowerment of nurses will eventually lead to significant progress in nursing practice. The described competencies nurses should master serve as guidance for practitioners who strive to gaining the necessary skills. Leadership skills are central to achieving the highest standards of nursing practice.

Life-long learning should be one of the principles to follow because nurses should constantly gain new knowledge and skills. The involvement in the academic sphere is another essential priority for nurse leaders who need to accumulate and disseminate knowledge, enriching nursing practice. The development of a professional development plan is one of the ways to ensure professional growth as a nurse leader. This plan will become an effective guide for nurses who will remain focused on their goals.

References

American Association of Nurse Practitioners. (2018). State practice environment. Web.

Lamb, A., Martin-Misener, R., Bryant-Lukosius, D., & Latimer, M. (2018). Describing the leadership capabilities of advanced practice nurses using a qualitative descriptive study. Nursing Open, 5(3), 400-413. Web.

Missouri State Board of Nursing. (2017). Nursing practice act and rules. Web.

National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties. (2014). Nurse practitioner core competencies content. Web.