NURS 440

Self-Assessment of Nursing Standards

ANA Standard (Look)

Standard 7: Ethics

Brief Description (Elaborate)

This standard expects that a
nurse practice Ethically,
meaning that care is provided
in a way that protects the
patient (privacy, rights, beliefs,
etc.) and allows a therapeutic
relationship between both
healthcare provider and patient
at all times. If something
questionable is occurring, it is
the nurses due responsibility to
speak up.

Activities that Helped you

Meet the Standard (Analyze)
One example of how I have
met this standard is during
clinical, one of our patients
required a blood transfusion,
however their religion did not
permit them to receive such
treatment. Although i did not
agree with that choice, I
respected the decision that the
patient made. With the nurse by
my side we explained what the
risks were if he did not have the
transfusion because that is the
responsible thing to do. In this
situation we protected the
patients rights and beliefs.

Plan to Meet
Standard(Revise)
In order to keep meeting this
standard I will make sure to
review
all
patient
documentation and make sure
that I pay attention to their
beliefs and wishes about
treatments and end of life care.
I will also make sure that all
privacy is maintained. If there
is ever anything going on that I
am unsure about or dont
believe It is right I will make
sure that I speak up and voice
my concerns.

This Standard expects that a

nurse maintains up to date
education and that knowledge
base is evidenced by the care
provided. Education and skills
should constantly be sought out
and shared throughout the
healthcare community.

Standard 8: Education

Standard 9: EBP and

Research

This standard expects that all

the care provided should be
paralleled with evidence from
research studies.

One example of how I have

met this standard was
participating in volunteer
opportunities with the
pharmacy students. This
experience not only allowed us
to hone are skills and practice
Blood pressure/ other general
skills needed. It also gave us a
chance to share with them
different techniques or ways to
do something that we have
learned work better for us. For
example, I helped students with
blood pressure. Many of them
struggled with positioning the
stethoscope and that effected
their results. I was able to show
them how to better position
themselves to make this easier
for them and their results
accurate.

In order to maintain this

standard, I plan to stay up to
date on my education by
continuing on to complete my
MSN. Along with furthering
my education once I have some
experience I would be open to
having a student and sharing
the skills that I have learned in
the future so they can also
learn.

One example of where I met

this standard was the Evidence
based paper I did in 341. In this
paper I explored how diabetes
management compliance
results differed when there was
an increased with healthcare
provider communication. When

In order to continue meeting

this standard I will continue to
keep up on current medical
research through reading
nursing research journals. This
will allow me to put current
research nursing practice into
action.

This standard expects that all

all care provided is at a specific
quality level. Nurses should be
innovative and collect adequate
data in order to improve the
quality of care provided. They
should also be able to identify
barriers to excellent care.

Standard 10: Quality of

Practice

Standard 11: Communication

This standard expects a high

level of effective

writing this paper I researched

many different journals until I
found a subject that has been
put into practice.
One example of how I have
met this standard is through
clinical practice. During one of
my clinicals I had a patient that
had to be restrained. At First we
tried soft 4 point restraints but
they were not helping. The
nurse I was working with
decided that it was time to go to
leathers. After putting them on
out patient he continued to fight
the restraints which instantly
began to breakdown his skin at
these areas. Trying to figure out
how to protect the patient I
suggested wrapping curlex
under the restrains to help
protect his skin. Once placed
we did monitored the restraints
and his skin condition and it
was extremely helpful in
protecting the patient and
preventing further breakdown
of skin.
At this time, I think this is a
standard I still need to work on.

In order to maintain this

standard, I will continue to look
at the patients chart and
determine what my plan of care
is before meeting the patient.
This will allow me to provide
the best care because I will be
prepared and it gives me a
chance to address any barriers
that may come up ahead of
time and to come up with
alternate options if needed.

In order to help myself meet

this standard I will make it my

Standard 12: Leadership

Standard 13: Collaboration

communication for nursing

staff. A nurse should be able to
communicate information to
patients and other healthcare
providers in an accurate,
understandable manner. They
should also be able identify
conflicts and manage them as
successfully as possible.

At times during my clinical

experience I have had good
educational talks with my
patients, however I feel this is
an area I still have not fully met
the standard.

goal to have at least one

conversation with each of my
patients during clinical. During
this time I will talk to them
about their condition and
education that goes a long with
that. However, I will also talk
to them about their support
systems back home and
identify any problems they may
have for future care after
discharge.

This standard expects that the

nurse expresses leadership
throughout their work. This
means that she is responsible
for overseeing and delegating
care provided by others, but
mainlining the responsibility
for that care. They should treat
all colleges and patients with
respect and dignity and if
conflict arises they should find
a solution that is autonomous
and fair for all parties.

During clinical third semester I

was able to meet this standard.
Our clinical professor divided
us into teams of two, one of us
was the RN and the other acted
as the CNA. As the RN it was
our job to delegate tasks to our
partner so that all care was
provided to the patient in a
quality manner. Here we
delegated vitals, walks, and
other tasks that fell within their
scope of practice. We treated
each other with respect and
dignity and the second day we
reversed roles.

In order to maintain this

standard, during clinical I will
continue to delegate to the
techs who are helping me at
that time in a respectful manner
within their scope of practice.
Any care that I delegate I am
still responsible for and that is
something I will also keep in
mind.

This standard expects that in

During clinical third semester I

In order to maintain meeting

Standard 14: Professional

Practice Evaluation

Standard 15: Resource

Utilization

order to promote positive care

outcomes that the nurse
collaborates with not only other
health professionals but also
the patient and their
caregivers/family. They should
promote environments that
encourage cooperation, respect
and trust in one another,
especially through team work.

had the opportunity to work

with interdisciplinary care. My
patient was having a wound vac
removed and they did it in the
room rather than in the OR.
During this time respiratory,
anesthesia, ED physicians, and
nursing all worked together.
They allowed me to help with
the dressing changes and take
vitals during this time.

this standard in the future I will

organize care with other
disciplines or other nurses.
Sometimes in order to provide
quality care it takes multiple
people. I will also make sure
that all care is explained
properly to the patient and his
family before any treatment is
done or when results come
through.

This standard expects that the

nurse take time to evaluate their
own performance. They should
be able to identify both their
strengths and weaknesses and
develop a plan of action in
which they can improve. They
should accept feedback from
others and use that effectively
to change their practices for the
better.

I met this standard this

semester when I did the
assessment of biases
assignment. Here I explored
what barriers of care may exist
and how that could affect my
future care for patients. The
assignment also had us
determine a plan on how we
would not let those biases
affect future patient care. We
also do many different Peer
review processes throughout
class projects.
At this time I do not feel like I
have met this standard.

In order to maintain this

standard, I will continue to do
the weekly reviews on clinical
and review my performance
each week. I will also accept
any feedback that professors,
and even other students have
for me. If there is a way I can
improve I will be open to that
advice.

This standard expects that the

nurse recognizes and utilizes
resources to provide safe,
effective and cost savvy care.
The resources identified should

In order to meet this standard I

will review patient care and
determine if the resources are
appropriate for the level of care
needed for that patient. Also I

match the task, level of care,

and should most importantly be
able to reach the desired
outcomes.

Standard 16: Environmental

Health

This standard expects that the

environment in which a nurse
works maintains safety and also
healthy. Health risks should be
identified and should be
contained or eliminated for not
only the nurses health but her
coworkers and also patients.

I met this standard while on

clinical, in order to make sure
that I am working in a safe
environment I make sure all
appropriate drawers are locked,
the appropriate PPE is worn if
there is a patient in isolation
and that I wash in and wash out
of each room. This helps
prevent transmission not only
from patient to patient but also
to myself and my coworkers.

can practice this during our

OSP project, this gives me that
chance to make sure that the
right resources match the task
decided upon in the project.
In order to continue
maintaining this standard I will
continue to comply with
spectrum safety policies such
as gait belt use, PPE use when
contact with isolation patient is
possible, and also continue with
the wash in wash out policy.