Being a Professional Nurse

This essay discusses the challenges faced by new graduate nurses during the transition to becoming an experienced registered nurse. It explores the clinical and non-clinical skills necessary for success in the nursing profession, using relevant theories such as Benner's, Webinar's, and Dreyfus model of skills. The essay also highlights the importance of reflection and transition programs to bridge the gap between new graduates and experienced registered nurses.

Running head: NURSING PROFESSIONAL 1
Being a Professional Nurse
Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Institution Affiliation
Date

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Introduction
There are several problematic transitions that a new graduate faces after he or she is
introduced to his or her area of professional. During the transition from new graduate to an
experienced the nurses encounter many challenges as they spend most of their time exploring
their clinical skills in few areas of nursing specialty. Transition in nursing professional is the
time when the new graduate, in the workplace, meet the realities of the professional practices
whereby, a new graduate tries to manage both clinical and non-clinical skills and gain experience
for competency health services (Masters, 2015). Professional accountability is the
responsibilities that a new nursing graduate learn while in the area of placement that helps a
graduate to gain skills for the transition competency of becoming an experienced registered
nurse. Clinical currency this refer to the beneficial knowledge associated with the provision of
direct the care to the patients while a new healthcare professional maintains clinical skills within
the working environment (Krautscheid, 2014). The ability of a new graduate to capture the issues
related to nursing graduate and acquiring the appropriate substances in practice can make it easy
for one during the transition to be a qualified professional nurse. This essay will critically
analyze and discuss how a new graduate nurse should utilize both the clinical and non- clinical
skills through the use of relevant theories; Benner’s, Webinar’s and Dreyfus model of skills.
Critical analysis
The new graduate's nurses who have just completed their studies from their college or a
university are anticipated to show maximum proficiency in the use of both clinical and
nonclinical skills. According to the webinar theory, the first thing a new graduate feels after he or
she has been introduced to the reality of the working environment is that they know little about

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the field’s practical activities. Some of the clinical skills that a new graduate has to learn include
the management of the ECG, cardiac monitoring and sharps disposal.
ECG management. Although conducting an ECG routine evaluation to the patient is
essential, in contrary, Masters (2015) argues that it is a scary practice to those who have never
experienced it before; it’s advisable to show the patient a clear explanation and demonstration of
how the ECG routine works so that to prepare them psychologically to avoid surprises and
shocks. In order to gain confidence while interpreting the ECG observations on the patient the
nurse has to assess the patient and through a systematic approach be aware of the his/her own
heart rate. The nurse is required to identify the lethal rhythms, assess his/her resources and look
at the patient for ECG proficiency. The patient should not be having any electronic device
around him/her, similarly, the nurse should ensure the client lies flat on the side, relax the
shoulders and keep his/her legs uncrossed. To read the ECG the nurse counts the number of R
waves within 6 seconds strip and multiply by 10 (Tubaishat & Tawalbeh, 2015). Similarly, the
fact that the ECG is used to assess rhythm and heart rate, then it can be used to detect heart
blockage which may contribute to heart failure of the patient. Therefore, it is considered an
important routine to the patient and also account for quality health services provided by a
particular health organization (Gale, Ooms, Sharples & Marks-Maran, 2016).
Cardiac monitoring. It is essential for the new graduate nurse to learn the skill of how to
monitor the cardiac functioning, despite that it is a vital and an urgent area for new nursing
graduate to handle, Curran, (2014) indicates that when entitled to such a responsibility to a
patient in a critical condition as it requires an experienced registered nurse.

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Sharps disposal. Proper disposal of sharp equipment is an essential skill that a new
graduate has to acquire, similarly, according to Willetts & Clarke, (2014), it prevents the risk of
spreading infections due to fluid body contact in case of an accident.
Some of the non-clinical skills a new graduates nurse has to acquire while in the area of
practice or a job includes; empathy, confidence and compassion to the clients.
Empathy. A nursing student has to show empathy while delivering care to the patient
for empathy in nursing professional is the mother of well refined communication skills, patient-
centered care approach and helps one to strengthen his/her confidence to provide competence
care to the patients (Sweeney, O'Sullivan, & McCarthy, 2015). A new graduates nurse has to
show empathy in some areas like when wound dressing and while bathing the clients with
physical pain. Although empathy is a very crucial tool in every healthcare professional, Wright et
al, (2018) shown that there are some scenarios where the nurse or any other health practitioner
has to apply much of clinical reasoning while regarding the patients’ condition to ensure privacy,
autonomy and confidentiality to the client. Many new nursing student have dificulties in
managing their moods and attitude while giving care to the clients. It is now when empathetic
communication skills for the new nursing graduates is required so that to moderate the language,
and creates a good interactions for example sharing some cultural values and beliefs with the
patints which give rise to a free environment between the client and the nurse and thus triggering
the provision of qulity care (Expósito et al, 2018). Nevertheless, empathetic care to the patient
promotes the and accouts for the quality and safe servuces provided by a health organisation thus
exposing its competency in service delivery to the clients.
Confidence. Despite confidentiality being a crucial tool for a new graduate nurse, as per the
Güner, (2015), it is more recommendable for the new nurse in the field to be much inquisitive

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and probably involve collaborative team members in every decision he or she makes within the
required health care services as this duty requires a very qualified health professional.
Compassion. A new nurse graduate has to cope with the hospital’s environment through the
building of compassion with the client, likewise, Krautscheid, (2014), recommends that this
enables a nurse to maintain the capacity to provide the necessary care to the patients to the best
of their knowledge.
The case study shows how after every shift gives a newly nurse a new skill, and this helps
one to settle in his/ her working environment (Zarshenas et al, 2014). As a learner, one gets to
know where many healthcare equipments are located, how the machines work, turning on and off
in different gadgets within the workplace.
Discussion
According to Benner’s theory, the nursing profession is a complex interaction of skills
acquisition increase of capability and competency development within the individual’s
professional life. The five stages in Benner’s theory for attaining proficiency in nursing
professional are discussed below;
Novice. At this stage, the new graduates have no experience about the situations of
practice they are expected to carry out their duties. Novices are the rules that are taught to the
new graduate nurses so that they can perform competently. These rules are free and general;
thus, they control the behaviors of the novice which are inflexible and extremely limited.
Advanced Beginner. These are new professionals who can prove marginally
acknowledged performance can point out the mentor, have meaningful situational components

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and have experienced adequate practical situations. It is when one utilizes the guiding principles
for the actions based on the experiences.
Competent. Competence is demonstrated by the nurse who has ever worked with in
similar situations for two to three years. The nurse lacks flexibility and speed and can cope with
and manage several clinical skills, but he/she does not have enough experience to handle
situations as a whole or completely all alone (Curran, 2014).
Proficient. The nurse can perform the situation as whole all alone and not just some parts
or aspects. The proficient nurse understands the problem for he/she is aware of the meaning and
regards to the long-term goals. Once in full understanding of the situations, through maxim, the
proficient nurse is directed to account for the solutions (Hoeve, Jansen & Roodbol, 2014).
The Expert. The performer here does not rely on an analytical principle connects directly
to the situation due to his understanding and evaluates the appropriate action. The expert nurse
has a huge background of experiences, highly skilled with an intuitive grasp of every situation.
Such a nurse can only use analytical tools when it is the only way to solve a contradicting
problem (Carlson, Rämgård, Bolmsjö & Bengtsson, 2014).
According to the Dreyfus’ model of skills acquisition, the skills of a new health
professional increase moderately as the person’s working period prolong especially during the
first year of work. Positive reinforcement and other experienced staff’s support are necessary to
the newly qualified professionals to enable them to provide the competence care to the patients
within their workplace (Duarte, Pinto-Gouveia & Cruz, 2016). Provision of practical educational
experiences can assist in exposing the new nurse to realistic clinical situations at both
undergraduate and inexperienced graduates’ levels. Although the transition starts at the

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university levels, there is a need to assure a continual supply of competent skills to the registered
nurses to prepare them for both acute and chronic care practices (Hensel & Laux, 2014).
Reflection
Reflection for a new nursing graduate improves professional capability as one has to
reflect on preparedness for new graduate practice and consider his/her personal goals and values.
According to Rolfe’s reflection model, the first stage which involves the reflection on what
happened, in my preparedness as a new graduate nurse, I tried so much to change the
environmental nature in my workplace (Rolfe, Jasper, & Freshwater, 2011). During my
placement, I strengthened my skills through clinical reasoning in trying to evaluate the main
cause of the problems as I seek for assistance from other colleague workers for interpretation
whenever I was handling a patient with a foreign language that I couldn’t understand (Arnold &
Boggs, 2015). My effort of ensuring that every single patient I am entitled to take care for, had a
safe environment and better conditions in the future was in line with the Standard 3: Maintains
the capacity for practice of Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australian (NMBA) guidelines
(Ossenberg, Henderson & Dalton, 2015). According to standard 5: Develops a plan for
nursing practice, with the help of other health care team, I explained to the patient about the
type of alarms and made them differentiate them from the healthcare equipment noises. As per
the so what stage of Rofel reflection model, I realized that this can help the patient by creating
awareness of such noises to avoid shock and terrible situations that may harm them
psychologically (Rolfe, Jasper, & Freshwater, 2011). Also, before enacting the ECG to the
patient, I could first run off a few spiels concerning what I am going to do and also demonstrate
to the patient how the equipment works so that he/she may understand what he/she shall be
expecting to feel. According to the final stage of Rofel’s reflection model- what next, As I

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transition into my responsibility as a registered nurse, I am required to make the clients to know
that I am with them because I want to look after them and they be free to ask for anything (Rolfe,
Jasper, & Freshwater, 2011). Reflection on the past experiences practices is of great significance
for the new graduate nurse during transitioning.
Conclusion
This essay has analyzed the importance of understanding several factors that affect a new
nursing graduate at the workplace during the transition into an experienced registered nurse. The
essay has also demonstrated some of the clinical and nonclinical skills that a new graduate nurse
has to manage while at the place of work. The essay has revealed a detailed understanding of the
issues faced by the new graduates in their place of work as they acquire quality substances
during the transition to enable them to work efficiently and competently and become
professional in the career. More transition programs have to be implemented so that to bridge the
gap between the new graduate and the experienced registered nurses by smoothening their
relationship and to avoid stressful situations for the new graduates’ nurses.

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