NUR 490: Professional and Personal Reflective Journal

This reflective journal details a nursing student's experiences in a Professional Capstone and Practicum course (NUR 490), focusing on the development of professional practice and personal knowledge. The student reflects on clinical interventions, such as addressing pressure ulcers, and their adherence to course competencies related to population health and inter-professional collaboration. The journal highlights personal strengths, such as patient-centered communication, and weaknesses, like adhering to hygiene standards, along with strategies for improvement. The student also discusses the importance of staying updated on healthcare trends and time management. The conclusion emphasizes the significance of continuous learning and interpersonal communication for overcoming limitations in nursing practice. The student uses APA style for citations and references, as required by the assignment brief.

Running head: PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL REFECTIVE JOURNAL
PROFESSIOAL AND PERSONAL REFLECTIVE JOURNAL
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL REFLECTIVE JOURNAL
Introduction
Engagement in reflection and mindfulness based practices assist nursing students in the
identification of their personal as well as professional capabilities, strengths, limitations and
areas of potential development (Yu, Ling & Hu, 2019). With this respect, the following reflective
paper will focus on the key personal and professional experiences and knowledge which I have
gained during my engagement in the academic course: Associate degree of Nursing Bachelor
Science in Nursing (NUR 490- Professional Capstone and Practicum).
Discussion
Professional Practice and Personal Knowledge
One of the key professional activities which I was required to engage in, was the
identification and proposal of clinical interventions for a healthcare problem identified at the
workplace. Such requirements had prompted me to address the problem of pressure ulcers at my
workplace. It has been evidenced by Boyko, Longaker and Yang (2018), that not only are
pressure ulcers a significant population health as well as healthcare organization concerns, the
same are also preventable via timely, comprehensive and evidence-based assessments - all of
which I had addressed in my practicum. This demonstrated adherence to course competencies of
NRS-427VN and NRS-434VN associated with population and community health concerns and
health assessments. This clinical experience also prompted me to work with nurses as well as
inter-disciplinary teams - which are necessary prerequisites to nursing inter-professional
collaboration and nursing leadership in healthcare (NRS-451VN) (Clausen, Cummins & Dionne,
2017).

2PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL REFLECTIVE JOURNAL
Personal Strengths and Weaknesses
During my practical engagement, I actively engaged in the practice of patient centered
approaches when communicating with my patients. I believe this was my personal strength since
it allowed me to address healthcare educational concerns via adherence to competency PHI-
413V of nursing engagement to spiritual and ethical decision making. Indeed, it has been
evidenced that patient centered practiced paves the way for respecting patient autonomy in
healthcare (Hardiman et al., 2016). However, during one of my clinical experiences I was
required to strictly adhere to hygiene standards when administering invasive devices to patients
and thus, in turn, comply with competency NRS-433V which is associated with prevention of
infections at surgical sites. Indeed, it has been evidenced that nurses must adhere to an extensive
set of hygiene and sterilization practices for infection prevention at surgical or invasive device
sites, which are likely to be overlooked by new nurses (Qasem & Hweidi, 2017). However,
during such difficulties, my supervisor advised me that continuous learning as well as
communication with peers can be useful in promoting my personal confidence and acquisition of
support. Indeed, engagement in interpersonal communication has been evidenced to assist nurses
to not only shared their concerns but also acquire supervision and support in case of clinical
difficulties (Choi, Kim & Kim, 2018).
Additional Resources and Abilities
A key pre-requisite competency which I must adhere to as a part of my practicum course
is the module NRS-440VN – according to which, I am required to keep myself updated with
current healthcare trends, population healthcare concerns and issues prevalent across the world.
Considering my time management constraints, formulation of a personal journal or schedule can
assist me in incorporating sufficient time for engagement in evidence based research for keeping

3PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL REFLECTIVE JOURNAL
myself updated with such issues. Indeed, simultaneous engagement in personal time
management as well as evidence based research skills has been evidenced to beneficial in
allowing nursing students to maintain an equilibrium between professional engagement and
personal goals (Aggar et al., 2018).
Conclusion
This paper thus, successfully discusses on the key aspects of knowledge and experience
which I gained throughout my experiences in this nursing practicum course. To conclude,
continuous engagement in evidence based research as well as maintenance of transparent,
interpersonal communicative relationships with my supervisors, will assist me in overcoming my
existing limitations.

4PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL REFLECTIVE JOURNAL
References
Aggar, C., Bloomfield, J. G., Frotjold, A., Thomas, T. H., & Koo, F. (2018). A time management
intervention using simulation to improve nursing students’ preparedness for medication
administration in the clinical setting: A quasi-experimental study. Collegian, 25(1), 105-
111.
Boyko, T. V., Longaker, M. T., & Yang, G. P. (2018). Review of the current management of
pressure ulcers. Advances in wound care, 7(2), 57-67.
Choi, E. H., Kim, E. K., & Kim, P. B. (2018). Effects of the educational leadership of nursing
unit managers on team effectiveness: mediating effects of organizational
communication. Asian nursing research, 12(2), 99-105.
Clausen, C., Cummins, K., & Dionne, K. (2017). Educational interventions to enhance
competencies for interprofessional collaboration among nurse and physician managers:
an integrative review. Journal of interprofessional care, 31(6), 685-695.
Hardiman, K. M., Reames, C. D., McLeod, M. C., & Regenbogen, S. E. (2016). Patient
autonomy–centered self-care checklist reduces hospital readmissions after ileostomy
creation. Surgery, 160(5), 1302-1308.
Qasem, M. N., & Hweidi, I. M. (2017). Jordanian nurses’ knowledge of preventing surgical site
infections in acute care settings. Open Journal of Nursing, 7(05), 561.
Yu, H. J., Ling, D. L., & Hu, J. L. (2019). Advancing the quality of care and nursing practice
through emancipatory reflection. Frontiers of Nursing, 6(1), 1-4.