NURS 3110 Week 2 Assignment – Self-Assessment of Nursing Informatics Competencies

NURS 3110 Week 2 Assignment – Self-Assessment of Nursing Informatics Competencies

“The nurse is the key to providing safe, effective, and compassionate care at both the individual and organizational levels” (Fitzpatrick, 2015, p. 2). I work in the post-anesthesia care unit and 24-hour stay surgical unit. In my nursing practice, I always find it so important to be vigilant in monitoring vital signs and pain, as well as how the patient is feeling overall. This is how safe, effective, and compassionate care is achieved.

Compassion and attentiveness are what really sets nurses apart from other professionals and practitioners. “Nurses are, and always have been, the patient’s first and last line of defense” (Fitzpatrick, 2015, p. 2). We are the ones who are always there (Fitzpatrick, 2015). Nurses are the constant to patients, and most importantly, we are their advocates. I am the voice for my patient. I speak up for them when they are too weak or too timid to speak for themselves. I page the anesthesiologist when the patient’s pulse oximetry seems to be dropping, or they are having trouble breathing. I call the surgeon when the patient’s pain is uncontrolled.

Diligence in monitoring a patient’s vital signs is so important. For example, I was once discharging a patient from the 24-hour post-operative unit that I work on. The patient told me during his discharge teaching that he had a headache, so I decided to check one last blood pressure before he left. His blood pressure was 200’s/100’s. I paged the discharging doctor, and he wanted to send the patient home like this. However, I told him I did not feel comfortable doing so.

NURS 3110 Week 2 Assignment – Self-Assessment of Nursing Informatics Competencies

“More often than not, it’s the nurse who detects subtle changes in vital signs or behavior that signal a serious or life-threatening event” (Fitzpatrick, 2015, p.2). The doctor gave me an order for 50 mg of metoprolol by mouth. I administered the medication and waited a half hour to recheck the patient’s blood pressure. It had dropped to the 170s/’90s, which I then reported to the doctor. He had me send the patient home and make an appointment to follow up with his primary doctor the next day for blood pressure management. I just felt it was not ethical to send a patient home with such high blood pressure. The patient was worried and uncomfortable, so I became my patient’s voice and told the doctor that we needed to take care of his blood pressure before he was sent home. It is so important for nurses to monitor their patients’ physical well-being.

However, nursing is not just about taking care of the patient physically. It is about taking care of their mental well-being as well. I will always take the time to sit next to a crying patient and hold their hand when they are in pain or rub their back after they receive bad news. I will also try to calm them when they are anxious or celebrate with them when they are happy.

I feel that these nursing practices of mine have furthered the quality and safety of my patients’ care. I check their vitals regularly and monitor how they are feeling mentally. Most importantly, I am the patient’s voice. This helps the patients I am caring for to feel more comfortable and safer in my care.

References

Fitzpatrick, M. A. (2015). The essence of nursing: It’s time to put basic nursing care back in the spotlight. American Nurse Today, 10(5). Retrieved from http://www.americannursetoday.com//wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Essence- Supplement_page-2.pdf

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NURS 3110 Week 2 Assignment – Self-Assessment of Nursing Informatics Competencies

Consider how you could improve your skills in these areas, and identify resources within your organization as well as external resources that could be used to develop nursing informatics competencies.