Professionalism
Professionalism is an elusive quality to pin to a particular nursing school project. In my case, I have used my nursing education and continuing education to develop in arenas outside of my workplace and school.
Specifically, I have become deeply involved in a number of projects which will enhance nursing in my state, and among specific communities within them. I hold membership in the Arizona Chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN). I am part of a task force that is working to bring more Hispanic persons into the field of nursing. Hispanics are grossly underrepresented in healthcare as a percentage of the actual population. For example, in my county, Hispanic persons make up 30% of the population, yet only 3% of the nursing workforce is Hispanic. This causes many problems with quality of care, most notably caused by the language barrier.
I am also developing a mentorship/preceptorship program for NAHN, to likewise provide a channel for nursing progression into the field following licensure. It is hoped that the membership drive, combined with mentorship will provide seamless continuity into the profession for Hispanic nurses-to-be.
These activities directly impact the healthcare in my county. Bringing more Hispanic and Spanish-speaking nurses into the workforce will improve healthcare accessibility to the Hispanic communities, particularly the one I work in. This will have a positive net effect on cost of healthcare, visits to emergency rooms, and proper treatment of chronic conditions.
Another function of mine as District Nurse is community outreach. I work closely with the Area Agency on Aging with respect to assisting elders in my school district to receive resources available to them. A link to the Agency is found below.
Reflective statement: My involvement in these associations and activities are made possible by my continuing education in nursing; my knowledge of how to navigate political and agency processes from government healthcare funding sources stems from the didactic material I have studied. This practical application in real-world circumstances demonstrates a successful learning outcome of the nursing competency, Professionalism.
Specifically, I have become deeply involved in a number of projects which will enhance nursing in my state, and among specific communities within them. I hold membership in the Arizona Chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN). I am part of a task force that is working to bring more Hispanic persons into the field of nursing. Hispanics are grossly underrepresented in healthcare as a percentage of the actual population. For example, in my county, Hispanic persons make up 30% of the population, yet only 3% of the nursing workforce is Hispanic. This causes many problems with quality of care, most notably caused by the language barrier.
I am also developing a mentorship/preceptorship program for NAHN, to likewise provide a channel for nursing progression into the field following licensure. It is hoped that the membership drive, combined with mentorship will provide seamless continuity into the profession for Hispanic nurses-to-be.
These activities directly impact the healthcare in my county. Bringing more Hispanic and Spanish-speaking nurses into the workforce will improve healthcare accessibility to the Hispanic communities, particularly the one I work in. This will have a positive net effect on cost of healthcare, visits to emergency rooms, and proper treatment of chronic conditions.
Another function of mine as District Nurse is community outreach. I work closely with the Area Agency on Aging with respect to assisting elders in my school district to receive resources available to them. A link to the Agency is found below.
Reflective statement: My involvement in these associations and activities are made possible by my continuing education in nursing; my knowledge of how to navigate political and agency processes from government healthcare funding sources stems from the didactic material I have studied. This practical application in real-world circumstances demonstrates a successful learning outcome of the nursing competency, Professionalism.