Professional Portfolio, Essay Example

Professional mission statement

Being a nurse has always been my life goal ever since I joined high school. However, back then, I did not know the type of nurse I would like to be. It was during my training program that I decided I wanted to be a public health nurse. A public health nurse practices in several settings with the primary objectives of preventing diseases, reducing the vulnerabilities of individuals to illnesses, and promoting health. Public health nurses achieve these vital objectives, primarily through the evaluation and control of social determinants. Therefore, in this statement, I will provide my professional portfolio that demonstrates my competencies in various nursing concepts.

Professional summary

The completed works in my portfolio are essential for my development as a healthcare professional and as a learner. These artifacts include tasks on professional roles and values, reports on applied leadership in nursing, assessment on leadership and organizational structures, studies on evidence-based practice in healthcare, and research about community health and nursing interventions for the general population. These studies have ensured that I am knowledgeable about the various concepts in medical care. Therefore, these works also represent my strengths as a healthcare professional.

In addition to this, the artifacts in my portfolio present me not only as a professional but also a learner. As a learner, I have researched numerous concepts in the healthcare sector to gain more knowledge and skills. For instance, I have conducted two studies regarding evidence-based care. In these studies, I explored the effects of oral opioid and nonopioid on acute pain. I have thus gained immense knowledge about this aspect.

Moreover, I am more appreciative of the role of evidence-based practice in healthcare. As a professional, it is my role to explore the various approaches to treatment that improve the quality of medical care and health intervention programs. The tasks in my portfolio, like the tasks on professional roles and values, have facilitated me to achieve this objective.

The works I have completed in the program also present my strengths as a medical care provider. These skills include communication skills, problem-solving skills, analytical strengths, research and evaluation skills, and negotiation skills. These artifacts also indicate that I am knowledgeable about the several crucial aspects of healthcare. Moreover, my works in professional roles and values have described my ethical principles in my career. For a public health nurse, these elements are vital in performing the various duties that form the three main objectives of the profession. A public health nurse must be able to communicate with multiple stakeholders and patients, offer solutions to various health and social challenges in the community, and negotiate and lobby for different policies. Moreover, a health profession must have the necessary skills to analyze multiple policies and health intervention programs. These are the core strengths that will establish me in this profession.

The problem that I have gone through during my advancement in this program is communication challenges with various patients. Some patients find it difficult to understand the different health intervention programs that may be beneficial to them. Moreover, patients come from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. These cultures influence their perception and reception of various healthcare programs. Therefore, one of the primary challenges that I have faced is knowing how to offer healthcare that meets the cultural requirements of these patients.

However, I have utilized my primary strengths and skills to overcome this challenge. As noted above, communication skills are essential in the healthcare profession, and these skills are part of my core professional strengths. I have been able to communicate with several patients and established the proper way of inquiring about the healthcare programs that they prefer and those that they find to be offensive. Communicating with patients is also essential to determine their perception and responses to several health interventions. I have established that patients from multiple backgrounds and cultures appreciate healthcare providers who are keen on their needs and respect their preferences.

A healthcare professional must fulfill several roles, such as scientist, detective, and manager of the healing environment in the professional program. As a scientist, the healthcare professional has to help in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases in patients. I have achieved this role by practically working with several patients in multiple settings. Moreover, I have conducted several studies in my role as a scientist on the role of opioid and nonopioid analgesics in pain management.

As a detective, the primary role of a healthcare professional is to analyze and forecast the outcomes of several health intervention programs and the effect of deviations of some aspects in the provision of medical care. I have also achieved this role by evaluating my practice in realistic settings, whereby I have utilized my analytical skills to gauge the effects of specific policies and innovations in medical care provision. I also examined the consequences of my decisions in various ethical dilemmas like when I handled a patient who requested personal help which conflicted with my ethical principles.

In addition to this, I have fulfilled the role of a manager of the healing environment in my program by creating suitable conditions for patients that meet their various preferences, including the social, cultural, political, and economic aspects. Through this process, I have worked to reduce environmental and internal stressors that may affect the healing process of my patients. Furthermore, I have analyzed several elements that contribute to the treatment process, such as privacy, waiting times, and spacing in the healthcare center, and formulated ways to address them. This factor also reduced the environmental stressors for patients.

Through all these processes, I have grown both personally and professionally. As a healthcare professional, I have grown to understand the various factors that affect the treatment process to patients and the patient’s perception of these factors. This process has enabled me to offer better care to patients and improve their treatment outcomes. In addition to this, I have developed several skills that are necessary for the development of health intervention programs and policies. For instance, I now understand the benefits and necessity of using evidence-based practices in healthcare provisions. Moreover, I have evaluated the quality of my care through analyses of realistic scenarios.

Quality and safety

From my studies on professional roles and values, I have defined quality of care as the level to which the healthcare providers meet the needs of the patient by offering medical care, which improves the health outcomes of patients. Safety refers to this component of improved health outcomes. The safety aspect of healthcare programs may also refer to programs that do not endanger the life or wellbeing of individuals. Therefore, quality and safety are interrelated components that form the foundation of healthcare programs.

This program contained tasks that required me to evaluate professional roles and values in healthcare. In these tasks, I conducted several studies, such as reviewing the Novice to Expert Theory, the importance of sanitary conditions in treating patients, and the roles of nursing associations and regulatory agencies. Through these studies, I have understood the aspects of quality of treatment procedures and developed the definitions.

The works in this program that enable me to define the quality of healthcare and safety are my tasks in the roles and values of medical professionals. These studies have helped me to evaluate the different elements in healthcare programs and their effects on medical care provision. Moreover, I have also conducted several studies on evidence-based practices in healthcare, which have informed me regarding the aspects of quality and care and have assisted me in formulating a suitable definition.

The Institute of Healthcare Improvement

The Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI) is a globally acknowledged organization, particularly on the aspects of innovation, quality, and exemplary learning. Therefore, the IHI certificate will propel my carrier as a professional nurse. This certificate will enable me to work with numerous other professionals in the fields of research, policy formulation, and public health sectors. Furthermore, the IHI certificate will facilitate me to unlock future learning and career opportunities. I would like to advance my education in this field, and I believe the IHI certificate will aid me in securing a place in quality learning institutions. By so doing, I will also advance my career.

Evidence-based practice

Evidence-based practice refers to the development and use of healthcare programs and policies based on evidence from scientific studies. These studies must encompass the use of systematic data and information. Therefore, evidence-based practices focus on the quality of healthcare programs and the safety of patients by ensuring the health interventions that healthcare providers offer to patients have scientific backing. Evidence-based practice helps to avoid adverse effects on patients’ health by using unproven interventions. Moreover, evidence-based practices ensure that healthcare interventions are safe for all patients, including in the aspects of the social determinants that affect them.

The program has been influential in shaping my definitions of evidence-based practices. In my first evidence-based practice task, I evaluated the effect of different analgesics on acute extremity pain in the emergency department. In contrast, my second task on evidence-based research considered the aspect of the nurse to patient staffing ratios. These assessments have given me a background in the study of these practices, which has informed my definition. I have, therefore, gained significant knowledge regarding these facets of the healthcare profession. I am also more capable of formulating a definition of evidence-based practices according to my background analyses.

The evaluation of primary research is essential in the utilization of evidence-based practices and applying these concepts to my nursing practice. The most critical elements in these assessments are establishing the accuracy of data, determining the differences between research and improvement of quality aspects, and analyzing primary and secondary research and their implications.

Reflection on my understanding of evidence-based practices

To establish the relevancy and accuracy of data, one assesses whether the researchers have disclosed any bias in the study. Moreover, an assessment of the methodology of the study, including the sampling method and data collection process, determines the study’s accuracy. One can also resolve the accuracy and relevancy of the study by comparing the results between different studies.

The significant difference between quality improvement and research is that the latter applies the methodology of data collection and data analysis to draw inferences relating to various elements. However, quality improvements do not rely on methods for analysis but instead focuses on improving patient outcomes by using systematic procedures from completed research. Therefore, one can distinguish these two facets by examining the methodologies in the studies. Research is applicable in the development of new processes or interventions, while quality improvement is applicable in using analysis from research to formulate procedures and responses.

Furthermore, the difference between primary studies and secondary research is that the former involves the firsthand collection and analysis of data. In contrast, secondary research consists of studying research which other researchers have already done and concluded. Primary data is often applicable when there is no specific information from completed studies, and therefore, a researcher has to analyze data to develop the needed information. The program has enabled me to determine these aspects and differences by guiding me through the processes of using various studies for different requirements.

Applied leadership

Applied leadership in healthcare is the process by which nurses use their learned leadership skills to communicate with other individuals within their teams professionally. Nurses and healthcare providers must effectively communicate with their teams to ensure they coordinate the healthcare delivery process to the patients. In addition to this, applied leadership is also essential for professional collaboration. Applied leadership in nursing follows the core principles of assessing the vulnerabilities of patients to diseases, using evidence-based practices for continuous improvement, and improving the efficiency and coordination of healthcare delivery. I will, therefore, employ the leadership skills I have gained throughout the program to offer quality care to all my patients.

I have conducted several studies in the program regarding applied leadership, including one on organizational systems and quality leadership. Through this task, I learned several aspects relating to medical care, like the role of the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI). The (NDNQI) has helped me to define the various facets of applied leadership by establishing the professional mission statement of medical professionals. The program also provides the qualities and principles that are essential in applied clinical leadership. Moreover, the task of quality leadership has also taken me through various practical scenarios where I have applied my leadership skills in my team for the patients’ benefits.

Several items that form the basis of my definition of applied leadership include the lists of readings that I have undertaken, reports of various studies in which I have participated, and transcripts of my clinical rotations. My clinical rotations form the most significant elements of my practical experiences in the nursing program. These experiences have shaped my perspective of several aspects in the profession, including the facets of leadership. Moreover, these artefacts have aided me in the development of the definition of applied leadership by providing the various cases in which leadership is applicable in the clinical setting.

Interprofessional collaboration refers to the holistic engagement of various healthcare providers and other caregivers like parents and the community with the patients. Interprofessional collaboration aids in the integration of different perspectives from all these parties to deliver high quality and safe care to the patients. Therefore, the most significant benefit of interprofessional communication is the improvement of patient outcomes. Moreover, interprofessional collaboration also improves the relationship among different fields in healthcare and other professions.

Community and population health

My portfolio also includes a report on the elements of community health nursing. This study influenced my definition of these facets of healthcare by offering me insights regarding the various elements of public health. In my interpretation, public health encompasses both community and population health. Moreover, the program also equipped me with the necessary skills for community and population health provision through my practical experiences when working with various communities and populations. I gained these experiences through my community health nursing task. The program also required me to assess multiple studies regarding the elements of public health provision.

The items in my portfolio which have guided my understanding of population and community health are my reports regarding the studies on public health, and particularly on the facets of community health and population health. These artifacts support my definition by analyzing the concepts of community health and population health. Moreover, these studies also offer insights regarding the various elements of these health intervention programs. These perspectives relate to the approaches of community health programs and their benefits and have shaped my understanding of community health.

The main lesson from my community health task is that communities comprise of persons with different health needs. These individuals also face social determinants that influence their health and health needs in different ways. Therefore, community health programs must consider these factors in the formulation of health intervention programs for the community. By so doing, the healthcare providers will be able to target the multiple health needs of the individuals in the community for better outcomes. Moreover, healthcare providers must partner with various members of the community to ensure they can effectively diagnose the different healthcare requirements of the community members.

In my initial community diagnosis, I had established that the main social determinants that influenced the community’s health are poor nutrition and unstable economic conditions. I also determined that these social determinants led to conditions such as malnutrition for some of the community members, while others suffered from similar ailments such as iron deficiency. However, after working with the community and several leaders of the population, I established that the community did not have a challenge with its economic conditions. The main factor for the community’s health needs was that they lacked the necessary information regarding the proper ways to prepare healthy diets.

Summary of American Museum of Natural History

The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) professional course focuses on the elements of genetics, genomics, and genetics. These aspects offer promise for the future of medicine in the treatment of multiple diseases and the development of vaccines. Moreover, genetics and genomics will allow scientists to use genetic information to solve various medical issues that do not have a practical solution at the moment. Therefore, the AMNH certificate will enable me to understand these fields and work in these critical studies relating to genetics and genomics.