Self Evaluation
Amanda Plaza
New York City College of Technology
NUR 4010
Dr. Egues
7/5/16
For my community nursing clinical rotation, my classmates and I did blood pressure screenings in The Salvation Army in Sunset Park and Our lady of Refuge Church in East Flatbush. At both clinical placements, we taught the community members about healthy food choices and ways to prevent hypertension and diabetes. We were also able to measure the height and weight of dozens of individual in order to calculate body mass indexes and determine their ideal healthy weight. With our screenings and teachings we tried to impact the community in a positive way.
Objective 1: Demonstrates individual professionalism through personal behaviors and appearance.
As a registered nurse and student representing New York City College of Technology, it is important to demonstrate professionalism by behaving and dressing appropriately. This includes arriving to clinical on time and dressed professionally. As a student it is important to take responsibility for my own learning by being prepared for clinical with any due homework or projects. My preparedness and hunger for learning about the communities we influenced allowed me to get the most out of this short summer session.
Objective 2: Employ analytical reasoning and critical thinking skills when providing care to individuals and families in the community setting.
During the clinical rotation it was important to use critical thinking skills when providing care to individuals and families. I had to use my nursing skills when interviewing clients in order to assess how multiple factors could be affecting their health. An individual with high blood pressure does not want to hear only that they should be taking their hypertensive medication as prescribed. Some people learn better by explaining what food choices or methods of food preparation are the healthiest. Others take their elevated blood pressures more seriously when I explained to them that it is putting them at risk for a heart attack or stroke. Knowing what information will be most useful to a particular client is a way I prioritized care based on analysis. It is also important to be culturally sensitive and never make the client feel that you think you are superior to them. In this way client teaching and care is modified according to each individual’s needs.
Objective 3: Effectively communicate with diverse groups and disciplines using a variety of strategies regarding the health needs of individuals and families in the community setting.
One challenge during the clinical rotation was effectively communicating with diverse groups and disciplines. Therapeutic communication skills were implemented in order to grasp the attention of community members and volunteers. Communication was clear with professor Gellar, Sister Susan, food pantry volunteers, individuals and their family members. Teaching was evaluated with surveys and questionnaires. Communication was also fluid among my peers in order to complete our group project in a short span of time. We used text messaging, email, in-person meetings, and phone calls to stay in touch and up to date with our evolving project.
Objective 4: Establish environment conducive to learning and use a plan for learners based on evidence-based practice.
To obtain the highest number of screened individuals possible it was important to establish an environment conducive to the clients learning based on evidence-based practice. We always had a designated area to set up our blood pressure screening table that was easily accessible to people in both clinical sites. The tables were covered with purple table cloths and had multiple blood pressure monitors, flyers, charts and other teaching materials. My group developed a teaching program for the volunteers at OLOR Church that was tailored to their level of understanding and time frame they had available. Our teaching’s effectiveness was also evaluated by a questionnaire that tested the amount of knowledge gained from our teaching.
Objective 5: Utilize informational technology when managing individual and families in the community.
During this clinical rotation it was always important and useful to utilize informational technology when managing individuals and families in the community. On our first clinical day we researched the demographics of Sunset Park and East Flatbush in order to have a better understanding of the community. This was accomplished by using the internet to view “dot gov” and “dot edu” websites that have elaborate details about various neighborhoods nationwide. This knowledge allowed me to have a better understanding of the culture, beliefs and health disparities of the majority of individuals in order to better tailor my teachings during clinical. Furthermore, patient confidentiality was important to maintain. Whenever I wrote down a client’s blood pressure, name, phone number, age and language I would fold the paper to only reveal a column of blood pressure readings. This is how I utilized nursing informatics principles in the clinical area.
Objective 6. Demonstrate .a commitment to professional development
I believe that I have demonstrated a commitment to professional development during this summer semester. To me a big part of professional development is to never stop learning. As nurses we learn best by assessing the environment, individuals and situations. Handling people and situations professionally and making adjustments where appropriate is part of professional development. I feel that I always try to use nursing school, clinical rotation and the nursing process to learn to be the best nurse I can be.
Objective 7. Incorporate professional nursing standards and accountability into practice
In my clinical rotation I utilized the American Nurses Association Standards. I was always professional with clients and volunteers, maintained confidentiality and provided viable information to the community. Clients had the right to refuse if they didn’t want their blood pressure taken or be screened for diabetes. Clients also had the option to opt out of our teaching session. It was important to be aware that our community sites had different missions from each other. During our clinical rotation, Salvation Army’s mission is to give individuals a hot lunch meal and send them on their way. OLOR Church’s mission is to give canned food and other groceries to community members based on their family size. People at the church were more receptive to our screenings and teachings while people at the Salvation Army did not want to miss their place in line for a free meal and chose not to talk to us. Knowledge of these standards and goals is how I incorporated professional nursing standards into my clinical practice.
Objective 8. Collaborate with clients, significant support persons and members of the health care team.
I feel that I did a good job collaborating with the other students, clients and other staff members to deliver the best teaching possible to community members. I talked to volunteers at our clinical sites and offered to help in any way I could with setting up food tables and chairs. Therapeutic communication with clients helped to make teaching centered on the individual client. For example, some clients had private medical doctors and others had no access to health care except for a hospital. Fortunately, there were no extremely high blood pressure readings in which case we would’ve had to refer the client to the emergency room at Lutheran Medical Center or Kings County Hospital.
Objective 9. Recognize the impact of economic, political, social and demographic forces that affect the delivery of health care services
As a community health nurse I had to recognize the impact of economic, political, social and demographic forces that affect the health care system. Many people do not have access to health care or know the steps to obtain health care coverage. Other individuals do not have the time or money to care for themselves when they are the sole provider for their families. Many of the people at the food pantry are receiving canned foods which are high in sodium and stripped of their nutritious value. These foods in turn affect their health by increasing their chance of hypertension, diabetes and other health disparities. By screening and documenting individuals we evaluate the community and can allocate funds where they are needed. Teaching about hypertension and diabetes allows the community health nurse to act as a change agent in the community, as well.
Our community clinical was successful because we were able to screen so many individuals and teach about healthy food choices. Many people came to check their blood pressures week after week and would record their readings in a booklet. This shows that there was an increase in awareness about the importance of monitoring blood pressure. Hopefully the community can continue to have these kids of health screenings to raise awareness to more people in the community. Teaching and encouragement from community health nurses can go a long way to make an impact in communities everywhere.
