Professional Nursing Practice- AACN Essentials
Professional Nursing Practice- AACN Essentials
Generally, values entail the beliefs and goals that focus on establishing standard behavior and further provide the basis for decision-making. Professionally, values entail action standards that establish frameworks for evaluating behavior preferred by experts and professional groups. In nursing, values have, over the years, played a fundamental role in shaping the ethical standards, professional performance, and practices applied by this group of healthcare professionals (Poorchangizi et al. 2019). Some of the core values applied in nursing and healthcare include autonomy, altruism, integrity, human dignity, social justice, and honesty. However, applying these values in caring for patients is primarily influenced by culture, the economy, religion, and social constructs that dominate society. Similarly, professional values among nursing students may be affected and influenced by the curriculum, highlighting the significance of integrating them across all aspects of the learning and practice sectors (Poorchangizi et al. 2019). Therefore, this write-up’s essence entails discussing the relationship between professional nursing practice outlined by the AACN Essentials and several topics that impact the profession.
Historical Nursing Perspective and Current Issues
Over the past few decades, the systems applied in delivering care to patients have drastically changed, primarily due to the endorsement of standards and values put forth by different regulatory bodies and professional groups. Among the standards and values endorsed include the Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice, reports and recommendations from the Institute of Medicine (IOM), and the American Hospital Association (AHA), among others (Poorchangizi et al. 2019). These systems have transformed the historical nursing perspective into a practice that epitomizes building a safer healthcare system and prioritizes the patients’ health and spiritual needs. Historically, the nursing profession was perceived as a platform that fosters caring for the patients’ needs based on agreed practices and the guidelines set out by physicians and other professional groups. However, following the endorsement of the values and standards stipulated by the professional groups and regulatory bodies, nursing has become identified as a profession that has the potential to make the most significant impact in transforming healthcare delivery into a cost-effective, high quality, and safe system (Zaccagnini & Pechacek, 2019).
Besides, the increase in the awareness of the need for change in the healthcare system in the recent past has shifted the focus on clinical microsystems to improving healthcare outcomes. The healthcare system in the United States and across the globe is currently faced with a shortage of nurses, alongside increased concern over healthcare outcomes, intensifying the demand for more diversified nursing services (Zaccagnini & Pechacek, 2019). Regardless of the annual increment in enrollments at the entry-level of baccalaureate nursing programs, the potential and practicing nurses’ population does not suffice the projected demand for nurses. Nonetheless, the integration of the AACN essentials into the curriculum and across the various aspects of the practice would guarantee the delivery of patient-centered care based on the formulation of interprofessional teams, emphasis on evidence-based practices, and the adoption of quality improvement approaches and informatics (Zaccagnini & Pechacek, 2019).
Implications for Nursing Practice by Providing Patient-centered Care
Through well-rounded liberal education that encapsulates disciplines such as art, culture, science, and society, nurses have prioritized their patients’ needs and those in the healthcare system. As a result, the application of the AACN essentials in the nursing practice has enabled this group of healthcare professionals to engage in the formulation of the health care policy (Zaccagnini & Pechacek, 2019). It has further fostered the identification of the healthcare system’s problems and boosted advocacy for social justice for both nurses and patients. Consequently, improving patient outcomes by focusing on their health and spiritual needs has brought along positive changes in the nursing practice through advances in clinical judgment, the delivery of care based on evidence, and systems thinking (Poorchangizi et al. 2019).
EBP as a guide for Nursing Practice and Clinical Decision-Making
As mentioned herein, emphasis on improving patient outcomes has shifted the focus to patients’ health and spiritual needs, which has led to positive changes in the nursing practice. However, this goal’s attainment involves a comprehensive assessment of patients’ needs, mentorship of nurses, and patient guidance through complex situations (Zaccagnini & Pechacek, 2019). These components further require the evaluation and interpretation of epidemiological, environmental, biostatistical, and occupational information imperative to improving an individual’s health and the welfare of the communities. They further equip nurses with the necessary skills for synthesizing the cultural and psychosocial impacts related to population health. Through the AACN essentials, nurses have learned to use evidence-based practices as a guide that informs their clinical decision-making and problem-solving skills and abilities (Poorchangizi et al. 2019).
Healthcare Systems and Member Roles
The endorsement and application of the AACN essentials have fostered the acquisition of vital skills and knowledge to improve the quality of healthcare, leadership, and safety of the patients. These essential components have fostered collaboration and communication among healthcare professionals, critical values in delivering safe and high-quality care (Zaccagnini & Pechacek, 2019). Through these essentials, healthcare professionals have collaborated and formulated interprofessional teams that prioritize and address their patients’ needs. As a result, patient and health outcomes have improved significantly as these interprofessional teams play their specific roles in ensuring that patients’ needs are addressed accordingly (Zaccagnini & Pechacek, 2019).
Improving Patient Care Outcomes and ensuring a safe care environment through Information Technology
Today, the nursing practice environment has become more diversified and globalized due to scientific advances in genetics and genomics that harbor a significant effect on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of illnesses. Similarly, the increase in the prevalence of chronic illnesses has been associated with the older adult population’s growth, lifestyles that intensify people’s susceptibility, environmental threats, and enhanced technological and therapeutic interventions that prolong life (Zaccagnini & Pechacek, 2019). Among the elements that influence nurses’ roles include scientific advances, changes in patients’ demographics, new care technologies, and increased healthcare information access.
At the center of it all and the provision of efficient, safe, and patient-centered care is technology. The AACN essentials’ endorsement has allowed nurses to learn how to utilize information on patient care and technology to boost their clinical decision-making and leadership. The in-depth comprehension of information technology practices has placed nurses at the frontline of delivering healthcare by equipping them with the knowledge in innovations, evaluating the appropriateness of consumer information, and resolving the resultant ethical and legal issues (Poorchangizi et al. 2019).
Quality Improvement effects on HealthCare Systems and Patient Outcomes
By endorsing the AACN essentials, nurses have acquired vast skills and knowledge on how to evaluate, translate, and disseminate findings into practical standards, improving the nursing practice and healthcare systems in general. They have further learned to assimilate nursing science and practice with a diverse patient population (Zaccagnini & Pechacek, 2019). The attainment of these goals has occurred by acquiring vital skills such as developing clinical practice guidelines, evaluating patient outcomes, and formulating evidence-based interventions. These elements have significantly contributed to identifying issues facing healthcare systems and those that extend to patient outcomes. However, addressing them through the quality improvement of care services has played an integral role in transforming healthcare systems to prioritize patients’ needs (Zaccagnini & Pechacek, 2019).
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, values have, over the years, shaped the ethical standards, professional performance, and practices applied by nurses. By endorsing the standards and guidelines outlined by regulatory bodies and professional groups such as the AACN, nurses have acquired various values, skills, and vast knowledge. Among the core values acquired and applied in the nursing profession include autonomy, altruism, integrity, human dignity, social justice, and honesty. However, applying these values in caring for patients is prone to effects and influence by cultural, economic, religious, and social conditions that dominate society. Similarly, nursing students’ professional values and practice may be affected and influenced by the curriculum, highlighting the significance of integrating them across all aspects of the learning and practice sectors.
References
Poorchangizi, B., Borhani, F., Abbaszadeh, A., Mirzaee, M., & Farokhzadian, J. (2019). The importance of professional values from nursing students’ perspective. BMC Nursing, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-019-0351-1
Zaccagnini, M., & Pechacek, J. M. (2019). The doctor of nursing practice essentials: A new model for advanced practice nursing. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
