Introduction
As an Advanced Nurse Practitioner, I am expected to provide services from a holistic nursing perspective, integrated with the autonomous treatment and diagnosis of acute and chronic illnesses. This personal development plan is a formal means by which I set out the goals, strategies, and outcomes of my career. It is in alignment with the professional requirements and is meets statutory and regulatory bodies around continuing professional development. It is a revalidation to demonstrate professional standing, retain a license to practice and stay on a professional register. The plan contains APN scope of practice, personal assessment and networking and marketing strategies. The Scope of Practice provides a full range of practice privileges allowed by licensure and certification based on state’s legislation.
APN Scope of Practice
As a new Nurse Practitioner, the scope of practice will extend to medical diagnosis and treatment of patients with episodic, acute, episodic, or chronic medical conditions. As a nurse practitioners working in specialty areas particularly primary care, it will be necessary to have skills at utilizing and interpreting a wide range of diagnostic tools. While it will not be possible to perform complex surgical procedures, invasive treatment procedures will be part of the scope of practice. Hospital admissions will also be part of the practice as it is allowed by the State. Since I can operate in primary and specialty health care, skills that blend primary and nursing care services will be utilized in a range of settings from small free clinics to large healthcare organizations.
Nurse practitioners can also provide care in collaborative and independent practices, specialty clinics, hospitals, long-term facilities, family planning clinics, surgical centers, school health centers, home care agencies, hospices and health maintenance organizations. My scope of practice includes all activities within the scope of practice of RN. However, there are restricted activities that present a significant risk of harm to patients and are therefore reserved for specific health professions only. There are regulations that assign specifically restricted activities to nursing practitioners. The scope of practice will be guided by Standards of Practice in patient care. These standards of practice that relate to practice in a particular setting, such as acute, an ambulatory or long-term care facility will be put into consideration. Additional responsibilities will include patient advocacy, health education and promotion, collaborative responsibilities and quality assurance.
Personal Assessment
As a nurse practitioner, I will be required to utilize scientific processes and theoretical knowledge in practice. These require a unique combination of skills that can be applied is a broad range of practice options. The most recognized responsibilities include health care provider, consultant, educator, researcher, coach, and administrator. Nurse practitioners require a wide range of skills including compassion, self-confidence, leadership skills, analytical skills, interpersonal skills and excellent communication abilities. Nurses must also have problem-solving skills and decision-making and possess a base knowledge various subjects. Below is a list of my personal skills and competencies.
Strengths
- Reading Comprehension.
I easily understand written materials and work related documents.
- Active Listening.
I give full attention to what other people say, interrupt at appropriate times, take the time to understand the points being made and ask questions when appropriate.
- Critical Thinking.
I use logic and reasoning to approach problems, identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions and make conclusions.
- Active Learning.
I understand the implications of new information for both future and current decision-making and problem-solving.
- Social Perceptiveness
I am well aware of other people’s reactions and understand why they react as they do.
- Complex Problem Solving
I can identify complex problems and review related information to establish and evaluate options and execute solutions.
- Judgment and Decision Making
I have the ability to consider the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Monitoring
I can effectively monitor and assess the performance of myself and other individuals, take corrective action or to make improvements.
- Writing
I am an effective communicator and can write appropriately for the needs of the audience.
- Developing relationships-
I easily develop relationships. This strength will be important in providing services to individuals from diverse backgrounds in a friendly manner.
Weaknesses
- Persistent
I am not a persistent individual. I prefer carrying out activities that have short time schedules.
- Stress tolerance
I have a low level of stress tolerance. I prefer dealing with low-stress situations and calmly individuals.
Goals
Short term goals
- Complete of the Master of Science in Nursing program in the next few months
- Become a Certified Nurse Practitioner
- Work part-time at a Pediatric office
- Begin the Doctorate of Nursing Practice program
- Graduate from the Masters of Nursing Practice program
Long term goals
- Work full-time as a Nurse Practitioner
- Work in a clinical practice and educate new practitioners
- Engage in volunteer work and community involvement
Objectives
Provide services from a holistic nursing perspective in alignment with the professional and statutory requirements.
Networking and Marketing Strategies
Find my niche
There are a lot of patients looking for alternatives. Finding my niche and capitalizing on it is a strategy that will enhance my reputation in a specific field. I won’t try to be everything to everybody as I plan to specialize in one practice. Promoting a practice can be easier particularly when you offer different service that others don’t.
Marketing to established Patients and colleagues
Marketing is not simply a self-conscious promotion. Before starting engaging in practice, I will start as an acute-care nurse practitioner. This way will help in later practice. By making contacts with people, it will increase my contacts with other people. Referrals can be a big source of patients. Additionally, this type of marketing is the least expensive.
Competitive Pricing
Given that the market-driven health care system has a growing surplus of physicians; it is common to find oneself in direct competition with physicians for most primary care jobs. Hence, market-driven pricing of services will be necessary if I have to compete successfully with other trained providers of primary care.
Others
- Send news releases to a local newspaper. The news releases will provide straightforward information about current medical technology, health studies, and the services I will be providing. Self-serving claims that seem like advertisements will be avoided.
- Offer to be interviewed for a health report on radio or television programs and write a health column for a local newspaper.
- Offer a door prize for a local event or sponsor local sports teams
- Engage in community service project or health fair
- Offer a free lecture on a health care topic through a local service club.
- Since it can be costly to place an ad in the larger directories, I will consider smaller, audience-specific directories by getting listed in yellow pages that can point select populations my way.
Conclusion
As Nurse Practitioner with Masters Qualifications, I have the capacity to provide the highest quality care to patients. Comprehensive knowledge and skills obtained from the program and continuing training will enable me to provide the best services to patients. So far, I have learned to utilize evidence-based guidelines and research to better serve my patients. My educational background provides a foundation for an advanced practice nursing career that will enhance compassionate and cohesive patient care. I plan to continue involvement with local nurse practitioner councils during my career. I also plan to volunteer to give back to the community as a nurse practitioner.
References
Klein, T. A. (2005). The scope of practice: APN Topics in Advanced Practice Nursing eJournal, 5(2).
Nieminen, A. Fagerström, L. L.& Mannevaara, B (2011). Advanced practice nurses’ scope of practice: Advanced clinical competencies. Scandinavian journal of caring sciences, 25(4), 661-670.
Pulcini, J., Jelic, M., Gul, R., & Loke, A. Y. (2010). AAdvanced practice nursing practice, and regulation. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 42(1), 31-39.
Schweitzer, D. J., & Krassa, T. J. (2010). Deterrents to nurses’ participation in continuing professional development: An integrative literature review. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 41(10), 441-447.
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