Identify and describe at least three professional resources that can be applied to success in the nursing practice in general or your specialty in particular NURS-6003, week 3 Assignment, Academic success and professional development plan Explain how you intend to use these resources

Academic success and professional development plan

As a MSN student and practicing nurse, there are two professional teams who would be suitable for collaborations. The two professional individuals are a preceptor and nursing professional development specialist (NPDS). The two would be responsible for offering guidance on the clinical aspects of nursing practice while using encouragement, skill and knowledge. Regularly meetings with the two professionals can allow nurses to assess their progress as they gain comfort in their new position, determine the resources, support and training required for successful careers, and evaluate competencies. To be more precise, the preceptor and NPDS have skills and knowledge of leadership, continuing education, program development and management, career development, and learning principles that are useful to nurse practitioners. Their identities and positions are based on the science of education, leadership, communication, change, evidence-based practice, research, technology and nursing as they pertain to nursing professional development. Through their experience, the preceptor and NPDS would help me to engage in lifelong learning to facilitate achievement of practice career and academic goals, advance professional nursing practice, and develop and maintain my competencies (Porter-O’Grady & Malloch, 2016). NURS-6003, week 3 Assignment, Academic success and professional development plan

In addition to that, the responsibility of the two professional individuals extend to a range of nursing care environments and practice settings, allowing them to facilitate the learning experience of persons seeking to become nurses. Within the clinical setting outside the school MSN program, the two professional individuals would seek to manage, precept and orient nurses who have newly graduated to work at the point of care. Besides that, they would support quality improvement, evidence-based practice and nursing practice through professional nurse development. This occurs through working with a wide range of tiered academically prepared nurses, learning needs and competencies across all care environments and practice settings. Additionally, they partner with nurse leaders and health care providers to ensure an efficient, effective and safe care environment through involvement in nursing practice excellence, evidence-based practice implementation, research, leadership, return on investment, continuing education, competencies management, portfolio and program development, clinical and academic education, and project management (Fitzpatrick, Ea & Bai, 2017).

Five roles of the two professional individuals are evident. Firstly, they act as mentors who guide nurses through the many pathways of their careers, offering advice on resume and curriculum vitae writing, specialty selection, and the many possibilities of future development. Secondly, they act as servant leaders who integrate leadership, service and ethical principles to provide guidance, protection, boundaries, support, respect and encouragement to influence professional transition. Thirdly, they act as researchers to facilitate evidence-based practice by evaluating, integrating, translating, collaborating and advising research through reflective discussion, education and practice. Fourthly, they act as change agents who identify nursing issues and link them to quality indicators and latest evidence through information sharing, in-services and learning activities. In fact, they engage in inter- and intra-professional discussions for incorporating change, team building and problem-solving to address organization and individual needs. NURS-6003, week 3 Assignment, Academic success and professional development plan. Finally, they act as educators who assess a nurse’s learning needs, competencies, strengths and opportunities for improving technical, interpersonal and critical thinking skills while evaluating outcomes and offering feedback (Marquis & Huston, 2017). Overall, preceptors and NPDS are specialists who embody the unique experiences, insights, skills and knowledge of nurses, have advanced their practice into academic, continuing education and staff development, and whose functions can be summarized as contributing to the lifelong ethical practice development and learning of nurses.

References

Fitzpatrick, J., Ea, E. & Bai, L. (2017). 301 careers in nursing. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

Marquis, B. & Huston, C. (2017). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: theory and application (9th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.

Porter-O’Grady, T. & Malloch, K. (2016). Leadership in nursing practice: changing the landscape of healthcare (2nd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. NURS-6003, week 3