Question 1
The roles which nurses play in the health care provision process cannot be understated. Ensuring that ailing patients have had their emotional, physical and spiritual needs addressed goes a long way in making sure that such patients emerge with desirable positive outcomes. Similarly, the functions of the advanced practice nurses in the process of providing healthcare services to patients, educational processes and in providing leadership in such settings are equally vital in ensuring that the healthcare system runs in a smooth manner. Imogene King in her theory of goal attainment stresses on the need for ensuring accuracies regarding the interactions between the nurse and the patient as a way of overseeing desirable transactions between these two individuals (Current Nursing, 2012). Proper communication is also essential in setting goals to be attained and providing a framework under which such goals can be attained.
In line with King’S theory, a nurse practitioner will be expected to serve in clinical settings in providing health services, act as a consultant regarding different ailments, participate in the research processes, coach the nurses working under him/her watch and finally act as an administrator in healthcare facilities (Iglehart, 2013). In addition to these roles, nurse practitioners take a central role in health promotion which is an important step in ensuring the wellness of persons living in communities by reducing the possible impacts of illnesses.
As regards to nursing educators, it is essential that individuals with an exceptional form of nursing education be employed in developing a competent care provision work force. These individuals work both in clinical and learning settings and are involved in researching and other scholarly undertakings, speaking during nursing conferences, writing and reviewing nursing educational materials, and advising students on the courses which they can take (Graduating Nursing Edu, 2017).
Finally, a nurse leader works in clinical settings with the objectives of carrying out assessments regarding the forms of data that are essential for addressing trends and issues in the facility, identifying and analyzing possible problems in the facility, identifying the expected outcomes from carrying out different activities, implementing health promotion and consultation plans and evaluating the progresses made in attaining the desired goals (D’Amour et al., 2012).
Question 2
Unlike the past half century where the primary goal of the nursing profession was focused on the patient and addressing his/her medical problems, the current objectives of the nursing profession have revolutionized with its scope of coverage expanding. The current goals of nursing can be considered to be an extrapolation of the previous half century’s goals. It is imperative to note that the current goal of nursing care is to see to it that a holistic form of care has been provided to the patient. In this regard, it is vital that the individuals tasked with providing healthcare services to patients to consider their emotional, spiritual and physical needs which will serve as the basis for achieving holistic and patient-centered care (Brooker & Waugh, 2013). Such a realization is aligned with King’s theory of nursing which stresses the importance of nurse and patient communication in setting goals which the care provision process ought to achieve.
Question 3
The realization that the present day nursing practice focuses on the metaparadigm of nursing makes it to be regarded as a unifying factor. As regards to the person, the field of nursing does not only focus on the patient himself but as a part of their relatives and family. Such a realization makes it easy to provide nursing care to an individual since all their needs will be known beforehand (Lee & Fawcett, 2013). In terms of health, nursing practice takes into account a combination of genetic factors and other issues like spiritual wellness and a person’s intellect in designing the most appropriate form of care for such individuals. Finally, in regards to the environment in which an individual lives, nursing practice requires that such a setting needs to be conducive to facilitate the healing of a patient.
Question 4
For any professional nursing practice, emphasis is usually put in the translation of evidence into practice. For master’s prepared nurses, it is essential for them to be at the forefront in seeing to it that they provide their input regarding all the aspects of care and identifying the possible gaps of evidence that need to be filled. As such, it is essential for these professionals to be knowledgeable in terms of translating research into practice since such a move will assist in resolving the problems which individuals in healthcare settings will be presenting with the intentions of improving their clinical outcomes (AACN, 2011). Such knowledge will also be crucial when making crucial changes regarding the operations of healthcare facilities.
References
AACN. (2011). The Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing. Retrieved from http://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/schools/son/pdf2/MastersEssentials11.pdf
Brooker, C., & Waugh, A. (2013). Foundations of nursing practice: Fundamentals of holistic care. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Current Nursing. (2012). Imogene King's Theory of Goal Attainment. Retrieved from http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/goal_attainment_theory.html
D’Amour, D., Dubois, C. A., Déry, J., Clarke, S., Tchouaket, É., Blais, R., & Rivard, M. (2012). Measuring actual scope of nursing practice: a new tool for nurse leaders. Journal of Nursing Administration, 42(5), 248-255.
Graduating Nursing Edu. (2017). Nurse Educator Job Description. Retrieved from http://www.graduatenursingedu.org/nurse-educator/
Iglehart, J. K. (2013). Expanding the role of advanced nurse practitioners—risks and rewards.
Lee, R. C., & Fawcett, J. (2013). The influence of the metaparadigm of nursing on professional identity development among RN-BSN students. Nursing science quarterly, 26(1), 96-98.
