NURSING AS A PROFESSION
What happens between the
first picture of graduating
students and the second
picture of RN’s ?
Dimensions of Professional Nursing:
Education
• 3 types of education programs give students
the eligibility to take NCLEX – RN
Dimensions of Professional Nursing:
Graduate Education
• Certifications
• Masters Degree – approximately 2 years post BSN: Administration;
Nursing Education
• FNP – DNP
• Ph.D. - Terminal Degree (highest degree available: teaching, high
level hospital administration, research
Dimensions of Professional Nursing:
Nursing Organizations
• NLN: National League for Nursing
“The National League for Nursing promotes excellence in nursing
education to build a strong and diverse nursing workforce to advance
the health of our nation and the global community”
(http://www.nln.org/)
• ANA: American Nurse’s Association
“The American Nurses Association (ANA) is the only full-service
professional organization representing the nation's entire registered
nurse population
(http://www.nursingworld.org/FunctionalMenuCategories/AboutANA/A
NAsStatementofPurpose.html).
• STTI: Sigma Theta Tau Inc
National Nurses Honor Society
http://www.nursingsociety.org/
Dimensions of Professional Nursing:
A Profession
ANA Standards of Professional Performance
Ethics
Education
Evidence – based Practice and
Research
Quality of Practice
Communication
Leadership
Collaboration
Professional Practice Evaluation
Resources
Environmental Health
Dimensions of Professional Nursing:
Legal Aspects
• The Nurse Practice Act: The Texas Nursing Practice Act (NPA) defines
the legal scope of practice for professional registered nurses (RNs)
(https://www.bon.texas.gov/practice_scope_of_practice_rn.asp).
• Texas Board of Nursing: The mission of the BON is to protect and
promote the welfare of the people of Texas by ensuring that
each person licensed as a nurse is competent to practice safely.
For this purpose, the Texas Board of Nursing (BON) is the State
agency empowered by the Texas Legislature with regulating the
practice of vocational, professional, and advanced practice
nursing.
https://www.bon.texas.gov/faq_board_information_and_other.
asp
Dimensions of Professional Nursing:
Legal: Differentiated Competencies
Differentiated Competencies
• Scope of practice for each level of nursing
education (Diploma, A D N, BSN, LVN in the areas
of:
• Member of the Profession
• Provider of Patient-Centered Care
• Patient Safety Advocacy (
• Member of the Health Care Team
Competency II. A. Use clinical reasoning and Use clinical
reasoning and :
• Established evidence-based policies as the basis for
decision making in nursing practice (LVN) decision
making in nursing practice. (LVN)
• Knowledge based on the diploma or associate degree
nursing program of study and evidence-based practice
outcomes as a basis for decision making in nursingp
practice. (ADN/Diploma )
• Knowledge based on the BSN program of study,
evidence -based practice outcomes and research based
practice outcomes, and research studies as the basis for
decision making and comprehensive patient care. (BSNs)
What do you see as being the differences
between the three levels?
CODE OF ETHICS
http://nursingworld.org/DocumentVault/Ethics1/Code-of-Ethics-for-Nurses.html
Historical Perspective: Why Important?
Clara Barton
Founder of the Red Cross
Mary Mahoney
Mary Eliza Mahoney was the first African
American to study and work as a
professionally trained nurse in the United
States, graduating in 1879.
Isabel Hampton Robb
First President of the American Nurses
Association
Who Are We as Nurses (What are our
roles?)
STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE
American Nurses Association (ANA)
ANA Standards of Practice
Standard 1. Assessment
The registered nurse collects comprehensive data pertinent to the healthcare
consumer’s health or the situation.
Standard 2. Diagnosis
The registered nurse analyzes the assessment data to determine the diagnoses or
issues.
Standard 3. Outcome Identification
The registered nurse identifies expected outcomes for a plan individualized to the
healthcare consumer or the situation.
Standard 4. Planning
The registered nurse develops a plan of care that prescribes strategies and
interventions to attain expected outcomes.
Standard 5. Implementation (doing documenting and delegation)
The nurse implements the interventions identified in the plan.
Standard 6. Evaluation