Organisation: Graduate Nursing to Professional Practice
Job Title: Graduate Nurse to professional Practice
Word Limit: 150 words per criterion
Demonstrated high level of interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills
I have owned and successfully managed two highly successful restaurants for the past ten years and firmly believe the success was built on my ability to interact with my customers, staff and suppliers. This success has been built on my interpersonal verbal and written communication skills with customers, staff, suppliers and other key stakeholders.
As of the floor staff to the kitchen in a pressured environment requires good teamwork, quickly developed impeccable relationships and able to give clear and accurate instructions.
As a result of my keen interpersonal skills, I have developed a very large customer base, long term loyal staff members and impeccable relationships with my suppliers, unusual in the industry.
While doing my Masters in Nursing at Sydney University, during my placements I brought these skills across and demonstrated my proficiency in my written communication skills achieving a distinction average across all my written assessments.
Demonstrated clinical knowledge and clinical problem solving abilities
An example of demonstrated clinical knowledge and problem solving was during a placement. I was in a four bedded room to mobilise a post-operative patient so she could go to the restroom. It was during this that I noticed another patient in the room was having some difficulty breathing and it appeared to be laboured. I decided the priority was to the patient with the laboured breath and so gave my patient a bedpan to use so I could attend to the patient with the decreasing oxygen levels.
I quickly checked the vital signs but being a student nurse I was not authorised to put the patient on o2, instead quickly advised the patient’s nurse of the patient’s condition and suggested the patient required oxygen. The nurse arrived very quickly and immediately administered oxygen to the patient and advised the doctor of the condition and status.
An understanding of and ability to work within an interdisciplinary team
While managing two restaurants it is important to be a dynamic and relevant team member. This means I make myself approachable and valuable to existing staff, customers and suppliers and welcome new staff ensuring they are orientated to their new position and being able to accept feedback and instruction as being part of a team pursuing the purpose and core values of the restaurant.
During my study for my Nursing Degree, I have also learnt, during my eight placements, to be a confident communicator within a health team and recognise the vital role that the nurse plays in ensuring the patient is cared for by the interdisciplinary team looking after them. With this in mind and my purpose to become a registered nurse, I welcome feedback on my performance as a student nurse and take advice and instruction on board keeping in mind the core values of NSW Health.
An understanding of the professional, ethical and legal requirements of the registered nurse
I am familiar with the Nurses and Midwives Act 1991 and my understanding ensures I will operate squarely within my scope of practice and am open and transparent in my role as maintaining the health and safety of staff and patients is of paramount importance. During my studies and placements I leant to exercise extremely high personal hygiene practices by ensuring that I wear appropriate personal protective equipment as required I am also very vigilant in ensuring that practice good hand washing techniques by washing my hands before entering and leaving a room and also between each patient. By doing the risk of cross contamination is reduced. The professional Code of Ethics is about making a personal commitment to respect, promote, protect and uphold the fundamental rights of people that are being cared for or worked with and places value on the provision of quality nursing care to all people.
An understanding of risk management, safety & quality improvement principles and the role of the RN in applying them
Risk management means not taking short cuts with safety but following safety protocols such the five movements of hand hygiene, when moving patients doing so in the proper manner using the correct sheets and technique to ensure the quality of the patient is disrupted as least as possible. Following manual food handling procedures and when assessing administering medication at the direction of doctors ensuring that the correct procedure is followed including verifying the correct medication, dosage and patient. Other examples include following the proper procedures while taking a patients temperature, blood pressure and blood samples and being alert to any potential issues with patients which should be brought to a senior nurse or doctors attention.
Also applying the correct OHS policies and being aware of potential issues and risks and taking the initiative to reduce them either by direct action or reporting them to the appropriate.
A demonstrated understanding of NSW CORE values
Collaboration means to work as a team in order to provide an excellent level of care for our patients as well as seek together to find ways to enhance or improve the quality of life for a patient.
Openness means to be willing to have transparency in communication as well as be willing to give and receive feedback with a view to improving the confidence in local health services.
Respect in this case means listening to our patients and each other, treating our patients and each other with dignity, compassion and respect regardless of any differences in culture. Having a zero tolerance to discrimination and bullying. It means welcoming new ideas.
Empowerment means taking responsibility and accountability for our actions both autonomously and as a team member and seeking to make a difference to our patients, each other and the public perception of the local health service.
