Pharmacology Reflection
In the contemporary medical world, nursing as a profession has evolved greatly, and as per now, it incorporates several advanced roles for the nurses. Such opportunities include nurse practitioners, nurse educator, nurse informaticist, and nurse administrator. A prerequisite in the USA, however, for the assumption of these roles is the attainment of a Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN). The MSN curriculum prepares individuals at the highest level for the assumption of these roles with ease. Central to the smooth assumption of the advanced roles are MSN program outcomes and essentials as well as nurse practitioner (NP) core competencies that MSN prepared students ought to meet. In essence, this paper aims at reflecting and describing how achievement of outcomes in a recently completed MSN course will enable one to meet MSN program outcomes, MSN Essential, and NP core competencies. More specifically, this discussion will focus on how the course outcomes have prepared one to meet MSN program outcome 3, MSN Essential IX, and NP Core Competencies 5.
MSN Program Outcome 3
Primarily, the MSN program outcome 3 entails using contemporary communication modalities effectively in advanced nursing roles. That said, going by the attained course outcomes, there are enough reasons to conclude that they have created a foundation for the realization of MSN program outcome 3. Such is the case given the reliance of SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation) technique in the presentation of the case scenarios. Holly and Poletick, (2013) are of the idea that SBAR as a communication strategy enables one to communicate the most important information about the patient in a brief and precise manner. Given the utilization of this tool in the case studies, it is beyond doubt that students have the firsthand experience of appreciating the efficacy of this contemporary communication strategy in advanced nursing roles.
MSN Essential IX
Precisely, the MSN Essential IX prescribes the scope of nursing practice for Master’s prepared nurses. The expectation at this level is that nurses must come up with interventions that influence the health outcomes of individuals, populations, and systems by integrating knowledge into practice. Looking at this prescription, it is apparent that the achievement of the course outcomes has also contributed significantly to the preparation of meeting this MSN Essential IX in a variety of ways that are worth noting.
Firstly and most importantly, the course enabled one to establish and implement the various interventions that were suitable for the management of different conditions. That is for sure because the case studies demanded the identification of appropriate management strategies for the resolution of the identified healthcare challenges. For instance, in the case of a 56-year-old man, Jonathan, who presented with gout, his treatment plan instituted the use of NSAIDs, corticosteroids and uric lowering agents such as probenecid (Domino, & Baldor, 2012). With such a subjection to the generation of solutions to the healthcare problems presenting in the case studies, it is beyond doubt that this course prepared the student for the achievement of MSN Essential IX.
Notwithstanding, through this course, the prioritization of the various instituted interventions was also possible. Such is the case given that the case studies required coming up with measures beginning with the most effective intervention among the available options. A case in point of such prioritization is observable in the use of methotrexate as the first line of DMARDs therapy for a patient with rheumatoid arthritis rather than the other available options like gold (Koda-Kimble, & Alldredge, 2013).
Finally, the critical analysis of the various case studies also resulted in the integration of theory into practice, which is a core element of the MSN Essential IX. That is the case because the scrutiny opened up to the opportunity for such integration. A case in point is the knowledge of drug toxicity, which ensured that individuals direct the cessation of medications causing toxicities and replacement with other drugs that are safe. For instance, Mozayani, and Raymon, (2012) are of the opinion that in the case of methotrexate’s toxicity, the change of therapy to infliximab was inevitable for the address of this challenge. With such an illustration, it is beyond doubt that the MSN students are well prepared for the achievement of MSN Essential IX through the integration of knowledge into their nursing practice.
NP Core Competencies 5
Of the utmost importance to the NP Core Competencies, is the issue of technology and information literacy competencies. That said, looking back at the content of the covered course, it is beyond question that it has equipped the students with appropriate knowledge and skills that will help them have necessary competencies as they appertain to NP Core Competencies. As a proof of this statement is the reliance on diagnostic tests for the affirmation of the patient’s diagnoses and checking for the drug concentration in the body. Such reliance is consistent with NP Core Competencies since it indicates the integration of appropriate technology for knowledge management and improvement of healthcare.
Besides, the various case scenarios presented in this course also provided an opportunity for the students to rehearse on how they will achieve NP Core Competencies. Strengthening this assertion is the fact that patient education as an intervention for the management of the affected individuals in the case studies necessitated the assessment of the learning needs of those persons. According to Lilley, Collins, and Snyder, (2016), assessment of the learning needs of a patient is the first and most basic step for appropriate patient education sessions. Going by this requirement, the course ensured that students have the appropriate preparation for translating technical and scientific health information as per the needs of the consumer. In essence, NP Core Competencies envisions such a consideration. As such, this is proof enough for the preparation of students for the achievement of the NP Core Competencies.
Conclusion
In closure, this paper aimed at reflecting and describing how achievement of outcomes in the recently completed MSN course will enable an individual to meet MSN program outcomes, MSN Essential, and NP core competencies. Without a doubt, the discussion has achieved this goal extensively. Central to this deduction is the fact that through this course, the students have had the firsthand experience of attaining MSN program outcome 3, MSN Essential IX, and NP core competencies. That is the case because, through the critical analysis of the various case scenarios, the students were on course to achieve these standards. They were able to appreciate the value of SBAR communication strategy, recommend strategies for the relief of the presenting illness and assessment of learning needs of the patient, which are core elements of the MSN program outcome 3, MSN Essential IX, and NP core competencies respectively. Conclusively, a nursing implication drawn from this analysis is the need for MSN teaching institutions for taking into consideration the MSN program outcomes, MSN Essential, and NP core competencies in their curriculum. In the absence of such consideration, the MSN prepared students from these institutions will inevitably become unfit for the realization of these core standards.
References
Domino, F. J., & Baldor, R. A. (2012). The 5-minute clinical consult 2012. Philadelphia, Pa: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Holly, C., & Poletick, E. B. (2013). A systematic review on the transfer of information during
nurse transitions in care. Journal Of Clinical Nursing, 23(17/18), 2387-2396. doi:10.1111/jocn.12365
Koda-Kimble, M. A., & Alldredge, B. K. (2013). Applied therapeutics: The clinical use of drugs. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Lilley, L. L., Collins, S. R., & Snyder, J. S. (2016). Pharmacology and the nursing process.St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier
Mozayani, A., & Raymon, L. P. (2012). Handbook of drug interactions: A clinical and forensic guide. New York: Humana Press.
