Specialty Leadership Role Practice
As a school nurse working in community health, I serve a diverse population. My current focus is on the student population preschool through 12th grade. It then expands further into families which may include birth through old age, as many families are again becoming multi-generational. “Community based nursing is defined as minor acute and chronic care that is comprehensive, coordinates, and delivered where people work, live or attend school” (Harkness & DeMarco, 2012, p. 8). My scope of care also entails health education, promotion, prevention, and treatment. I am an advocate for staff, students and families.
As a community health nurse working in a public setting, I must possess strong assessment, clinical, and diagnostic skills. Just as crucial are my skills to handle crisis, communicate clearly, and make sound decisions. In order to achieve this level of service, the ability to think critically is crucial. My MSN courses at Ferris State University have allowed me to further develop my critical thinking skill level. Each assignment engaged critical thinking, with supporting evidence-based research.
To demonstrate the graduate nursing outcome of Specialty Leadership, I have selected a Capstone project. The Capstone course required a safety and/or quality improvement process for change be implemented in a health care organization. It was the expectation of the course the MSN student would determine a need, collect evidence-based support, develop a plan, timeline, evaluation process, and execute the leadership needed to carry it out. All of this was done under the guidance of a pre-determined mentor. The planning phase was completed in NURS 711, with the practicum being finished in NURS 791. The final assignment was the selection of a professional nursing journal to prepare an article meeting the criteria for submission to share the leadership experience.
Leadership was utilized throughout the entire practicum. My practicum identified a need to increase the flu vaccination rates of the African American population located in Calhoun County. The Plan-Do-Study- Act method was used as employed. Focusing on the results of a root cause analysis (RCA), and utilization of the theoretical frameworks of Transformational Leadership and the Health Belief Model (HBM), an exploration of the approach to the 2015-16 flu season was completed, including the recommendation of additional flu clinic sites, community partnerships, and the use of social media to improve communication, and increase access to education in this target population. The following artifacts provide clarity of the leadership, research, and learning process needed to successfully complete the Capstone practicum.
Artifacts
NURS 711
Quality Improvement Plan Using PDSA
Clinical Practicum Proposal Presentation
NURS 791
Practicum Log
Practicum Evaluation
Journal Article Closing the Influenza Disparity Gap
Journal Author Guidelines