GROWTH AND COMPETENCE AT THE PROFESSIONAL LEVEL
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to undertake a multitude of assignments and incredible projects that have allowed me to grow and establish myself as a well respected leader within this clinical industry. Below you will have access to some significant examples of original written work - both as an individual and as part of a team - as well as oral presentations. Please click the associated links, and take your time reviewing specific work targeting my growth in competence in areas including, but not limited to: communication and relationship building, knowledge of the health care environment, leadership, professionalism, and business skills. As you review, you may notice that many of these pieces of work overlap multiple areas of competency. There is no coincidence to this - each area of competence and skill directly affect the others, none are exclusive or are able to stand alone as a quality of a competent nurse leader.
COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
Effective Communication
Relationship Management
Influencing Behaviors
Diversity
Community Involvement
Medical/Staff Relationships
Academic Relationships
The extensive work completed surrounding effective communication in leadership has led me to develop knowledge and skills which are indispensable. The work I have done related to effective communication in nursing leadership have become more refined by the graduate nursing curriculum, as evidenced by the skills I have demonstrated professionally in my role as a Transplant Coordinator. Communication and relationship building are an integral part of every day functions and tasks. As a result of my continuously improving communication skills, I have learned how to positively influence behaviors, have actively refined interdisciplinary staff relationships, and worked efficiently on academic teams. This type of learning will be ongoing throughout my career, and encompasses diversity, emotional intelligence, and cultural awareness.
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SELF ASSESSMENT OF COMPETENCY:
I have attached multiple assignments which are specific examples of my proficiency in effective communication. I believe that my skills in this area are of a higher level due to my ability to network effectively, positively influence behaviorally, and my vast experiences related to community involvement. Not only have I prepared written work specifically surrounding this set of skills, I have mastered the skills needed for preparing and performing oral/group presentations. Please click here to see specific examples of how I developed mastery of this set of skills.
KNOWLEDGE OF THE HEALTH CARE ENVIRONMENT
Clinical Practice Knowledge
Delivery Models/Work Design
Health Care Economics and Policy
Governance
Evidence-Based Practice/Outcome Measurement and Research
Patient Safety
Performance Improvement/Metrics
Risk Management
Due to my extensive experience working in a high acuity health care setting, I am all too familiar with the overall environment of healthcare, including the economic issues that accompany it. This experience, coupled with the extensive amount of time and research for formal assignments has led me to the utmost degree of competence within this area. New learning for me has surrounded the topics of health care economics, and I will continue to engage in learning experiences surrounding the skills necessary for this area of nursing leadership.
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SELF ASSESSMENT OF COMPETENCY:
I have a high level working knowledge in this competency area, primarily due to the fact that I have worked in multiple facets of a healthcare environment for over 20 years. Outpatient clinic areas, inpatient nursing units, as well as faster paced units such as the Emergency Department - I have comfortably been assigned to work in all of these areas. Additionally, I have put extensive time and work into learning about evidence-based practice and how the practice effectively improves quality of patient care. Please click here to review specific works proving my proficiency in this area of skill.
LEADERSHIP
Foundational Thinking Skills
Personal Journey Disciplines
Systems Thinking
Succession Planning
Change Management
As a result of academic and professional written work and reports, I have continued to refine the foundation of critical thinking skills already instilled throughout my professional nursing career and experiences. My personal professional journey has allowed me to become increasingly resourceful, and has allowed me to network professional with hospital leadership within my current organization.
SELF ASSESSMENT OF COMPETENCY:
Throughout the curriculum and my current professional role, I have become adept at understanding change management and its significant role in effective leadership and successful patient care.
PROFESSIONALISM
Personal and Professional Accountability
Career Planning
Ethics
Advocacy
The level of professionalism I possess can be attributed to my clinical and professional background, as well as being a direct result of the learning opportunities afforded to me as a result of being a graduate nursing student in a leadership-centered curriculum. I chose the MSN Nursing Leadership and Management program because it was congruently aligned with the next step in my career - nursing leadership. As a veteran nurse and tenured associate at my current organization, my level of professionalism, personal accountability, and skill level when advocating for others will prove to be an asset to any area that I would be privileged to lead.
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SELF ASSESSMENT OF COMPETENCY:
My level of professionalism is of the highest levels. My level of accountability within my department and organization as a whole is that of someone who is all too familiar with "doing what you have to do to get things done". Within my organizations, I am a "go-to" person due to my tenured status, resourcefulness, and perseverant. Please click here to view formal works pertaining to my mastery of this competency.
BUSINESS SKILLS
Financial Management
Human Resource Management
Strategic Marketing
Throughout my education, the skills that I was learning new were those of financial management. While I had some experience as a professional nurse with eliminating waste as a means of saving resources, actual financial analyses were new to me. I have improved these skills and look forward to becoming even more involved with financial planning as leader in the area of nursing. My skills in managing the human resource aspect of nursing leadership will be one of my strengths, as I have always prided myself on being able to communicate well with others, and as a nurse leader will always remember who exactly it is that I will be leading - people.
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SELF ASSESSMENT OF COMPETENCY:
This competency is the area in which I hope to continue to learn the most about, and I would assess myself as moderately skilled in this area. While I have done a significant amount of work to master this skill, it is the area that I plan to focus on and proactively learn more about throughout my profession. As a staff nurse by trade for many years, this is not an area that was typically focused on throughout my career. However, as part of my graduate level learning and curriculum, I have performed extensive work and learned some of the necessary skills to be a nursing leader with the business skills necessary to effectively assist an organization with human resource management, financial improvements, and strategic planning for marketing. Please click here for formal works that I have done as a way of