Nursing Essay Sample: Required Skills and Competencies of an RN in the Community Setting

Skills and competencies that are important for the RN in the community include assessment skills, leadership skills, teaching skills, health systems management, and decision making (Susan, 2015).

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Assessment skills: It involves gathering all information concerning the patients and systematically arranging them. Such information includes the psychological and sociological status of an individual. In fact, assessment is vital in determining the future care and needs of the patient. Therefore, the skill helps the nurse to intervene and provide the adequate support towards the health of a person. However, before making any assessment, the nurse should observe both therapeutic and professional way of communication.

Leadership skills: it is an aspect that involves a proper relationship with the patients and other workmates. Good leadership entails professional training. For instance, a nurse should exhibit better listening skills as well as being able to understand all the accountabilities. On the other hand, leadership skills include essential virtues such as the ability to be authoritative.

Health systems management skills: the skill entails being able to make the staff schedules correctly as well as staying updated regarding laws and compliances. The ability helps the RN to manage all health all health records by organising them in a standard way. Therefore, the nurse will find it very easy to retrieve any data. More so, the nurse is likely to handle the patients correctly without delays or errors.

Decision-Making skills: it refers to an aspect of first making observing a given event and finally making the correct judgment concerning the issue. However, the decision should favour the health of the patient.

On the other hand, to become an RN, one should meet the following academics achievements. Firstly, an individual must complete a diploma in nursing or possess a bachelor's degree in nursing. Additionally, an individual must pass well in nursing license examination to qualify as a registered nurse. Concerning any other licensed nurse, the nursing board will have to mandate each nurse with their roles depending on their levels. More so, an individual should exhibit high magnitude of ethical practice. The ethical method involves proper adherence to the code of ethics in the hospital settings

Do these differ from those required in an acute care setting?

The above skill does not differ with those found in the acute setting. In fact, the conditions and responsibilities are similar. The acute nurses focus on promoting the health of the patients. More so, maintaining the highest levels of balance towards the health. Besides, in case there is lack of medical diagnosis, the acute nurse may decide to perform an assessment and issue correct decisions concerning the need for care and referrals. Therefore, due to similarities between the hospital and acute settings, the nurses should possess similar skills to develop their careers. Also, the academic qualifications in acute care are the same as those in the nursing sector

RN'S personal safety challenge

The above risk happens in different perspectives that include high risks of infections and negative emotions in the provision of health services. For instance, when the nurse is handling a patient suffering from airborne diseases, it means at times, the nurse is likely to be infected with the similar infections. More so, dealing with open wounds and cuts creates a health safety challenge to the patient. In such cases, if a nurse is irresponsible, he/she is likely to acquire some of the severe infections such as HIV/AIDS. Sometimes the nurse may be emotionally affected whenever they encounter critical health conditions which are beyond their controls.

Actions the RN can do to meet the RN's personal safety

The RN should wear protectives such as gloves especially when dressing a patient or also when injecting an individual. Gloves are meant to protect a nurse from getting contaminated with patient's fluids and blood. On the other hand, in case one encounters negative emotions such as stress, it is advisable to consult with the senior nurses for further clarities. For example, if a patient has a critical and emergency case, the best option is to refer the patient to more experienced nurses. It means that the nurses should be confident enough so that they can professionally face the health matters (Cronenwett, 2017).

References

Cronenwett, L., Sherwood, G., Barnsteiner, J., Disch, J., Johnson, J., Mitchell, P., ... & Warren, J. (2017). Quality and safety education for nurses. Nursing outlook, 55(3), 122-131.

Susan R. N. (2015). Does service-learning increase cultural competency, critical thinking, and civic engagement?. Journal of Nursing Education, 44(2), 65.