Running head: ANA SELF-ASSESSMENT

American Nurses Association Self-Assessment of Nursing Standards of Practice

Amanda McKellar
Ferris State University

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American Nurses Association Self-Assessment of Nursing Standards of Practice

The American Nurses Association has published a book titled The Essential Guide to
Nursing Practice. This book explains necessary standards in order to execute effective, quality
nursing care. In this paper, I will focus on ten standards listed in the book. The ten standards are
ethics, education, evidence-based practice and research, quality of practice, communication,
leadership, collaboration, professional practice evaluation, resource utilization, and
environmental health.
Since I am only a nursing student and have not yet begun my independent practice, I have
only conquered about half of the standards. Some of the standards are virtually unachievable
without being out on a floor on my own. I have partially reached some of the standards as well.
Listed below are the ten standards, each in a designated category. If I have met the standard, I
will give examples. If I have partially or not at all met the goal, I will list how I plan to get to that
point.
Standards Met
Of the ten standards listed in The Essential Guide to Nursing Practice (7-16), I have
achieved five. These standards are: education, evidence-based practice and research,
collaboration, resource utilization, and environmental health.
Education is the first standard that I have met. I believe I have met the education standard
because I have been in nursing school for almost two years now being taught best-practice. Also,
I have carried out patient education in the clinical practice setting. I constantly practice education
whenever I administer medications or complete an assessment and my patient is unsure what I
am doing any why. The biggest example of me achieving the education standard was at Blodgett
hospital. I had a patient with many afflictions, but most importantly was the sore on her foot. She

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had end stage renal disease, diabetes, and was a smoker, causing the circulation to her lower
extremities to be compromised. She was never taught that there was a connection between her
diseases and her smoking habit. I therapeutically explained the stress she was putting on her
body by smoking and the importance of quitting. I also explained to her that with her diabetes, it
was extremely important for her to check her feet daily to get any more sores. She was very
receptive to my education, and I hope that she acted on that information post-discharge.
Evidence-based practice and research is a standard I have also met. Throughout the
nursing program, we are constantly taught the best way to practice which is discovered through
research. In the simulation lab during education on medication administration, we were taught
that current EBP is to give intramuscular injections into the deltoid or vastus lateralis muscle. In
previous practice, intramuscular injections were given in the gluteus muscle. I took this
information with me to my job as a CNA. I was talking to a nurse about current EBP and told her
about the importance of giving injections in the right location. She was not aware of this change
in practice. After going to give a patient their medications, she came back and notified me that
she had given the shot in the vastus lateralis muscle. She told me that she would continue to do
so because it was the most current and successful way to practice. I felt good about this because I
was able to contribute to best-practice.
I have met the collaboration nursing standard also. The best example I have of
collaboration is the manager analysis paper. I had to collaborate with Tim Scholten of
Butterworth hospital to interview him. After interviewing, I collaborated with a partner in
writing a paper about his management style.
In order to achieve resource utilization, I need to know where my resources are. In the
clinical setting, my resources are other students, other nurses, instructors, the internet, or books.

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Several times I have been asked questions that I am unsure how to answer. I have learned that
the best way to respond to this kind of situation is to say something along the lines of, Im not
entirely sure, but I will find out and get right back to you. The most important thing to do after
this point is to get back to the person asking the question.
Environmental health is extremely important. I view environmental health as safety.
Safety is one of the top goals in a hospital setting. Some ways that I have achieved safety are by:
making sure personal items are in reach, the bed is locked and low with alarm on if necessary,
and providing the call light. Also included with environmental health is body mechanics. Its
very important to practice proper body mechanics in order to prevent injury.
Standards Almost Met
The ANA book also includes a few standards that I am on my way to making, but have
not yet reached. These standards include ethics, quality of practice, communication, and
leadership. Most of these standards have not yet been achieved due to my lack of personal
individual practice at the point.
I havent quite met the standard of ethics. I have, however, done research on ethical
issues. One of these issues is physician-assisted suicide. This is an ethical dilemma that I could
come into during my own practice. I plan to continue working toward understanding ethical
concerns and how to deal with them when I get into my own practice.
I have partially met quality of practice. I believe it is hard to reach 100% quality of
practice without finishing school and passing the NCLEX examination. Also, I think quality of
practice comes with experience. Although I have not reached this standard yet, after learning
how to be a real nurse and gaining some experience, I will complete this standard.

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Communication has always been a challenge for me. I find it troubling to say the right
thing at the right time when it comes to sensitive patient issues. Since talking the mental health
class, I have been able to find better ways to communicate with challenging patients and I think
this has helped me come a long way, but probably not quite to where I should be. With
experience, I believe my communication skills will only get better.
In nursing school, our experience with leadership is limited. I was given the opportunity
to job shadow the charge nurse of the floor I am currently on for clinicals, but learned quickly
that she was not receptive to having a student. This was unfortunate because it was the only
chance I have had to far to get a look inside a leadership role. In my practice, I plan on climbing
the ladder to become a leader and I will need to find more opportunities to learn from current
leaders to reach that goal.
Standards Not Met
The ANA book has one standard that I have not even come close to achieving. This
standard is professional practice evaluation. It is easy to explain why I have not reached this goal
at this point. I have not graduated yet, therefore I do not currently have a professional practice to
evaluate. Evaluation of professional practice is gauging the progress toward attainment of
expected outcomes and effectiveness of care (White & OSullivan, 2012). To get to this goal, I
will be receptive to constructive criticism from my peers and superiors. This will be especially
important when I just begin my career in the nursing world.
Professional Development
I have a pretty solid idea of where my nursing career is headed. I enjoyed the clinical
rotation in Obstetrics the most. I didnt mind the post-partum unit, but my favorite unit was labor
and delivery. I am aware that I will probably have trouble beginning my career in that

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department because hiring is competitive. I have spoken with the OB supervisor at my current
hospital in Cadillac regarding employment, and it seems like a possibility, but eventually I would
like to move near Grand Rapids to be near my family. That move will probably push me toward
a job in the Spectrum Health or Metro Health system. I am prepared to take a job on a medicalsurgical unit to gain experience before I try to wiggle into OB.
As for volunteer experiences, I would love to volunteer at the local animal shelter. I have
two dogs of my own, and I wish I could have ten more, but thats unrealistic. Being able to go
into this shelter and give love to the animals that are less fortunate would be extremely rewarding
to me. I foresee the only problem being that my heart gets attached and wants to bring them all
home.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I have a lot of work to do. I have met some of the ten necessary nursing
standards, but I am not anywhere near I need to be. There are more standards that I am in
progress or have not met, than I have actually accomplished. My nursing practice is very close to
being launched, and I have a tough road ahead of me. I will have to learn how to be a real
nurse along with accomplishing the essential standards of practice to be an effective nurse that
provides quality care. However, I greatly look forward to this next challenge that life is going to
throw at me and I will do everything in my power to reach the goals that I have not currently
met.

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7
References

White, K. M., & O'Sullivan, A. (Eds.). (2012). The Essential Guide to Nursing Practice (12th
ed., pp. 113-207). Silver Spring, MD: American Nurses Association.