Running Head: PGC REFLECTION 1

Program Graduate Competency (PGC) Reflection

Cortney D. Ward, RN

Delaware Technical and Community College

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Program Graduate Competency (PGC) Reflection

Going through the RN to BSN program at Delaware Technical Community College has

been a wonderful experience. With the knowledge gained through the BSN classes, and the

practicum hours completed, I feel as though I have gained a deeper understanding of the nursing

and the health care field as a whole. Throughout the program I have achieved all nine of the

Program Graduate Competencies.

Integrate general education knowledge, skills, and aptitudes to advance nursing

education and growth in professional practice.

I have used my skills and knowledge that I have obtained as growth throughout my

professional practice. One example is advancing my assessment skills in the NUR 320 Health

Assessment course. This course expanded my knowledge in assessing the patient more thoroughly,

as a whole. More meticulous assessments then lead to better diagnosis and treatments that were

prescribed by the physicians. For example, I now in cooperate the obturator sign and the Iliopsoas

test as part of my abdominal assessment.

Demonstrate leadership skills to promote patient safety and the delivery of high

quality healthcare.

When doing practicum hours at Stockley Center, I was able to participate in educating the

staff (CNAs) regarding bed positioning, transferring and transportation safety. This gave me the

experience to educate all of the members how to properly follow the guidelines that are followed

for each patient, and the equipment that is individualized to allow maximum safety for the clients.

Having all of the clients being developmentally disabled, all of the adaptive equipment varies,
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therefore education was needed. Using my leadership skills I was able to promote safety to the

clients of Stockley Center to allow the development of quality care.

Apply skills of inquiry, analysis, and information literacy to support evidence-based

professional nursing practice.

During the course of the RN to BSN program I was able to use my skills of inquiry,

analysis, and information literacy to support evidence-based professional nursing practice. NUR

340 Nursing Research is one of the classes that has greatly helped me developed this skill. I have

advanced my skills on evidence based practice and obtained the ability to add it into my

professional nursing practice. An example that I can provide is the evidence based article that I

had found, “Evidence for cannabis and cannabinoids for epilepsy: a systematic review of

controlled and observational evidence”, and presented it to my supervisor. Multiple residence

have seizure disorders and one in particular has seizures often. After discussion with the family, it

is being considered as a treatment for the young man.

Integrate information management technology to improve patient outcomes.

At the facility in which I work, all of the documentation in which we use is paper charting.

All of the labs and information that we need on a clients is provided in the client oriented record.

Doing my practicum hours at Sussex Consortium, and being able to use the electronic medical

records that they used, was a treat. We had used this system throughout the day to provide us

information on the medications that needed to be administered throughout the day, social

information on individuals, and other pertinent medical information. Using this system allowed us

to improve patient’s plan of care and medical care immediately and in the long run. For example,

the school nurse and I were able to document all of the interventions that we provided. We had a

young child whom was being monitored for type 1 diabetes. During the day he would come by the
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office and have his blood sugar taken for the purpose of tracking. All of his results would be

available to his endocrinologist at A.I. DuPont. This then allows the physician to determine his

plan of action. All of this as able to be done because of the electronic charting that Sussex

Consortium had.

Advocate for patients and the nursing profession with regard to healthcare policy at

the local, state, national, and global levels.

Knowledge regarding health care policy was very enlightening for me. I was not aware of

all of the steps that was needed to accomplish policies. Not only can we take care of our clients

directly, but on a political level. I was able to obtain this understanding in the NUR 420 Nursing

Policy course. I have become aware of all of the steps that is necessary to take to prepare and

present a nursing policy. Evidence can be seen on my E-Portfolio

(https://wardrn.weebly.com/course-artifacts.html) via the NUR 420 Nursing Policy: Women’s

Reproductive Health Policy found in the course artifacts. I was able to obtain information that was

evidence based regarding Women’s Health. This then allowed me to establish a basis to create a

proposal for Women’s Health Policy. It is easy for citizens to make judgments and decisions, but

as a nurse it is a necessity for us to stand up for those on a medical level and educate to people.

Direct patient-centered care through advocacy, interprofessional communication,

collaboration, and delegation.

As a nurse for individuals with developmental disabilities, I feel that direct patient-

centered care through advocacy, interprofessional communication, collaboration, and delegation

is something that is done all the time. Individuals whom have developmental disabilities

sometimes do no not have the ability to speak for themselves. This is where we as nurses step in.

For example, T.H. is an individual whom has excessive salvation and no use of his upper
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extremities. He cannot wipe off his own mouth and is fully dependent on staff for his care. As his

nurse I suggested to the physician that he be evaluated for Botox injections in his salivary glands.

“Botulinum toxin type A is a substance that causes reduced activity of muscles or glands. When

injected into the salivary glands it can reduce saliva production. Botulinum toxin type A can be

injected into the submandibular gland (below the floor of the mouth) and the parotid gland (behind

the jaw (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. 2014).” The team members of the facility discussed

it, and T.H. now is awaiting a consult from the neurologist.

Integrate health promotion and disease prevention practices to positively impact the

delivery of healthcare to diverse populations.

During my practicum hours at Stockley Center I was able have E.Walsh, RN BSN as a

preceptor. One of the multiple tasks that we performed was the basic task of the influenza

vaccination. Not only did we serve the clients that reside at Stockley Center, whom all have

developmental disabilities, but we also gave influenza vaccination to employees of the facility. We

gave out information and answered questions regarding the influenza vaccination. I also learned

a lot about health promotion and disease prevention practices to positively impact the delivery of

healthcare to diverse populations in the NUR 330 Population and Community Health Course.

Practice professional nursing within an ethical framework.

T.B., a client at Stockley Center, is a medically fragile individual and due for a routine

colonoscopy. In the course of my practicum at Stockley Center, E.Walsh RN BSN and I advocated

for her because of the repercussions and effects of being NPO, and having a colonoscopy prep

with a medically fragile patient. Ethically, E.Walsh RN BSN and I thought that all of possible

effects would be more detrimental to her than the benefits of having the colonoscopy done. As her

nurses we suggested the Cologaurd, an FDA approved noninvasive screening that is collected at
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the facility and sent away for testing. Cologuard finds 92% of colon cancers and 69% of the

highest-risk precancers with 87% specificity (Exact Sciences, n.d.).

Demonstrate lifelong learning that empowers personal and professional growth.

Lifelong learning is essential when you are a nurse. Not only are you wanting to better

oneself, but in the medical field things are consistently changing. There is new knowledge and

discoveries being developed every day. This is only the beginning of my learning as a nurse. Once

I have graduated, my plan is to attend a university to obtain my MSN and be a Psychiatric-Mental

Health Nurse Practitioner. Throughout my journey I will also attend seminars to educate my self-

regarding topics relevant to the nursing field and optimal patient care.

The RN to BSN program has been a wonderful experience and I would recommend it to

any RN who wishes to continue their education. All of my course artifacts can be seen at

wardrn.weebly.com, under the course artifacts tab. All of this work is proof and evidence that all

of my PGCs have been completed in their entirety.

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References

Children's Hospital of Philidelphia. (2014). Salivary gland botulinum toxin type a injection.

Retrieved from https://www.chop.edu/treatments/salivary-gland-botulinum-toxin-type-

injection

Exact Sciences. Meet cologuard | Easy to use and effective. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.cologuardtest.com/meet-cologuard

Stockings, E., Zagic, D., Campbell, G., Weier, M., Hall, W., Neilsen, S., … Herkes, G. (2018).

Evidence for cannabis and cannabinoids for epilepsy: a systematic review of controlled

and observational evidence. Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 89, 741-753. Retrieved from

https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/jnnp/89/7/741.full.pdf