In today’s healthcare environment things are ever changing and so is the information that the medical, clinical and multidisciplinary teams have to analyse. This information has to be critically analysed, weighing up the evidence and arguments that support such information, research suggests, that many newly qualified nurses and students lack the skills acquired to think critically (Shell 2001). According to Luckowski (2003), critical thinking is a skill that all newly registered nurses must have if they are to succeed in nursing. The need to solve problems in clinical practice (Ferrario 2004), is a skill that is necessary for the development of implementing theory to practice. Once qualified the new practitioner will have to think on her feet, critical thinking requires her to make decisions about patient care and to solve problems, these are complex cognitive experiences that nurses have to carry out quickly. Fundamental Skill of Nursing Essay
There are structured care approaches such as, Integrated care pathways (ICPs) , protocols and algorithms these are effective tools that will help new nurses and students to learn to be critical thinkers. Fundamental Skill of Nursing Essay
Intuition, according to Smith (2009) has its place in nursing, this is the emotional side of critical thinking, and is an important part of decision making when looking after a patient. There is considerable debate about this skill has been linked to expertise and the knowledge of a good nurse, There have been a plethora of research carried out on this subject without any conclusive evidence to disregard it as a skill. Acknowledging intuition is a challenge for nurses, educators and researches, because it is difficult concept to put into words and measure. Rew and Barrow (2007) Turnbull (1999) called intuition the neglected source of knowledge striving for legitimacy. Benner`s (1984) From Novice to Expert, is a model that is used as the conceptual framework for nursing research on clinical expertise and the use of intuition. ( King and Clark 2002,as cited in Smith 2009) Fundamental Skill of Nursing Essay
Communication, one of the main skills that a newly qualified nurse can excel in immediately after training, a good handover, passing on messages such as doctors orders, blood results, listening to what patients are saying and also what they are not saying, body language, telephone calls, information appertaining to the patient in her care, this skill may be intrinsic but it can also be a learned skill.
There are many theories and models on communication, much has been written about this subject models such as, `The Circular Transactional Model of Communication`, (Bateson 1979), and a `Skill Model of Interpersonal Communication` Hargie & Dickson 2004) to name only two of them. (Timmons & McCabe 2009) The theories and models may not have a direct influence on how the nurse communicates with her patient, but by reading them it allows discussion and in a nursing context this could illustrate a difference between a task centred approach or a patient centred approach when dealing with her patients. Fundamental Skill of Nursing Essay
Communication is one of the most important skills a nurse can learn, it’s one of the first lessons taught at the beginning of her training and carries on for the rest of her nursing profession. According to ( Hinchliff et al 2008pg194) “Clear communication is essential to an effective and ethical professional relationship”. A nurse uses this skill consciously and unconsciously every day of her professional life. To be an effective communicator and have the patient’s best interests, the nurse must communicate openly and honestly, this may not only be with the patient and their family, but other members of the multidisciplinary teams. A registered nurse must develop a range of communication skills, styles, and technique to best suit her patients needs. There also needs to be good communication between the multidisciplinary teams, poorly written information about a patient could have an effect on the outcome of a patients care. NMC Guidelines for records and record keeping (2004), state that,” Good record keeping is a mark of a skilled and safe practitioner”, It is also a fundamental part of nursing, which carries a legal responsibility as patients records are part of the key evidence if a case goes to a court of law.(Hinchliff 2008). A professional nurse may on occasions find herself involved in situations where they may be called to give witness under oath; this is when the skill of good accurate record keeping plays a pivotal role. Fundamental Skill of Nursing Essay
Active listening skills are an important skill, establishing a rapport with a patient just stopping for a moment and giving them eye conta
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