Transition from Enrolled Nurse to Registered Nurse
Assignment 2 Transition to Nursing
NUR3020
Assignment 2: Topics for Professional Practice
Contents
Objectives: Assignment two: ...................................................................... 1
Overview .................................................................................................. 1
Topics (each must have an Australian and ‘new graduate’ focus): ................. 2
Aims/Pitch/Audience: ............................................................................... 2
Process ..................................................................................................... 3
Guidelines ................................................................................................. 3
Objectives: Assignment two:
After successfully completing this assignment students will:
1. Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of a topic pertinent to the practice of a new graduate Registered Nurses in Australia
2. Develop an essay with an appropriate/effective theme and supporting evidence/theory on an assigned topic.
3. Apply published theory and evidence-based-practice to a theme.
4. Synthesise published material with the student’s own critical analysis to demonstrate appropriate discussion/conclusions.
5. Demonstrate professional communication at an exit level (final semesters of third year) in the accepted form of an Academic Assignment.
6. Develop life-long learning by the student and their colleagues by presenting their scholarship to their community on study desk (optional).
Overview
The student is to write a journal article (for mock publication) about a topic of relevance to Registered Nurses, particularly those beginning their practice. The topic is to be selected from the list below. The essay is expected to have a theme (i.e. a ‘point’, a statement or an argument) and then be supported from appropriate and current literature. USQ NUR3020 s-2 2014 Assignment two(2)
The purpose of the essay is to accomplish the learning objectives. To give it a context it is to be considered as an article for a mock Australian journal which is to be published for New Graduates (Beginning Practitioners, new Registered Nurses).
Students will then present their topic and answer questions related to it within their individual Community of Practice on Study Desk. This can be done by posting a short ‘abstract’. This attracts no marks but would be a good way for students to learn about each other’s chosen topics. (Please do not post your full assignment).
Topics (each must have an Australian and ‘new graduate’ focus):
1. The registered nurse’s scope of practice in delegating duties to other personnel including non-licensed workers
2. The experience of practice for new graduate registered nurses compared to their prior learning at university (theory/practice, ?gap, ? benefit)
3. Acquiring a professional identity as a registered nurse (the process of becoming a professional and/or socialisation into the profession for new graduate registered nurses).
4. Transition from Enrolled Nurse to Registered Nurse
5. The experience of Overseas Registered Nurses transitioning to practice in Australia
6. Workplace behaviours and the impact on newly registered nurses
Aims/Pitch/Audience:
1. Essay conventions are expected (introduction/conclusion). An Abstract, if included is NOT part of the work count. It may be a good mechanism though to report to the Community of Practice (optional).
2. The aim is to write current and pertinent information targeted for novice Registered Nurses in the Australian Environment.
3. Although writing ‘to’ this audience – the essay should be in third person and not second (i.e. ‘the nurse’ rather than ‘you’)
4. A high level of scholarship (researching the literature, using the literature and writing the paper) is expected. To these ends, 12 pertinent and current resources is the minimum. Current means in this course 8 years ‘young’ unless a seminal (classic) work. Sometimes secondary citations in a current article will be older (please check in a timely manner with the examiner if in doubt).
5. The essay is to be published as assignment – there are NO marks for spending time ‘publishing’ and formatting it for a journal (with attractive columns, pictures, fonts etc.) This is not a good use of student time as it
USQ NUR3020 s-2 2014 Assignment two(2)
is the content, writing skills and referencing skills which are being assessed.
Process
1. Due Date: October 27 Word limit is 2200 – 2500 words
2. Assignment represents 50% of the work in the course – Marking guide is out of 25 marks – will be transposed to out of 50 on gradebook.
3. This piece of assessment is an individual submission; it is not group work – it must be the student’s own and it will be electronically tracked against other submissions from this semester, from previous semesters and from assignment writing sites on the internet.
4. Submitted via EASE (only) - no emailed copies or hard copy accepted
5. Please submit Marking Guide as a separate document (in WORD).
6. Please note which referencing system was used in the assignment (Harvard or APA).
7. Negative marking will occur for: a) word count beyond or below parameters; b) late submissions; c) the omission of a marking guide
8. Request for extensions are for extenuating circumstances and must be negotiated with the examiner. The examiner will request a ‘work in progress’ at the point of request. Clinical practice or being internet-challenged (i.e. away from resources) is NOT an acceptable reason for an extension. Nearly ALL students in this course have clinical practice and students need to plan accordingly. In addition many students are graduating this semester and the timeframe is tight to have marking/moderation and grade moderation done for grades release.
Guidelines
1. Use strong themes and support these well – write clearly to the audience (the reader).
2. Students may use Harvard AGPS or APA6 but must state which one they are using and use only one (consistently).
3. Achieving correct referencing formatting is just one aspect of referencing. More important is how to a) use someone else’s published material, b) correctly synthesise it into the student’s own work – and c) correctly
USQ NUR3020 s-2 2014 Assignment two(2)
acknowledge that it is either a published author’s work – or ascribed to someone else within their work (a secondary citation).1
4. The use of ENDNOTE is encouraged and some allowance for MINOR punctuation anomalies will be allowed if the student uses ENDNOTE (i.e. capitalisation in the title).
5. Academic staff assistance is provided to answer questions, look at themes or student outlines or assist with resources. We are not in a position to review drafts – but we will help with specific questions or help with clarifying either the assignment instructions or the individual student’s plans for their writing! For this assignment students are encouraged to submit their THEME to the examiner (well ahead of the due date).
6. Students ‘tick’ when they turn assignments into EASE that it is their own work. Any breach of this is a breach of professional ethics (which is what is studied in this course) and this will be penalised appropriately. The assignment will be electronically tracked against other submissions and against published work.
Turning in work that someone else has done for you and stating that it is your own is considered fraud. It does not reflect well on a student who is soon to be a Registered Nurse in Australia and it is a reportable offence to AHPRA. It does not reflect well on the profession.
7. The version that the student submits to EASE by the due date (or an approved extension) is the ONLY VERSION which will be marked. This is
the student’s responsibility to ensure it is correct. Stating later that it was ‘just a draft’ or an assignment for another course will be treated the same as a late assignment with penalties. The reference list is expected at the time of submission and will incur late penalties if offered or submitted after the due date.
Transition from Enrolled Nurse to Registered Nurse
Name
Course number
Instructor’s name
Date
Introduction
The nursing labor force in Australia mainly consists of registered nurses and enrolled nurses that have distinct education background and scope of practice (Lisa Hutchison & John, 2011). Registered nurses (RNs) have a background in Bachelor of Nursing while enrolled nurses (ENs) have either certificate or diploma obtained through vocational education and training (Ralph, Birks, Chapman, Muldoon, & Mcpherson, 2013). Human resource management must provide support to transition RNs with EN experience. It is particularly imperative in the prevailing times where there is increased global nurse shortage. Workforce strategies negatively impact on staffing levels and result in increased job dissatisfaction amongst existing nurses and also result in lower standards care for patients. Human resource management professionals must implement interventions to foster increased workers retention and job satisfaction. It may be accomplished through provision of adequate support to RNs in the transitional phase as an effective way of ensuring retention as addressing workforce shortages (Burns & Poster, 2008).
Transition from enrolled nurse to registered nurse
Enrolled nurses are important in the Australian healthcare delivery. A study on the differences between enrolled nurses and registered nurses indicated that RNs spend twice more time conducting patient rounds and team meetings than ENs and level 1 RNs. RNs mainly coordinate shifts, monitor intravenous fluids and administration of some medications while EN’s roles mainly involve setting room equipment and cleaning (Chaboyer, et al., 2008). Enrolled nurses distinguish normal from abnormal and they contribute to care rather than take a leading role. Registered nurses are highly skilled and provide leadership to ENs in providing care. RNs offer surveillance, identify complications and intervene appropriately. It is the recognition that ENs has limited career progression opportunities that prompt more ENs in Australia to seek conversion to RN status (Chaboyer, et al., 2008).
Enrolled nurses pursue conversion in the hope of achieving greater personal development, professional success through a highly demanding process. In their BN studies, enrolled nurses have unique ability to relate their learning to their previous clinical experiences. However, studies indicate that clinical experience is not a sufficient determinant of their overall success in new RN roles. On commencing practice, new RNs experience grief over the loss of their previous EN status and EN colleagues. They also experience difficulty in coping with increased scope of practice and accountability (Cubit & Lopez, 2011). Many RNs fail to communicate their previous experience as ENs owing to fear that their peers and superiors may perceive them as having the ability to practice as experienced RNs. Human resource managers must thus, address RN’s need for equal support afforded to other graduates. It is also necessary that measures to prevent incidents where the superiors may take advantage of RNs to the detriment of skill mix and workload allocation due to the perceived higher expectation. Former RNs often feel taken advantage of when colleagues and superiors expectation inform their decisions to leave them out in provision of support systems (Cubit & Lopez, 2011).
Based on their familiarity with the nursing workplace, RNs with previous EN experience re-enter the nursing labor force and are oblivious that their transition may be problematic. Their peers in the workforce also expect them to be more likely to deliver more optimally than RNs without prior EN experience. The perceived expectation results in negative retention consequences when transition RNs encounter difficulties in coping with responsibilities in their new roles. It is because nurses in this transitional phase experience deficiencies in support which negatively impacts their self-confidence ad work satisfaction (Burns & Poster, 2008).
Despite having previous exposure to patient care, care prioritization, and administering medication, nurses in the transitional phase struggle in adjusting to the significant increase in workplace stressors of their new roles. New registered nurses experience drastic increment in responsibilities coupled with complex decision making and accountability duties. They experience elevated anxiety and feelings of inadequacy due to the imminent self, peer and managerial expectation to cope as they are considered to have an experience advantage over other nurse groups. However, studies indicate that the transition period is equally stressful for previous enrolled nurses as it is for those without prior medical experience (Burns & Poster, 2008).
Orienting RNs in the transitional phase on workplace reality is a critical management issue for human resource managers. Managing drastic change is complex is necessary because ENs change from caring for 2 to three patients under registered nurse’s guidance to caring for five to six patients without guidance. Having to care for more patients is sometimes shocking and overwhelming for RNs in the transition phase. This reality is a shock and is a common cause of dissatisfaction and intention to leave the profession. Human resource managers have a critical role in preparing new RNs for changes in their roles and associated responsibilities. Preparation must include orientation on the additional requirements of the new roles such as responsibility for advanced clinical decision making (Kelly & Ahen, 2008).
Human resource management also requires employing strategies that boost new RN’s confidence as a way of encouraging a smoother transitional journey. Many senior nursing staff believe that new graduates have inadequate preparation for the realities of care. This notion often erodes new graduate’s motivation as it fosters a sense of inadequacy. Nursing students have more than enough preparation to undertake registered nurse duties, and human resource managers must prevent the underestimation of their skills and knowledge from impeding their performance. It is necessary to employ nurturing strategies that clearly stipulate what is expected of them and facilitating their access to support from senior nursing staff (Burns & Poster, 2008).
There is a growing challenge for human resource managers to devise ways of ensuring that new RNs practice their learned value systems in completing routine tasks. Most RNs indicate that managing busy work shifts hinder them from providing individualized care in line with nursing principles internalized during studies. The workplace reality is an obstacle to providing holistic care. Graduates expect to have adequate time with patients and provide a level of practice they needed to offer. However, workload demands leave graduates feeling responsible for their inability to offer holistic care because communication with patients is not accorded precedence in priority at the workplace (Nayda & Cheri, 2008).
Acquiring an RN status is not merely an addition of skills to the EN repertoire. RNs must view it as a change of role with an increased workload. It is necessary to provide support to new RNs so that that they refrain from succumbing to providing lower standard care. When nurses have to provide lower standard care, it results in disillusionment with the RN role because of their inability to follow national competency standards. The industry expectation of the RNs with previous EN exposure must be aligned to their perceptions and abilities and special attention given to the unique aspects of their transition. Human resource managers must offer equal degree of guidance and support that is accorded to other graduate nurses (Blay & Donoghue, 2007).
RNs also face the challenge of being a leader over previous EN peers. The familiarity with former peers requires that human resource management equip RNs in the transition journey with good leadership skills to effectively manage former peers and reduce complacency. They also need mentorship provided through appropriate orientation by suitably educated mentors that are regularly rostered with graduates. Thi...