Posted: September 15th, 2022

As an RN I have 7 years experience within my role

Nursing knowledge is classified in a variety of ways, one of which is Carper’s Patterns of Knowing (Carper, 1978). Carper’s framework offers a lens through which the nurse can reflect upon insights acquired through empirical, ethical, personal, and aesthetic knowledge (Carper, 1978). Through intentional reflection using Carper’s Patterns of Knowing, nurses can process experiential learning and knowledge acquired through practice. The purpose of this assignment is to reflect upon a specific practice situation and better understand the professional knowledge and insights obtained through that experience.
Criteria for Content
Think of a surprising or challenging practice situation in which you felt underprepared, unprepared, or uncomfortable.
-Working with a critical care patient that was on a ventilator.
Select an important nursing issue/topic that was inherent to the identified situation.
-Preceptorship/appropriate orientation/trusting your preceptor to help guide you
Article you can use: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4205066/
Briefly explain the situation
-As a new RN to the emergency room, I had completed my orientation and was now on my own to care for patients. Throughout my orientation I was given the opportunity to learn how to care for emergency room patients in different scenarios but unfortunately I had not had the chance to care for a patient that had to be intubated and placed on a ventilator. One night I found myself assigned to the trauma room. A patient having trouble breathing was intubated and placed on a ventilator for stabilization. I was not sure how to manage this patient and felt overwhelmed being left in the room by myself. I could have kept quiet and continued to care for this patient while waiting for an ICU bed to open but I knew ethically that would be wrong because something could have gone wrong with my patients ventilator settings that could lead to injury or death to the patient. Although the charge nurse had asked that I try my best to care for my patients alone while off orientation, I mustered the courage to explain to her that I would need assistance in the trauma room because I was concerned that my lack of understanding of ventilators would be a problem while caring for this patient. My charge nurse asked me to try my best to refer to the notes I had taken during orientation regarding vent patients because we were too short staffed to have someone help me at that moment. Although short staffed, one of the other nurses stepped in and offered to assist me. She had the respiratory therapist come down and the both of them took their time to explain to me how to properly care for my patient and what things to be on alert for. She frequently checked km with me the whole night until my patient was ready to be transferred to the ICU floor.
Identify the nursing issue inherent in the identified situation
-Lack of support amongst peers. Fear of asking for assistance.Nurses “eating their young”
As a method of refection, use Carper’s Patterns of Knowing to analyze the situation. In your discussion, address ONE of the following Patterns of Knowing:
What was one personal belief that impacted your actions? (Ethics)
-Mustered up the courage fo ask for assistance because I understood that caring for my patient safely was my obligation and ethically I would be wrong to continue to care for a patient where I felt unsure about what to do.
What new insights did you gain through this reflective practice opportunity?
-It is important to speak up when you need help. Sometimes your colleagues may not know that help is needed or may think you are doing just fine. Speak up, don’t be afraid to ask for help because at the end of the day your patient’s health and safety is what is most important. It is also important for your peers to lend a hand when needed. Nursing is definitely a career when a team work approach is very important.
How will this apply to your practice as a nurse practitioner? Be sure to use scholarly literature to support your position.
-As an RN I have 7 years experience within my role and I feel confident enough to provide patient care efficiently and safely. I also feel confident as an experienced RN to ask for assistance when needed. When I become an NP, or an advanced practice nurse, this will be a whole new scope of practice where I will have no experience. I will take the lessons I’ve learned as an RN and apply them to my role as an advanced practice nurse and continue to ask for clarification, training, and assistance where needed to ensure I am providing safe patient care.

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