Intensive Care Unit Nursing - An Assessment of Competency Level

Intensive Care Unit Nursing - An Assessment of Competency Level

Introduction

Many countries seek to improve the delivery of health care by examining the roles of various professional bodies, including nurses. Development of new nursing roles more advanced can help improve access to care in a context of limited supply of physicians even declining. It could also help contain costs by delegating certain tasks to a labour expensive medical nurse. This study analyses the development of practical advanced nurses, the development of advanced nursing roles vary widely (Barsuk , 2009). The United States and Canada had already established the category of "nurse practitioners" in the mid-1960s. Although the development of advanced nursing practice in Australia and Ireland is later, these two countries in recent years led a very active policy of establishing new educational programs and job creation.  Evaluations show that the use of nurses in advanced roles can effectively improve access to services and reduce wait times. Nurses in advanced roles are able to ensure the same quality of care that a doctor can provide in a variety of cases.

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is designed for the critically ill patients. The staff members in the intensive care unit include pharmacists, nutritionists, doctors, respiratory therapists, and nurses. Only the most qualified and specialized skill nurses make part of it (Barsuk , 2009). The paper demonstrates my understanding of professional competence and Competency Standards for the Advanced Registered Nurse as well as the impact of development of knowledge, skills and competencies for a better impact on Advanced Practice in the intensive care unit.

Advanced Registered Nurse

Definition

According to the definition proposed by the International Council of Nurses (ICN, 2002), the Advanced Practice Nurse (IPA, in English, Advanced Practice Nurse (APN)) is a registered nurse for the benefit of basic training, which was subsequently acquired knowledge specializes in graduate-level "Master of Science" or a doctorate. She is able to make complex decisions and has clinical skills for an extended care practice. The description of the role of advanced practice nurse based on the model proposed by Hamric et al. (2009).

Advanced Practice Nursing (Advanced Practice Nursing, ANP) is based on a broadened and deepened the care provided by specialists, which are distinguished by three characteristics (ANA American Nurses Association, 1995; Spirig & De Geest, 2004):

Enlargements

Advanced nursing practice pushes the boundaries of the profession for care and adapts skills to changing patient needs. This broadening of skills presupposes e.g. ability to conduct a physical examination or to have an educational centred need. Advanced nursing practice presupposes the ability to take responsibility as part of an interdisciplinary team called to coordinate care that meets the needs of patients and their families.

Professional expertise

Advanced nursing practice (ANP) presupposes a depth nursing knowledge to provide competent professional care patients in a specific field (eg cardiology or geriatrics) or presence a specific phenomenon (e.g. wound or pain). It uses the most acquired recent research and ensures that care is based on scientific research ...