SOCW 6500 Week 1 Assignment Paper
SOCW 6500 Week 1 Assignment Paper
Identify and describe your personal professional goals and objectives within the parameters of the field education experience.
As a student of social work, as I embark on this field journey several personal and professional interests add to the learning process. Some of my personal priorities are to integrate and to translate what I am studying into community programs in a classroom. My aim is to start from the point of view of the learners and to absorb all the tools and teaching techniques that I get out of. One of my personal goals is to develop dedication to the industry, to build working relationships and encourage positive role model actions.
In addition, I want to be able to practice leadership features in the list of some of my personal and professional priorities, learn different solutions skills I have lost and continue to build on my existing skills and resources. One of my professional aspirations is to become an agency manager.
Explain how your personal professional goals and objectives that you identified might be reflected in your agency learning agreement.
I always wanted to make a commitment to the field, although it is difficult to work with people in the field to improve and the list of objectives you have established would help them to excel in the field.
One of my personal goals is to develop a commitment to the industry, to improve professional connections and to encourage positive role models. Furthermore, I want to be able to practice leadership features in the list of my personal and professional priorities, effectively develop various organizational abilities I may have missed and continue to build on available skills and resources. One of my professional aspirations is to become an agency manager.
Explain how your personal professional goals and objectives that you identified might be reflected in your agency learning agreement.
The first objective I chose was to establish engagement in the field, as it is challenging times in the field to work with people developing and the listing of objectives you set is fruitful in the field. Developing professional relationships is in line with the Learning Agreement because it helps you to learn from interns who are already experienced in the industry. Leadership characterizes enable a person to contribute skills, such as leadership, motivational training and mentor learning, to a learning environment and to the workplace.
Learning from my fellow students means watching, training, answering questions and repeating. Learning how to be an efficient director would encourage me to watch the Agency Director’s leadership skills, how to direct, guide the staff, develop relationships, participate in cultural diversity, advocate, and respond when appropriate. It also involves incorporating what you have learned in this area to get the most out of the learning agreement.
SOCW 6500 Week 1 Assignment Paper Week 1: The Role of the Intern
Important Note: Please use the media player below to hear an audio course introduction that will give you more background information about the course topic. Also provided is a transcript for you to download and print out.
Laureate Education. (Producer). (2013). The role of the intern [Audio file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 1 minute.
Accessible player –Downloads–Download AudioDownload Transcript
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Analyze field education experience
- Identify role of the intern in field education experience
- Identify agency learning agreement
- Identify personal professional goals and objectives in relation to field education experience
- Identify personal professional goals and objectives in relation to agency learning agreement
SOCW 6500 Week 1 Assignment Paper Learning Resources
Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.
Required Readings
Garthwait, C. L. (2017). The social work practicum: A guide and workbook for students (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Chapter 1, “The Purpose and Expectations for Practicum” (pp. 1–11)
Gelman, C. R., Fernandez, P., Hausman, N., Miller, S., & Weiner, M. (2007). Challenging endings: First year MSW interns’ experiences with forced termination and discussion points for supervisory guidance. Clinical Social Work Journal, 35(2), 79–90.
Note: Retrieved from Walden Library databases.
Wayne, J., Bogo, M., & Raskin, M. (2010). Field education as the signature pedagogy of social work education. Journal of Social Work Education, 46(3), 327–339.
Note: Retrieved from Walden Library databases.
Required Media
Laureate Education. (Producer). (2013). The role of the intern [Audio file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Note: This audio introduction is located in the “Introduction and Objectives” section. The approximate length of this media piece is 1 minute.
Optional Resources
Click the following link to access the MSW home page, which provides resources for your social work program.
Creating a Professional Development Plan
Healthcare is an ever-dynamic sector considering the influence of internal and external factors, including technological advancements, legislation changes, demographic aspects, and sociocultural contexts of care delivery. These changes prompt healthcare professionals to advance their knowledge, skills, and competencies. An ideal strategy for improving professional competencies is developing a lifelong learning plan and enhancing knowledge. According to Mlambo et al. (2021), continuing professional development (CPD) is a profound strategy for enabling healthcare professionals to keep their knowledge and skills up-to-date.
This approach entails various activities for bolstering knowledge and updating skills, including formal and informal learning, self-reflection, workplace informal learning, appraising literature for the best evidence, networking, and scholarship activities. This paper aims to elaborate on a professional development plan for my career as a nurse educator and an MSN-prepared nurse. The paper focuses on my area of specialty, professional goals, influential forces, scholarship activities, my leadership role, and a plan for professional development.
Area of Focus
As a nurse educator in an emergency care unit, my area of specialty and focus is promoting the incorporation of evidence-based practice (EBP) by educating clinical nurses on the tenets of nursing research and the assimilation of internal and external evidence. According to Brayer & Marcinowicz (2018), graduates of master’s programs demonstrate specialist knowledge in nursing that enables them to solve professional problems, conduct nursing research, monitor thresholds for care quality, and establish standards of professional care. Equally, an MSN-prepared nurse can develop and implement health education programs and select ideal teaching approaches that promote optimal knowledge acquisition consistent with clinicians’ learning needs. Implementing evidence-based practice (EBP) in emergency care units is among the most profound care quality measures.
Evidence-based practice has gained popularity as a strategy for decision-making and problem-solving. Koota et al. (2018) contend that EBP entails integrating the best evidence from robust studies, clinical expertise, and patient values to solve problems and inform decisions. In emergency care settings, clinicians must incorporate information from external and internal sources to foster patient-centered care and deliver quality care amidst predicaments that compromise care delivery mechanisms, including time pressure, overcrowding, and the overarching need to adhere to strict clinical guidelines.
As an MSN-prepared nurse, I intend to promote the integration and incorporation of EBP in clinical practices by educating nurses on effective research methods, coordinating efforts of interdisciplinary teams, and operating as a “knowledge worker.” According to McGonigle and Mastrian (2018), knowledge workers are innovative, specialized, and have advanced education that contributes to a high degree of autonomy. As a knowledge worker, I target to contribute knowledge and provide expert opinions that promote the integration of evidence-based practice into clinical practices and decisions.
Professional Goals
The initial stage of creating a professional development plan is understanding personal and professional goals. In this sense, understanding professional goals enables MSN-prepared nurses to encourage life-long learning and continuous advancement of clinical skills. As a nurse educator, my first goal is to utilize knowledge, skills, and clinical experience to cultivate ideal environments for therapeutic, patient-centered, and quality care. In the current healthcare systems, translating theoretical knowledge and experience into practice is a daunting endeavor, considering the varying contextual factors.
According to Wensing and Grol (2019), knowledge translation enhances the usefulness of nursing research by enabling healthcare professionals to actualize and enact research findings and recommendations. Theoretical knowledge can assume various forms, including healthcare delivery models, technology, and evidence-based guidelines. By effectively translating theoretical knowledge into practice, it is possible to provide evidence-based care that promotes sound decisions and solutions to clinical problems.
My second professional goal is to influence the incorporation of evidence-based practice into clinical practice by teaching clinicians about the standards of effective nursing research. Brayer and Marcinowicz (2018) argue that MSN-prepared nurses influence the hospital’s organizational culture and behaviors by cultivating the habit of continuous learning and the normalcy of utilizing information to inform decisions and practices.
I intend to promote nursing research and evidence-based practice by creating a culture of inquiry and actively participating in disseminating and assimilating evidence. According to Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt (2019), developing a culture of inquiry entails developing foreground questions and using them as a guide to research activities. As a nurse educator, I will teach clinicians how to develop research questions, select and appraise evidence sources, and leverage findings to guide practices and solve problems.
Finally, my third professional goal is to develop leadership skills that will enable me to operate as a change agent. Change is inevitable in healthcare, considering social, economic, political, and institutional dynamics. According to Poindexter (2022), nurse educators can play a forefront role as change agents by transforming nursing education to prepare an agile, competent, and confident nursing workforce.
Equally, they demonstrate adaptability to implement experiential clinical models, advancing healthcare technologies, and rapid designs for program delivery. As a leader and change agent, I can promote innovation and creativity, influence the implementation of quality improvement initiatives, and understand benchmarks for success. Equally, I can address the restraining factors for change and motivate clinicians to embrace change.
Influences
Undoubtedly, various external and internal factors influence the trajectories of nursing education programs and the role of nurse educators. Influential forces can be either social, economic, political, or institutional aspects. Social factors that influence nursing education programs include the overarching need to improve cultural competency, ensure social justice, and apply knowledge to address poor social determinants of health (SDOH). On the other hand, political factors, including policy failures and limited government involvement in career development, affect nursing education by limiting opportunities for knowledge acquisition and skill advancement.
Thirdly, the economic environment affects nursing education by defining the demand for qualified healthcare professionals and justifying the need for appropriate employee retention policies and practices. Finally, organizational issues like the internal culture of talent retention, workplace invincibility, education patterns and models, and opportunities for career development determine how nurses advance their knowledge, competencies, and skills. As a result, a successful nursing education program relies massively upon positive inputs from political, economic, sociocultural, and organizational environments that provide opportunities for knowledge acquisition, skill advancement, and life-long learning.
Analysis of Scholarship Activities
The scholarship is one element of the tripartite model of nursing education. According to Dolan (2017), the scholarship role of nurse educators includes various aspects, such as spearheading research practices, presenting scholarly works, obtaining grants, and public scientific materials. The primary objective of these scholarship activities is to advance professional knowledge and develop a scholarly foundation of clinical care and future nursing practices. Therefore, it is a fundamental concept that enables healthcare professionals to adapt to the dynamic nature of the healthcare sector and improve knowledge of the scholarly and theoretical underpinnings of the nursing profession.
Based on the need to improve my scientific knowledge and advance my professional skills through scholarship, I intend to participate in interdisciplinary activities, including nursing research and dissemination of research findings within and outside the organizational environment. I target to publish journal articles in reputable publication databases for peer reviewing and the subsequent knowledge contribution to different nursing topics and concepts.
Another ideal scholarship activity is utilizing workshops and other platforms to present the findings of my research reports and improve networking opportunities. By publishing and disseminating the findings of my research reports in workshops and publication databases, it will be possible to offer recommendations and contribute knowledge to foreground questions and clinical practices.
Leadership Role.
As a nurse educator, I am responsible for facilitating and influencing positive change by educating nurses and encouraging creativity. According to Poindexter (2022), educating nurses can improve their agility, competencies, and confidence to provide quality and culturally responsive care. My role as a change agent necessitates the need to develop my leadership skills and competencies that would allow me to collaborate with interdisciplinary teams during the change process.
The first strategy for improving my leadership role is enhancing my communication skills. In this sense, effective communication promotes teamwork, coordination of nursing activities, and collaboration. I intend to improve my communication skills by practicing active listening, addressing implicit biases, and incorporating emotional intelligence when interacting with colleagues and other clinicians.
Besides improving my communication skills, I should familiarize myself with leadership theories and models that align with different organizational contexts. Also, it would be essential to understand the characteristics of a successful leader, including behaviors, traits, and elements of personality. I intend to enroll in an online leadership course and conduct regular personal leadership skills assessments to understand my leadership strengths and identify areas of improvement.
Development Plan
Although I am an MSN-prepared nurse, adopting approaches for consistent knowledge and skills enhancement would enable me to thrive in ever-dynamic healthcare systems. As a result, my professional development plan includes the following steps: joining nursing associations, obtaining a doctorate in nursing practice (Ph. D), and emphasizing scholarship activities.
Firstly, joining nursing associations like the American Nursing Association (ANA) is a profound step toward professional development. In this sense, these associations sponsor networking events and provide members with other multiple benefits and opportunities, including continuing learning, fellowship programs, and skill-based accreditation (Morin, 2021). As a result, joining such associations can provide opportunities for sharing knowledge, networking, and skill advancement.
Secondly, obtaining a doctorate in nursing and emphasizing scholarship activities are vital steps for advancing my academic knowledge and qualifications. For instance, obtaining a Ph.D. program would improve my leadership skills and provide opportunities for specializing in my clinical specialty (Dobrowolska et al., 2021). By advancing my education, I will gain insights into strategies for bridging the chasms in knowledge translation.
Finally, engaging in scholarship activities like publishing scholarly journals in reputable databases and disseminating the findings of my research reports will improve my knowledge of clinical research and enable me to familiarize myself with different evidence-based models.
Reflection
As an MSN-prepared nurse, I have gained experience and knowledge of the theoretical underpinnings of nursing practices, organizational issues that affect care delivery, and communication skills necessary for promoting interdisciplinary collaboration. Also, I am aware of various thresholds for evidence-based practice, including strategies for developing clinical questions, selecting and appraising evidence sources, and translating knowledge into practice.
However, I must encourage life-long learning amidst the dynamic nature of the healthcare environment. As a result, my professional development plan includes ideal strategies for ongoing and career-long learning, including obtaining a doctorate in nursing, participating in scholarship activities like publishing scholarly works in reputable publication databases and enrolling in an online leadership course to enhance my leadership skills.
SOCW 6500 Week 1 Assignment Paper References
Brayer, A., & Marcinowicz, L. (2018). Job satisfaction of nurses with a master of nursing degrees in Poland: Quantitative and qualitative analysis. BMC Health Services Research, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-018-3053-6
Dobrowolska, B., Chruściel, P., Pilewska-Kozak, A., Mianowana, V., Monist, M., & Palese, A. (2021). Doctoral programs in the nursing discipline: A scoping review. BMC Nursing, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-021-00753-6
Dolan, D. H. (2017). The new nurse educator: Mastering academe (2nd ed.). Springer Publishing Company.
Koota, E., Kääriäinen, M., & Melender, H.-L. (2018). Educational interventions promoting evidence-based practice among emergency nurses: A systematic review. International Emergency Nursing, 41, 51–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ienj.2018.06.004
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2018). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2018). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare: A guide to best practice. Wolters Kluwer Health.
Mlambo, M., Silén, C., & McGrath, C. (2021). Lifelong learning and nurses’ continuing professional development, a meta-synthesis of the literature. BMC Nursing, 20(62), 1–13. https://bmcnurs.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12912-021-00579-2
Morin, K. H. (2021). Editorial: Contributions of professional nursing organizations. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 77(6). https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14808
Poindexter, K. (2022). Nurse educators as agents of change. Nursing Education Perspectives, 43(2), 71–72. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.nep.0000000000000948
Wensing, M., & Grol, R. (2019). Knowledge translation in health: How implementation science could contribute more. BMC Medicine, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-019-1322-9
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