Community-Based Practicum Reflective Journal Guidelines

Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing

NUR 4143 - Clinical Immersion
Community-Based Practicum

Professional nursing meeting experience (4 hours)

Guide for Reflection Using Tanner’s (2006) Clinical Judgment Model
Introduction

What professional nursing meeting(s) did you attend and where was it located?
The VA Board of Nursing Formal Reinstatement Hearings at the Department of Health Professions
conference room on Mayland Drive, Sept 20th, 2018, at 9am.
Background

Describe the purpose of this professional nursing meeting? Describe the agendas of the group and subgroup. What
type of issues did they address?

The purpose of these meetings are to discuss and possibly reinstate the licenses of RNs, LPNs, and CNAs. The
full day agenda included the formal hearing for reinstatement for an RN, LPN, and a CNA. After lunch they
were scheduled to discuss the revoking of two RN licenses. The issues with the licenses that were revoked
included issues such as drug use and neglect.

Noticing

What did you notice about the professional nursing meeting initially? Describe what you saw, heard and did during
the meeting?

What I noticed about the professional meeting initially was that all aspects of the meeting were very formal.
The hearings were conducted in a manner that I think court is conducted. After the president of the board
called to order the meeting, the RN applying for her license back was brought in with her attorney. They sat
down and both the RN’s attorney and “the prosecution” had a chance to deliver opening arguments. The
attorney, the prosecutor and the board all asked the RN questions and did the same for the investigator who
was called as a witness for the prosecution. The board then requested a closed session to discuss and come up
with their decision. We all had to leave the room and wait to be called back in. The same procedure was used
during the second hearing we witnessed except the CNA didn’t have legal representation. She was denied her
reinstatement and the RN was granted her license back.

Interpreting

Describe what you thought about the information being discussed. Have you been involved in similar discussion
during your previous student nurse experiences? Describe the similarities and/or differences to those encounters.

The information being discussed was new to me. I had not seen a formal reinstatement hearing before and the
only similar discussion I have experienced was between my classmates and I and professors. We had
discussed ethics and legal action against nurses who have abused drugs, patients, or broke protocol. We
discussed that the VA Board of Nursing can take away licenses as well as reinstate them. That is the only
similarity between what was discussed at VBON and what we have discussed before.

Responding

Describe stresses (both positive & negative) you experienced as you responded to the new learning or the challenge.

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 Community-Based Practicum Reflective Journal Guidelines

These meeting were anxiety causing because we saw first had what can happen to nurses who are guilty of
crime and poor morals. It was a reminder that we have patients lives in our hands and we need to be extra
vigilant.

What role would you take being assigned to represent your unit in this group? What subcommittee would you like to
participate with and why?

This was a VBON meeting not on a unit. We did learn that the Board members are appointed by the
Governor and they work on a volunteer basis.

Reflection-on-Action and Clinical Learning

What written evidence is available to support professional nursing groups and their impact on the development of
evidence based practice and improved patient outcomes. Cite/reference all journal articles that contributed to the
evidence.

A nursing article from Colorado defines what the impact of professional nursing groups are on the nursing
profession and evidence based projects “This is where professional standards are articulated. We need
focused clinical groups that bring the relevance of current practice to the discussion table of issues. We need
an organization that is the voice for Advocacy for the profession both nationally and at the states’ level”
(Jarrett, 2018). Another example is a professional nursing group that is looking to concussions in Louisiana.
The University of Louisiana School of Nursing and the Louisiana Emergency Nurses Association are
partnering to research concussions in contact sports with the help of the CDC as well as what can be
implemented to reduce the severity (Dean, A.; Beyer, E.; Carter, K.; 2018). These groups have gone so far as
to pass a law, the Louisiana Youth Concussion Act (Dean, et al., 2018) with agreement with the NFL, to
prevent serious head injuries. This is only one example of how professional nursing groups can make a
difference.

What is the value of professional nursing meetings both as a part of a healthcare system and within a professional
organization?
The value of professional nursing meetings as part of the healthcare system is to share ideas and promote
constant learning between units and in all levels of care. Professional meets are a great resource for constant
improvement on units and patient care.
Describe any changes in your values or feelings as a result of this experience.

I definitely want to be more vigilant in my patient care and follow the law as well as the hospital policies. This
experience definitely solidified my notion that we have a special responsibility to those we care more and the
consequences can be drastic.

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 Community-Based Practicum Reflective Journal Guidelines

References:

Dean, A. R., Beyer, E., & Carter, K. (2018). Connecting a School of Nursing and a Professional Nurse
Organization to Promote Concussion Awareness. Journal Of Emergency Nursing: JEN: Official
Publication Of The Emergency Department Nurses Association, 44(1), 86–88.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jen.2017.10.005

Jarrett, S. (2018). A New Paradigm - Professional Nursing Organizations for the Next Decade and
...Beyond. Colorado Nurse, 118(1), 1–2. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,athens&db=ccm&AN=1280500
18&site=eds-live

Nielsen, A., Stragnell, S., & Jester P (2007). Guide for reflection using the Clinical Judgment

Model. Journal of Nursing Education, 46(11), p. 513-516.

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