NR 503 Week 8 Reflection on Achievement of Program Outcomes

Sample Answer

MSN Program Outcome #2

When I reflect back over this course, I am able to see how valuable epidemiology is within the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) specialty track. The MSN program outcome #2 revolves around promoting quality and safety of care within the advanced nursing practice. Given this, through the course outcomes in NR503 I was able to uphold this through diving into what epidemiology means and how it applies to community health and population research. Epidemiology goes hand in hand with community health. In improving the wellbeing of those that are in the unhealthiest of today’s world, the overall healthiness of the society can be improved.

Focusing on the study of epidemiology to close the gap on these disparities will vastly reduce health imbalances in society as a whole (Marmot, 2017). Epidemiology will continue to seek to increase safety and quality of care as it studies disease worldwide. By being knowledgeable about study designs and epidemiological surveillance, one is able to realize the significance it places on increasing safety and quality of care. All of the course outcomes within NR503 aid in the understanding of how this kind of information promotes the safety and quality of health care practices.

Specifically, I was able to meet the MSN Program Outcome #2 through weekly discussions as we discussed aspects of epidemiology that seek to increase safety and quality of patient care practices, such as identifying study designs that seek to improve patient care practices through epidemiological research. Another way this outcome was achieved was through the epidemiological problem paper as this helped us identify an epidemiological problem within our geographical region so that we, as future advanced practice nurses (APNs) can be knowledge about epidemiological research so that we can improve the safety and quality of care to patients in which we treat.

MSN Program Outcome #2

MSN Essential IV promotes incorporating scholarship within practice. Clinical scholarship is foundational to nurses across all venues and will be an essential element to uphold within practice as it serves the populations in which one practices (Wilkes, Mannix, & Jackson, 2013). The outcomes within this course support this mission as they help us understand epidemiological study designs, and the importance they play within practice. As epidemiological issues are researched, they can be integrated into practice and serve as a reminder that other areas may need to be researched in order to continuously improve patient care practices.

Take for example, one way this outcome was met was through this course we were able to identify sources of epidemiological data within discussions. By FNPs being knowledgeable about sources of epidemiological data will be resourceful as they use this data to support best patient care practices that aid in decreasing the transmission of disease, thus integrating knowledge into practice. Another way a course outcome from NR503 supported and achieved MSN Essential IV was by researching issues such as infectious disease, chronic disease, and exposures within the discussions, as well as within the three papers completed in this course.

I was able to deepen my knowledge regarding diseases such as diabetes, chickenpox, and influenza as I will be a future leader within treatment of these diseases. Knowledge I have gained regarding prevalence and incidence of the disease through the papers within this course will help me be mindful as I am diagnosing infectious and chronic diseases so that scholarship and knowledge can be applied, specifically for at risk populations. By FNPs being knowledgeable about epidemiology it will seek to strengthen the foundation of scholarly knowledge that is used and applied within practice.

NP Core Competencies (NONPF) #4

Lastly, NONPF #4 revolves around the FNP developing new practice methods that support research, theory, and knowledge within practice. FNPs will be key facilitators within developing the newest and most current evidence-based practices within the epidemiological realm. Specifically, NR503’s course outcomes and assignments have met this competency by allowing us to appraise and research a public health issue that is relevant to our geographical location.

This will be where we as FNPs express the knowledge gained from the project and course outcomes to populations and communities that we will treat as they promote new practices in relation to patient care and within their practice setting so that patient care practices are enhanced. Also, this course has met this competency by discussing genetics within epidemiology as it is the future of epidemiological practices. New methods regarding epidemiology will be researched and this research will evolve from genetics as FNPs continue to integrate genetics and research into practice.

FNPs will be leaders within promotion of epidemiological research and key facilitators in developing new methods that support genetic involvement within epidemiology. Involvement and development of genetics in research will seek to improve patient outcomes. It will be important that FNPs and APNs be mindful and provide proper education about genetics so that awareness can be raised on the subject (Calzone et al., 2017). APNs will be leaders within further development of genetic epidemiological processes that can be promoted within practice.

Reference

• Calzone, K. A., Kirk, M., Tonkin, E., Badzek, L., Benjamin, C., & Middleton, A. (2018). Increasing nursing capacity in genomics Overview of existing global genomics resources. Nurse Education Today, 69(1), 53-59. doi 10.1016/j.nedt.2018.06.032
• Marmot, M. (2017). Social justice, epidemiology and health inequalities. European Journal of Epidemiology, 32(7), 537-546. doi 10.1007/s10654-017-0286-3
  Wilkes, L., Mannix, J., & Jackson, D. (2013). Practicing nurses perspectives of clinical scholarship A qualitative study. BMC Nursing, 12(1), 21-27. doi 10.1186/1472-6955-12-21