Growing our own: Nurses
This year we have had the pleasure of supporting students in choosing nursing as a career, or nurses furthering their careers. In the first semester we had a registered nurse at the practice doing a Advanced Health Assessment paper through the Christchurch Post graduate School of Nursing -Otago Uni. As her clinical mentor she worked along me and we navigated the physical assessments of all body systems. The patients were, as always very accomodating and got the thorough assessment of two clinicians rather than just myself! This is always a pleasure to be a part of and enhances my clinical skills on an ongoing basis.
Our second student was a Masters student completing her Comorehensive Nursing training over two years. The criteria for this course is a previous degree in any field and then they do two years intense study culminating in a Master of Nursing. The caliber of these students is stunning with a intense workload the clinical time is paramount in enabling them to put the theory into practice. As the equivalent of a first year undergraduate student, in terms of exposure to practice, the students work with our registered practice nurses. The feedback is always that this is of great benefit to the nurses in the practice as it is to the student. I am extremely greatful for the time our nurses give these students.
Our third student this year, in the second semester is a NP candidate completing her prescribing practicum through Otago PG School of Nursing. This is exciting for me seeing a nurse grow and further develop the skills and knowledge required of an NP. As the prescribing mentor I am in the background and the NP candidate is in the driving seat, completing the entire consultation with the patient with oversight from myself. The skills that the nurse brings to the practice is of great benefit to the patients and myself, and there is always so much I get to learn also. For example the current NP candidate is a clinical nurse specialist with over 15 years experience in cardiology. Every patient with a cardiovascular history gets a much more specialised review than what I am able to offer. I take the opportunity to upskill on ECGs, Cardiac Echo reports and the likes. Definately a reciprocal learning environment here! Part of the placement requirement involves a academic review by another prescriber: NP or GP. Fortunately this is also able to be done at the practice by the other NP we employ. A review of the NP candidate’s practice is undertaken and her prescribing critiqued. The next formal assessment is a VIVA. This involves a physical assessment and the necessary prescribing of any medications in an exam type setting via Skype.
Part of the role of being an NP is dedicated to supporting other nurses outside the practice who are engaged in post graduate education to advance their nursing and better meet the needs of the client groups they see. As a part of this I am the Academic mentor for a nurse working in secondary care who is also doing the prescribing practicum. I go to her clinic to observe her practice, while she sees three clients and we discuss her practice and how she is meeting the competencies for Regisistered Nurse prescribing in a specialty team
The benefits to the practice of supporting students across the nursing education arena are enormous. There is no better way to learn than to teach someone else! These are opportunities to support the concept of truly “growing our own”, which is a part of the vision I had in owning a General Practice.