Students in NSG 351 Integration to Experience was assigned to complete two modules on ATI: Testing and Remediation as well as Nursing Concepts. In the module, Testing and Remediation, the student will gain sight in preparation for standardized testing, strategies for exams, preparation for faculty-developed examinations, strategies for critical reading items on examinations, as well as aspects concerning the NCLEX. NCLEX is a licensure examination that is required to be taken by nursing students upon graduation in order to obtain their licensure, in their potential state, to practice medicine. Not only are strategies administered throughout the module, however, but the licensure exam’s format and questions that will be required of the students are also explained in depth throughout this module. For example, students are informed that unless an audio clip has been listened to they will not be allowed to proceed with the examination until they do in fact listen to said audio clip. As well in this module, students are strongly encouraged to utilize practice tests. Concerning critical thinking for multiple-choice questions, in this module, the student is informed that there are two parts: Stem which concerns scenario, question, the person of focus, and keywords, as well as the two options from the answers which are provided. Among the options are the distractors which are the wrong answers and the key which is the correct answer. This module was insightful and truly administered useful tips for nursing students as well as students of all focus due to the fact that many student graduate onwards to licensure exams and are also subjected to standardized testing. However, some information is solely NCLEX examination, most of the information can be utilized in examinations of all spectrums. Concerning the module, Nursing Concepts, ATI refers to this module as the “Horizontal Bars Helix of Success”. There are ten bars in this helix of success each representing a concept and clinical judgment, which are as followed: client-centered care, interdisciplinary collaboration, evidence-based practice, quality improvement, informatics, safety, client education, professionalism, leadership, and ultimately priority setting. In the module, Patricia Benner identifies stages in which a nursing student transitions into novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert throughout their clinical experience. Focusing on each bar of the helix one can gain insight and thus, through clinical experience and the integration of the concepts from each bar one can begin to make clinical judgments. Through client-centered care, one understands the importance and integrity of patient advocacy, as well as patient education. From interdisciplinary collaboration, one understands the importance of collaboration of all teams: physicians, physical therapists, nurses, speech pathologists, occupational therapy, pharmacists, certified nursing assistants, spiritual support providers, along with other professions who assist the patient throughout the duration of the care. Collaboration alongside these various members promotes not only trust, but also respect encouraging and enabling the patient to receive quality care. Evidence-based practice encourages nurses to use qualified and credible, sourced based, information to aid them with clinical-based judgments to provide client care decisions. Implying that due to research one can interpret from their sources how effective an intervention may potentially be. Quality Improvement is the development based on the study of organizational processes to not only meet the goals of the clients but also to improve health care in order to meet the needs of said clients. Informatics supports clincial decision making due to the ability to gather information through technology as well as to communicate for example, through online medical records. Online medical records can be utilized by the health care team as well as the patients, for patients, they can be able to request appointments, view various test results, and even message a team member for various concerns. Safety is the minimization of risk factors in order to provide quality care as well as providing a secure environment for the patient as well as the health care team. Client education provides patients with not only knowledge but also allows patients to adopt new skills to utilize to improve health care as well as new behaviors and promotes a new outlook on the said diagnosis. Patient education promotes self-efficacy and enables said patient the capability to ensure they are able to monitor health status, alter lifestyle choices, or even administer medication to promote a healthy lifestyle in a positive outlook and manner. Professionalism concerns responsible, accountable, and ethical behavior of a nurse and guides them throughout their nursing practice as not only a principle but as well as a guideline which they must comply to. Professionalism encourages nurses as well as other careers to strive for excellence however, specifically in nursing due to these principles this encourages and enables one to provide quality care. Leadership skills are used in order to provide individualized, safe, and quality care. Although all nurses are encouraged and expected to take on leadership skills not all nurses demonstrate a different style of leadership. Finally, priority setting demonstrates the ability of a nurse to be able to apply clinical reasoning, and judgment in order to rank in order in which nursing actions should and must be taken. For example, which patient must be seen first, or which interventions should be provided now or later. For which patient must be seen first one can refer to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in order to determine which patient should be seen first, second, third, and fourth depending on how many patients said the nurse has. However, for interventions and determining which should be completed first and which can be completed later the nurse will still refer to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, but some interventions could be completed by an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP). For example, a UAP could be assigned to take vital signs, make a bed, or even provide a patient with a bed bath. Ultimately this module enabled the nursing student to further understand the importance of the role of the nurse, evidence-based practice, the role of the patient, and how to integrate what they have learned into clinical judgment and rationale.
