Discussion: Examining Nursing Specialties NURS 6003
Discussion: Examining Nursing Specialties NURS 6003
You have probably seen one or more of the many inspirational posters about decisions. A visual such as a forked road or a street sign is typically pictured, along with a quote designed to inspire.
Often decisions are not so easily inspired. Perhaps you discovered this when choosing a specialty within the MSN program. This decision is a critical part of your plan for success, and you no doubt want to get it right. This is yet another area where your network can help, as well as other sources of information that can help you make an informed choice.
To Prepare:
- Reflect on your decision to pursue a specialty within the MSN program, including your professional and academic goals as they relate to your program/specialization.
By Day 3
Post an explanation of your choice of a nursing specialty within the program. Describe any difficulties you had (or are having) in making your choice, and the factors that drove/are driving your decision. Identify at least one professional organization affiliated with your chosen specialty and provide details on becoming a member.
Support main post with 3 of more current, credible sources and cite source within content of posting and on a reference list in proper APA.
By Day 6
Be sure to offer support from at least 2 current, credible sources in each required response to classmates’ main post and cite per APA.
Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days, by sharing your thoughts on their specialty, supporting their choice or offering suggestions if they have yet to choose.
Also Read:
NURS 6003 Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Part 3: Research Analysis
Submission and Grading Information
Grading Criteria
To access your rubric:
Week 6 Discussion Rubric
Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 6
To participate in this Discussion:
Discussion: Examining Nursing Specialties NURS 6003 Example
Choice of Nursing Specialty
After considering all of the nursing specialties available in the MSN program, I decided on population-focused nurse practitioner (NP). A population-focused NP works in a variety of settings in the healthcare field, including hospitals, academia as nurse educators, and leadership as policymakers and influencers. Clinical expertise, communication skills, and advanced education and training enable NPs to perform effectively in various settings. An NP goes beyond registered nurses (RNs) in terms of education and clinical training by earning a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)-Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) with a specific focus such as pediatrics, family medicine, or gerontology (Population-Focused Competencies Task Force, 2013). While NPs work in various settings and have a wide range of competencies, their primary roles in patient care revolve around disease prevention and health management.
Difficulties in Making the Choice
One of the most difficult decisions to make before beginning an MSN program is the specialty. There are several nursing specialty programs from which to pick, which is a difficult undertaking. Furthermore, although one may be interested in a certain specialization, it is pretty easy to succumb to the pressure and influence of friends, family, and peers who may have conflicting perspectives about a particular nursing specialty. My greatest dilemma, I confess, was the several nursing specializations from which I had to choose one.
Also, I had friends and family who expected me to choose a specific path, only to be disappointed by my decision to pursue a different nursing specialization. The fact that a population-focused nurse practitioner specialization focuses on the whole population and allows a nurse to practice in pediatrics, gerontology, or family medicine (Population-Focused Competencies Task Force, 2013) was the motivation for my choice of the area. As a result, despite the difficulties, I ducked all other influences from family and friends and picked this specialty.
Factors that drove my Decision
This nursing specialty has always piqued my curiosity. Since my first years of practice as an RN, I have encountered a wide range of patients and have been able to address their difficulties. Regardless of the patient’s age, whether pediatric or geriatric, I have always carried out my responsibilities with rigor and the necessary skill. Aside from my enthusiasm for the subject, I have an FNP preceptor, and the knowledge and skills I have gained from her have contributed to my interest in population-focused nursing practice. During clinical rotations, I also got to know nursing students pursuing FNP MSN programs, which piqued my interest even further. As I look forward to pursuing a population-focused nurse practitioner-FNP course, my major inspirations are my interest and the impact of prominent persons in the specialty.
Professional Organization Affiliated with the Chosen Specialty and Details of Membership
The International Family Nursing Association (IFNA) is one of the professional organizations with which FNPs are affiliated. IFNA believes in a compassionate family on health, human dignity, social justice, and respect for everyone (IFNA, 2022). The organization’s mission is to improve family health by (1) serving as a global unifying force and voice for family nursing, (2) sharing knowledge, skills, and practice to foster family nursing practice, and (3) fostering nursing leadership through education, scholarship, and research (IFNA, 2022).
To become a member, a nurse goes to the IFNA website and clicks on the membership icon to select the membership level that best fits them. Level 1A, the Sustaining Active Member, for example, requires a $225.00 prescription that is valid for one year and has no automatically repeating payments (IFNA, 2022). However, one must have the requirements, including academic credentials before applying for membership.
References
IFNA. (2022, September 25). Association information. International Family Nursing Association. https://internationalfamilynursing.org/association-information/mission/
Population-Focused Competencies Task Force. (2013). Population-focused nurse practitioner competencies. Ymaws.com. https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.nonpf.org/resource/resmgr/Competencies/CompilationPopFocusComps2013.pdf
Learning Resources
Required Readings
Document: Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template (Word document)
Choose among the following to review your specialization’s Scope and Standards of Practice or Competencies:
Nursing Informatics
E-book: Nursing Informatics: Scope and Standards of Practice
- “The Scope of Nursing Informatics Practice: Functional Areas of Nursing Informatics” (pp. 18–3
Nursing Education
Website: Competencies for the Academic Nurse Educator
National League for Nursing. (2019). Nurse educator core competency. Retrieved from http://www.nln.org/professional-development-programs/competencies-for-nursing-education/nurse-educator-core-competency
Note: The competencies for the Academic Nurse Educator do not encompass the competencies or scope and standards of practice for the Nursing Professional Developer. The set of competencies associated with that specific role within the Nurse Education specialization will be examined in future competencies throughout your specialization program of study.
Nurse Executive
Website: Nurse Executive Competencies
Public Health Nursing
Website: Public Health Nurse Competencies
Public Health Nursing
E-book: Public Health Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice
Optional Resources
Assignment: Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Part 6: Finalizing the Plan
At some point in every construction project, efforts turn from design and the focus moves to actual construction. With the vision in place and the tools secured, the blueprint can be finalized and approved. Then it is time to put on hardhats and begin work.
Throughout the course you have developed aspects of your Academic and Professional Development Plan. You have put a great deal of thought into your vision and goals, your academic and professional network of support, research strategies and other tools you will need, the integrity of your work, and the value of consulting the work of others. With your portfolio in place, it is now time to finalize your blueprint for success.
Much as builders remain cognizant of the building standards as they plan and begin construction, nurses must remain mindful of the formal standards of practice that govern their specialty. A good understanding of these standards can help ensure that your success plan includes any steps necessary to excel within your chosen specialty.
In this Assignment you will continue developing your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan by developing the final component: a review of your specialty standards of practice. You will also submit your final version of the document, including Parts 1–5.
To Prepare:
- Review the scope and standards of practice or competencies related to your chosen specialty.
- Download the Nursing Specialty Comparison Matrix.
- Examine professional organizations related to the specialization you have chosen and identify at least one to focus on for this assignment.
- Reflect on the thoughts you shared in the Discussion forum regarding your choice of a specialty, any challenges you have encountered in making this choice, and any feedback you have received from colleagues in the Discussion.
The Assignment:
Complete the following items and incorporate them into the final version of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan.
- Write a paragraph that provides a detailed comparison at least two nursing specialties, including your selected specialization and second-preferred specialization.
- Write a clear and accurate 2- to 3-paragraph justification statement identifying your reasons for choosing your MSN specialization. Provide sufficient evidence of incorporating feedback you received from colleagues in this week’s Discussion Forum.
- Clearly identify and accurately describe in detail the professional organization related to the specialization you have chosen to focus on for this assignment and explain how you can become an active member of this organization.
Note: Your final version of the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan should include all components as presented the Academic Success and Professional Development Plan template. Make all corrections to each part based on faculty feedback and submit a final and edited copy of the template (Part 1-Part 6) in correct APA format.
By Day 7
Submit Parts 1-6 of your Academic Success and Professional Development Plan.
Remember to include an introduction paragraph which contains a clear and comprehensive purpose statement which delineates all required criteria, and end the assignment Part with a conclusion paragraph.
Submission and Grading Information
To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:
- Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK1Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.
- Click the Week 6 Assignment Rubric to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.
- Click the Week 6 Assignment link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.
- Next, from the Attach File area, click on the Browse My Computer button. Find the document you saved as “WK6Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click Open.
- If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database.
- Click on the Submit button to complete your submission.
Grading Criteria
To access your rubric:
Week 6 Assignment Rubric
Check Your Assignment Draft for Authenticity
To check your Assignment draft for authenticity:
Submit your Week 6 Assignment draft and review the originality report.
Submit Your Assignment by Day 7
To submit your Assignment:
Week 6 Assignment
Congratulations! After you have finished all of the assignments for this week, you have completed the course. Please submit your Course Evaluation by Day 7.