COPA Model Assessment
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COPA Model Assessment
Reflection 1 – Communication
The first situation I found myself in upon entering the nursing practice was collecting of information from several sources through various methods. The main one was interviewing patients to get to know their problem. The situation for learning under this assignment describes my roles in communication within the nursing facility as a nursing aid. Provision of services to patients is the center of nursing; meaning communication is very crucial for better and coordinated service provision. Some of the roles that I played in this situation within the nursing facility include talking and listening to individuals, interviewing and taking history of patients and group discussions. It also involved writing down reports, filling forms and charting, as well as keying and processing data using computers. This situation demonstrated my competency in both oral, written and computer based communication skills.
In dealing with the situation, I was constantly engaging with the nurses, taking orders from physicians and taking the time to talk and listen to the patients. In a day, I would spend much of the time taking orders and filing reports of patients that I was assigned. More so, I was also required to key in the data into the information system in order to have a central place from where the data can be accessed. This situation allowed me to gain competence in the communication subset, specifically competence in interpersonal and communication skills.
Using Benner’s criteria for assessment, my behavior in the situation at the beginning was consistent with that of a novice. However, as I gained more experience, the other levels, advanced beginner to competent and currently at the proficient level. I believe my behavior in the situation reflects the three stages since I entered into the nursing facility without any prior experiences and had to learn everything from a start. However, with the help of the preceptors and facility guidelines, I was able to practice my skills on the older patients. Listening and talking to the patients helped me gain more experience, knowing how to interview the patients as well as collect data and record their history. Further, learning to take orders and execute them as well as record data in the systems enabled me to gain better communication skills that are consistent with the proficient level.
Critical thinking – Analyzing
The other situation I found my self in is collecting data from the other nurses, physicians and patients, as well. One day I encountered a patient who was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Once he complained of a headache and the first intervention I did was gathering data, as well as asking the patient whether he had been taking his medicine. I found out that he was not taking his medicine, and neither was he following the physician’s orders. At the end of the day, I was required to make a full report from the data collected for better decision making. The report required identifying the problem as well likely situations from all the data collected. This situation describes my role in critical thinking, where I am supposed to analyze data from several sources and come with one clear and concise report for better planning. This situation demonstrates my competency in the critical thinking sub skills. I gained greater skills for analyzing data from various sources.
In dealing with this situation, I was required to make decisions from integrating data from several sources. I would collect data from patients, physicians and other nurses as well as use the facility guidelines to make decisions within my jurisdiction. This further required me to solve problems, make decisions and be able to prioritize and make alternatives. In areas not clear, I was supposed to make inquiries to the other nurses, as well as physicians. Within the nursing facility, information required to make decisions concerning the patients comes from several sources, requiring one to have critical thinking skills. This situation helped me in developing competence in critical thinking. As a practitioner, I am supposed to come up with the correct diagnosis, and a suitable and workable solution for the problem. Many patients cannot express themselves correctly. I have to think critically about the symptoms they have and the scanty information they give so as make proper judgments. Critical thinking helps me in understanding different situations and making the right decisions.
Using Benner’s criteria for assessment, my behavior within this situation was that of a novice at the beginning considering I had no prior experience. In dealing with the situation at first, I relied on instructions from the experienced nurses and physicians as well as the facility guidelines, which complies with the novice stage of proficiency. After going through the situation several times, I was able to incorporate all the necessary information in making decisions concerning the patients as well as concerning other areas within the nursing facility without requiring help. Further, I am able to make such decisions without having to keep referring to the guidelines and instruction from the more experienced nurses except for new situations. This places me at the proficient level of proficiency. However, I was able to make such decisions without help and make long-term plans without needing to consider all the information; I would be at the expert level.
Banner 1- Human Caring and Relationship Skills
Having been worked as a nurse for several years, I have gained a lot of expertise in dealing and caring for others especially patients. Within this field, I am able to maintain professionalism that sets the guidelines for my relationship with my colleagues and patients, as well. I once received the report of a patient who was uncooperative and stubborn. For a nurse, it becomes difficult to care for such a patient. However, through following professionalism and the set guidelines I was able to take care of the patient, by first introducing myself and explaining the kind of care the patient was to receive. I totally understood the patient and the situation she was in considering her suffering. This patient had been reluctant to open up about her health issues as well as stubborn in following doctor’s instructions.
The situation describes my role in caring for patients and relationship skills. Specifically, it demonstrates my competence in relationship-based care, cooperative interpersonal relationships and ethics within nursing care. I believe I meet these skills because in dealing with this patient, it required patience in order to win the trust of the patient. In this situation, I had to relate well with the patient despite her lack of cooperation. I had to go by her situation in order to care for her. It required showing an understanding of the patient’s situation at hand. To deal with the patient, I needed to establish a relationship in order to gain trust, as well as openness. By building a caring relationship with the patient as well as maintaining professionalism and a deep understanding or her reasons to be difficult, I was able to create a bridge for the patient to change her attitude in order to open up about her health issues. Additionally, I helped in creating a conducive environment for medical practices of the patient to all the involved parties.
Using Benner’s stages of competence, my behavior in this situation matched that of an expert. Having had experience for a few years, I had already mastered all the professionalism as well as guidelines for dealing with such situations. Although I do use guidelines in establishing care with patients, I do not need to have the guidelines or principles. I am able to identify the best way for dealing with different kinds of situations from the experience I have gained. In dealing with the situation, I did not require to refer to any guidelines or principles. I was able to select the most strategy of relating to this patient just from the report of her lack of cooperation. I have become an expert in this field, as I know all that is expected of me, and I perform it remarkably well. I am able to deal with all kinds of patients as well as colleagues without having to struggle at getting along even when we have differences.
Benner 2- Assessment and Intervention
Assessment and intervention are crucial in medical practice. Assessment and intervention as well as monitoring are crucial since it tells the medical practitioners of the current progress as well as what needs to be done. Without it, it would be hard to know whether the intervention measures taken are working as well as what intervention to take if monitoring was not there. Price (1999) adds assessment monitoring as another sub skill. I am competent since am able to assess and monitor different health conditions, as well as patient progress. An example of a situation in this category is an encountered with a patient who continued to have short breaths and pain anytime antibiotics were on progress.
This situation describes my competency in assessing and intervention as well as monitoring. In dealing with the situation, I first gathered data by looking at the patient history, medical records and holding an interview with the patient. After gathering the data, I continue to observe and assessed the patient conditions listening to his lungs and obtaining his vital signs. By gathering all information and analyzing the data, I reported all the information to the doctor and recommended chest x-ray and sputum culture interventions. From this situation, I acquired several skills as aforementioned including an understanding of therapeutic treatments and procedures. Through these skills, I am able to make diagnosis, as well as administer effective treatment and understand the technologies of promoting better health care.
Using the Benner’s criteria for competency, my behavior reflects on the level of a competent practitioner. While dealing with this situation, I was able to make deliberate planning and make a recommendation to the physician after making my report. I am able to look at my actions in a long-term perspective. This has been a result of a few years of experience. However, I still have a long way to go considering I am not yet able to do such tasks fast, and it requires me to use the guidelines to make a decision after such assessment and intervention. I find myself having several options but cannot decide the most appropriate. This is consistent with Banner’s competence stage of proficiency.
Benner 3 – Teaching
Today, there is a lot of information to deal with especially in the medical field. It is important to impart the knowledge that one is proficient in to other colleagues in order to help them get better. Therefore, teaching skills are important. Some of the instances where I am required to teach are when dealing with assistance nurses who are supposed to assist me. An example includes giving instructions to the assistance nurses on how to care for a patient depending on his or her health condition. For instance, working in a sub-acute rehab, I have different patient’s every day and different nursing assistant to help me, so I have to give detail instructions on how to transfer a new stroke patient or a patient with hip surgery transferring patient is extremely pertinent to avoid falls, injuries and any kind of bone displacement.
This situation describes my ability to teach people, specifically the heath promotion, health restoration and effective care subsets within the COPA assessment model. In dealing with the situation, I demonstrated to the patient how to avoid some of the risks likely to occur during such a transfer. I instructed them how to intervene in case any of the risks occurs. This allowed me to improve the health care we provide for the patients, by increasing the competency of the assistant nurses in order to become independent in their work.
In terms of the
Benner’ criteria, I am at the advanced beginner level considering I still need instructions from the more experienced
nurses within the nursing facility. While dealing with the situation, I was
able to provide a range of instructions to the assistant nurses. I taught
depending on my experience with such situations. However, I have not dealt with
enough to become a competent practitioner.
Reference
Price, M. (1999). COPA model competency outcomes and assessment. London: Sage.