For this assignment, you will use the communication and collaboration skills you learned about in Module 5 to conduct an interprofessional interview with someone who works c
Module 6 | Assignment: Professional Activity Reflection
Professional Activity Reflection
For this assignment, you will use the communication and collaboration skills you learned about in Module 5 to conduct an interprofessional interview with someone who works closely with nurses. The goal of this assignment is to better understand the interdisciplinary roles that are required to provide competent care and how nurses collaborate with other professions in order to optimize patient outcomes.
This assignment includes an Interprofessional Education (IPE) component aligned with AACN Essentials Domain 6 (Interprofessional Partnerships) and IPEC Core Competencies. Upon completing this assignment, you will be able to:
· Recognize the roles, values, and responsibilities of health professionals from at least one discipline other than nursing.
· Articulate how nurses and other health professionals communicate and collaborate to optimize patient care and outcomes.
· Reflect on nursing's unique contribution to the interprofessional care team based on direct interprofessional dialogue.
The American Nurse Project
Step 1: Explore the nursing specialties at Johnson & Johnson Nursing Specialties.
· Select 5 different nursing specialties and review the content
· As you explore each nursing specialty, focus on their:
o Distinct focus and requirements
o Required specialized training and education
o Type of care provided in their respective areas
Step 2: Interprofessional Interview ( Use the Hospital Orlando Health) RN Brown
In your current workplace or healthcare provider's office of your choosing, identify one healthcare professional from a discipline other than nursing (for example, a pharmacist, social worker, physical therapist, respiratory therapist, physician, or occupational therapist). Conduct a brief, informal interview using the three questions below.
Note: You do not need to record the interview; take notes and use them in your reflection.
1. What is your professional role on the care team, and what are your primary responsibilities?
2. How do you collaborate with nurses day-to-day, and what does effective nurse collaboration look like from your perspective?
3. What do you wish nurses better understood about your role or your discipline?
Reflection Paper
Critique the significance of professional nursing as it relates to the field you selected, incorporating both your American Nurse observations and your interprofessional interview. Write a 2–3 page reflection paper (double-space, 12 Times New Roman font).
Content Questions
1. Summarize each interview selected from The American Nurse. Include the nurses' names, credentials, and positions.
2. Identify and describe the area of nursing you selected.
3. Describe the roles played by nurses in that field.
4. Discuss the effect on the health of a community.
5. Identify the place (fit) in the health care system (see Chapter 14).
6. Identify personal learning gained from the experience.
7. Address the degree to which the experience provided motivation to pursue further in this field.
8. Describe the healthcare professional you interviewed and the key insights from your conversation. Based on this experience:
· What did you learn about their role, values, and how they collaborate with nurses?
· How does hearing this perspective reshape or confirm your understanding of nursing's role on the interprofessional care team?
· What does this mean for your own professional practice going forward?
Module 5 | Overview
Overview
This module examines the essential characteristics that define nursing as a profession, explores therapeutic communication techniques that enhance patient care, and develops strategies for effective collaboration within healthcare teams. Whether you're responding to a colleague's request for assistance during a busy shift or advocating for a patient's needs during interdisciplinary rounds, you'll discover how professionalism and communication skills directly impact patient outcomes. You'll analyze nursing's professional status, practice communication techniques, and develop collaborative strategies that strengthen your role within the healthcare team.
Module 5 Overview
This video was created with assistance from AI and has been reviewed by faculty.
Topics
· Professional characteristics and criteria in nursing
· Therapeutic communication techniques and barriers
· Interprofessional collaboration strategies
· Professional behaviors and appearance standards
· Nursing's unique identity within healthcare teams
Read/Prepare
· Chapter 3: Nursing's Pathway to Professionalism
· Chapter 12: Communication and Collaboration in Professional Nursing
Learning Objectives
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
1. Evaluate nursing's status as a profession using established professional criteria and characteristics
2. Describe professional behaviors, appearance, and barriers to professionalism in nursing practice
3. Apply therapeutic communication techniques in nurse-patient interactions
4. Develop strategies for effective interprofessional collaboration and team communication
Module 5 | Reading Materials
Overview
To access your course materials, please use the Leganto link in the left menu.
Required Readings
Chapter 3: Nursing's Pathway to Professionalism
This chapter traces nursing's evolution from an occupation to a recognized profession, examining Kelly's Eight Characteristics of a Profession and how nursing aligns with these criteria. You'll explore the foundational documents that guide professional nursing practice—Nursing's Social Policy Statement, Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, and the Code of Ethics for Nurses—and understand how these shape your professional identity. Pay particular attention to the barriers nursing faces in achieving full professional status, including educational entry variations, gender-related devaluation of women's work, and the historical influence of religious and military traditions on nursing's development.
Reflect
Consider your own journey into nursing.
· Which of Kelly's Eight Characteristics of a Profession do you see most clearly demonstrated in your current practice or educational experience?
· What barriers to professionalism have you observed or experienced, and how might you address these in your future practice?
Chapter 12: Communication and Collaboration in Professional Nursing
This chapter focuses on the essential skills of therapeutic communication and interprofessional collaboration that define professional nursing practice. You'll learn about the three phases of therapeutic nurse-patient relationships (orientation, working, and termination) and how these differ from social relationships. The chapter emphasizes maintaining professional boundaries within the "zone of helpfulness," avoiding both under-involvement and over-involvement with patients. Pay special attention to the SBAR (Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation) framework for structured communication with healthcare providers, and examine how multigenerational workforce dynamics—including Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y—impact team collaboration and conflict resolution.
Reflect
Think about a recent interaction you've had with a patient, family member, or healthcare colleague.
· How did you demonstrate therapeutic communication principles?
· What challenges did you face in maintaining professional boundaries or collaborating effectively across generational or disciplinary differences?
Additional Readings
Dear IHI: What Are Your Tips for Apologizing to Patients?Links to an external site.
This resource provides practical guidance on the four components of an effective apology following medical errors, emphasizing how proper apologies can be therapeutic while poor ones can cause additional harm.
This qualitative research explores how nursing students experience collaboration during group work, highlighting the unexpected prominence of psychosocial elements in professional teamwork development.
InterviewsLinks to an external site.
This multimedia documentary collection features over 400 interviews with nurses across various specialties, providing real-world perspectives on professional nursing practice and identity.
Enabling Professionalism in Nursing and Midwifery PracticeLinks to an external site.
This document from the Nursing and Midwifery Council provides contemporary perspectives on professional standards and behaviors expected in modern healthcare environments. It offers practical guidance on maintaining professionalism while adapting to evolving healthcare delivery models and technological advances.
Myth vs. Fact: The Definition of Professional DegreesLinks to an external site.
This resource clarifies the distinction between professional and academic degrees, helping you understand how your BSN preparation differs from other educational pathways and contributes to nursing's professional status. It provides context for understanding the value of your degree completion journey and its impact on your career advancement opportunities.
Create a Good Impression: Professionalism in NursingLinks to an external site.
This resource emphasizes the fundamental importance of maintaining a professional image and provides practical guidance for presenting yourself professionally in healthcare settings.
What is Nursing Professionalism? A Concept AnalysisLinks to an external site.
This systematic concept analysis defines nursing professionalism as a multidimensional, dynamic, and culture-oriented concept encompassing professional knowledge, caring attitudes, and altruistic behaviors.
APA Manual
Module 5 | Multimedia
Overview
Professional communication serves as the foundation of therapeutic relationships and is essential for safe, effective nursing practice. This multimedia resource demonstrates communication techniques and professional behaviors from a patient's perspective.
Accessibility: Unless otherwise noted, videos include closed captions. If you require additional accessibility accommodations, please contact your faculty or UCF Student Accessibility Services.
Module 5 Multimedia Overview
This video was created with assistance from AI and has been reviewed by faculty.
Multimedia
12 Tips to Practice Professionalism in Healthcare RolesLinks to an external site.
This brief video provides practical, actionable tips for maintaining professionalism in healthcare settings. Pay attention to how these recommendations apply across different healthcare environments and how they reflect the core values of nursing practice. Notice which tips address appearance, behavior, and communication.
As you watch the video, consider the following questions:
· How do the professionalism tips presented align with the nursing profession's emphasis on trust and credibility with patients and colleagues?
· Which of these tips would be most challenging to implement in a high-stress clinical environment, and what strategies could help overcome those barriers?
· How might these professionalism standards differ between various healthcare settings (hospital, clinic, community health, etc.)?
Enabling Professionalism - Challenging Poor PracticeLinks to an external site.
This video explores the challenging but essential responsibility of addressing unprofessional behavior in healthcare settings. Focus on the strategies presented for approaching difficult conversations and the importance of maintaining professional standards for patient safety and team effectiveness.
As you watch the video, consider the following questions:
· What role does each team member play in maintaining professional standards, and how does this responsibility align with nursing's commitment to patient advocacy?
· How can new nurses or those in concurrent programs prepare themselves to address unprofessional behavior they might witness in clinical settings?
· What communication techniques from this video could be adapted for addressing professionalism concerns with peers, supervisors, or other healthcare team members?
· How do the concepts presented here connect to nursing's ethical obligations and professional accountability?
This PBS NewsHour segment examines a federal proposal that would reclassify nursing education programs, potentially affecting students' access to financial aid and the profession's status. Pay attention to how professional classification impacts both individual nurses and the broader healthcare system, as well as the advocacy efforts by nursing organizations.
As you watch the video, consider the following questions:
· How does the potential reclassification of nursing education programs reflect broader challenges to nursing's professional status, and what specific barriers to professionalism does this represent?
· What communication and collaboration strategies do you observe nursing leaders using to advocate for the profession's interests in this policy debate?
· How do the core values of professional nursing identity (such as advocacy and accountability) manifest in the nursing community's response to this proposal?
· What implications might this policy change have for your own professional development and career advancement as a BSN-prepared nurse?
Therapeutic Communication for NursesLinks to an external site.
This video demonstrates essential therapeutic communication techniques that form the cornerstone of professional nursing practice. How a nurse communicates, behaves, and presents themself in front of a patient directly impacts the overall patient experience.
As you watch the video, consider the following questions:
· What is the overriding theme of this video, and how does it connect to the core values of professional nursing identity?
· Think about your nursing practice or clinical experiences. Do you take the time to be present for your patients? What barriers might prevent nurses from being fully present?
· How can you improve your therapeutic communication with patients, and what specific techniques from this video could you implement immediately?
· How do the communication strategies demonstrated here address potential barriers to professionalism in nursing practice?
Communication Patterns Self-Assessment
On page 278 in your textbook, take the Communication Patterns self-assessment.
· Where did you score and what does your score mean?
· How can you improve your score?
