Raymonta Green

March 10, 2023

NURS 7873 – Nurse Educator Practicum 1
WellStar School of Nursing
Dr. Anne White

Reflective Journal 3

Critical Thinking:

Over the course of this reflective journal, I had the honor of joining my preceptor in New
Orleans, Louisiana for the Vizient / AACN Nurse Residency Conference. This is the 20th
anniversary of the conference. The purpose of this conference is for member institutes hospitals
associated with the Vizient/ AACN Nurse Residency Program to come together and share
initiatives, programs, and speaking panels on ways to improve retention of new graduate nurses
and ensuring that sensitive and culturally competent evidence-based practice is being delivered.
The conference represented over 100 hospital organizations across the United States of America,
as well as nurse coordinators for each hospital, advanced nurse practitioners, and recent
graduates of nurse residency programs at their respective hospitals.

Some of the topics that were discussed at the conference was the power of rejection and
how to progress in your life and career after rejection, the biases of nursing from the public and
the impact that nursing has on society, the innovation of nurse led protocols for patient care, and
skills needed for an effective leader. Other topics discussed over the conference was cultivating
soft skills for leadership in today’s culturally diverse workforce, interactive ways to engage class
participation, and virtual simulation for an advancing classroom. There were numerous times
when I was able to network with other nurses and share ideas of how they conduct their classes
and carry out the curriculum set forth by Vizient and the AACN. I was able to connect with other
nurses that are going through and have completed their MSN degrees in nursing education and
leadership. I was able to find different avenues to venture and doors that can open with an
advanced nursing degree. I was also able to connect with many that shared tips and advice on
how to manage and balance work, school, and a social life.

We were broken down into group and had the opportunity to work on different case
studies in clinical application and educational approaches and use different approaches that we
have implemented at our various hospital settings. We were able to analyze these different
approaches and note what works best and what had areas that could be improved. We were able
to supplement different approaches and perspectives and modifying different teaching strategies
and planning to see which the most effective way was to deliver the message across. We were
able to take these plans and bring them back and implement them, with the idea and goal to bring
them back to next year’s conference and see if there was an increase in metric data across the
board.
 Personal Objective
Identify topics that are current and
based on evidence and create
meeting agendas or program
curricula to study and advance the
field of nursing.
Demonstrate the ability to lead a
group of students in a small
presentation or open group
discussion.
Coordinate with other experienced
nurse educators on the different
roles and avenues within the
nursing profession.
Course Objective
Integrate the nursing specialty
practice knowledge with the
advanced practice role of the
clinical educator.
Apply concepts gained from the
science-driven courses to improve
patient care outcomes within an
evidence-based context.
Analyze current health care and
nursing education trends,
interprofessional practice, and
standards related to nursing
educator roles in the clinical setting.
Appraise leadership theories and
strategies observed in the clinical
setting as it relates to the nurse
educator role.
Progress
Attended with my preceptor
a curriculum meeting with the
accreditation team for reevaluation
of the new nurse grad residency
program to make sure they are
following the AACN.
Tasked with creating
a presentation that focuses on
healthcare disparities and barriers
to healthcare and access to care
I am scheduled to work alongside
my preceptor with the emergency
room education coordinator on a
fellowship in nursing development.
Progress
I can take my experience in nursing
over the years and give perspective
and material to new graduate nurses
in a classroom setting.
Sat in the classroom alongside new
grad nurse residents during various
lectures on policies and procedures
that improved nursing care and
patient-centered care.
Sat in the classroom alongside new
grad residents during various
lectures led by various members of
the interdisciplinary team about
policies and procedures.
Observe members of the nurse
residency program and their
different approaches to the different
members of the nurse residency and
their cultures, beliefs, and practices.
Continuing Development
Continue to assess and analyze the
culture of new graduate nursing in
areas of focus that affects their
critical thinking, mental health
status, and attitudes or barriers in
the profession of nursing.
Continue to identify and evaluate
different learning styles and
approaches for group discussion
and group presentation for effective
learning.
Continue to network with other
practicing nurse educators and
classmates for opportunities to
shadow and work on projects.
Continuing Development
Continue to provide resources and
mentorship to new graduate nurses
and have a line of open effective
communication.
Continue to assess the culture of
new grad nursing graduates to help
develop agenda of topics relevant to
enhancing critical thinking and
nursing development.
Continue to reach out to other
members of the interdisciplinary
team and shadow alongside them to
watch their roles, and also bring a
different perspective to the field of
nursing.
Continue to read the material given
to me by my preceptor for different
leadership styles, educational
approaches, and areas of cultural
competency.
Personal Reflection:

Throughout the conference, there were a few seminars that stook to me the most. The
one that captivated me the most was the power of rejection. The focus was on our natural
tendency to avoid being rejection because of how it is perceived and how it makes us feel. We
fail to see the importance that rejection serves us in our personal, business, and careers. We
often sell ourselves short on new positions, advancements, and promotions because we feel that
we will be denied. The speaker wanted us to understand that every rejection, is an opportunity
for improvement. When we are rejected from something, instead and accepting it, we should
question it and ask why or what is needed. He also honed on the thought of when rejected from
an initial idea, go back and request something that is smaller than the whole picture, and once in
the door, build back up to the bigger picture. Lastly, he wanted us to respect and understand that
it is fine to be rejected and we must accept that as a part of developing in life.

Rejection helps us stay grounded and develops patients in the process of advancement.
Rejection is like an opinion, and you will receive it from anywhere and anyone, but it’s
important to understand that every second that we take breath is a chance for a new opportunity
towards our goal. Taking rejection and reinventing ourselves is a daily task that we must use to
advance ourselves.

Application:

Having listened to the seminar, I will be using this soon. There are several job
advancements that I have ran away from based on the rejection and the feeling of lack of
qualification. I will start actively looking for a new job, that aligns with my purpose in nursing
and a job that gives me satisfaction in what I do. I will go into interviews and applications with
the understanding that rejection is possible and that it is not the end of the world. I will take the
rejection and use it to find ways that I can modify and improve aspects of my life and career.
Instead of just accepting the rejection, I will ask for smaller parts and prove my point to the
bigger positions. I will continue to aspire to dream and use each day as an opportunity to
improve myself.