The Importance Of Professional Development In Nursing Students

Nursing students often ascertain skills, the fundamentals behind critical thinking, and attributes that assist with the transition from the student role to the professional arena. Professional development is individualized and varies between each student. In order to develop professional skills as a nurse the clinical experience within the actual work setting assists the nursing students in acquiring the instruments necessary for success. “Active involvement in education, service, and scholarship opportunities can help prepare you to deal with new roles and challenges in the employment setting and the larger scope of nursing and healthcare” (Yoder-Wise., 2015, p. 556). Practices that occur when a nursing student is taking part in the clinical

Wound care is a supervised activity. The nursing instructor ensures proper technique to decrease the risk of student error by supervising wound care and witnesses the assessment of wounds. Simple dressing changes may be unsupervised under the discretion of the nursing instructor; this may only occur after the student nurse has demonstrated proficient knowledge and technique. Peripheral inserted central venous catheter (PICC) line dressing changes are supervised by the nursing instructor and should never be preformed with out supervision because it is a sterile procedure, and the proper technique is essential in the prevention of the introduction of pathogens to the patient. Professional licensed nurses do not need supervision in changing the PICC line dressing; this is a difference in the student role and the professional one. The insertion of a nasogastric (NG) tube is a procedure that must be preformed under supervision by the nursing instructor. If the placement of the NG tube is incorrect it can initiate a life-threatening problem especially if the NG tube is inserted into the lung instead of the stomach. Proper technique and placement ought to be overseen by the instructor, even though a portable chest radiograph and a radiologist confirmation report must confirm the proper placement. In the professional nursing role the insertion of an NG tube is not supervised, but the placement still must be confirmed by an x-ray and