Intro -- Contents -- About the authors -- 1: The context of professional development -- The context of professional development, reflective practice and decision-making -- The context of professional development in Britain today -- Governmental influences on continuing professional development -- The role of the Nursing and Midwifery Council -- Expectations of your employers -- Service user expectations -- Professional development activities -- A model of professional development -- The novice practitioner -- The competent nurse -- The proficient nurse -- The expert nurse -- A strategy for continuing professional development -- Relevant to your needs -- Easily defined -- Achievable in the time you have available -- Cost-effective -- Timely -- Chapter summary -- 2: Reflection and reflective practice -- The context of reflective practice -- Setting the scene: reflection, reflective learning and reflective practice -- Reflective practice as professional practice and development -- The benefits of practising reflectively -- Benefits for the individual -- Benefits for patients and service users -- Benefits for your employer and the organisation you work for -- Benefits for your profession -- Tools for reflective practice -- Experience, choosing a focus for reflection, the first side of the triangle -- Using the reflective processes, the second side of the triangle -- Putting the 'action' into reflective practice, the third side of the triangle -- Micro-methods for reflective practice -- How you reflect, using micro-strategies -- Using the 5WH cues -- Borton's framework -- Developing critical thinking -- Using others to help your reflective activity -- Chapter summary -- 3: Reflective writing for professional development -- Reflective writing in professional development -- The nature of writing -- When to write -- Structuring reflective writing.

Using the 5WH cues -- Strategies for reflective writing -- Techniques for reflective writing -- Short-period techniques/stimulatory/getting started techniques -- Medium-term and developmental techniques -- Long-term techniques -- Experienced nurses' use of reflective writing in professional portfolios -- Demonstrating accountability through reflective writing -- Chapter summary -- 4: Decision-making in professional practice -- Making decisions -- Decision-making in everyday life: intuitive and analytical thinking -- Personal and professional decision-making -- The legal and social context of health care -- Values and the ethical context of professional practice -- Decision-making models -- A process model of decision-making - using the 5WH cues -- Decision-making in practice -- Accountability -- Capacity and consent -- Chapter summary -- 5: Evidence-based practice -- Introduction -- What is evidence-based practice? -- Terminology -- Evidence from research -- Other forms of evidence -- Hierarchies of evidence -- Judging evidence for use in practice -- Judgements based on hierarchies -- Judgements based on expertise -- Using evidence to support decisions in practice -- Chapter summary -- 6: Portfolios and the use of evidence -- What is a portfolio? -- Defining a portfolio -- Qualified nurses' use of portfolios -- Students' use of portfolios -- The purpose of a portfolio -- Structuring a portfolio -- Defining the outcomes and setting objectives -- Using evidence in a portfolio -- Types of evidence -- Models of portfolios -- A portfolio structure to document professional development and accountability as a practitioner -- Professional development -- Personal development -- Critical thinking -- Outcomes for clinical practice -- Some strategies for portfolio construction -- Developing a learning contract -- Using the portfolio as a workbook.

Using a learning journal -- Using the Nursing and Midwifery Council Code of Professional Conduct -- Using the NMC PREP standards -- In-depth analysis of a case study -- Ethical issues to be considered in portfolios -- Chapter summary -- 7: Understanding clinical supervision: a health psychology orientated process of person-centred development -- Defining clinical supervision -- The benefits of clinical supervision -- Terminological confusion -- Clinical supervision - a misunderstood term? -- Redefining clinical supervision -- Applying theories and approaches in health psychology to person-centred development -- Origins and models -- Using the biopsychosocial approach -- Roles within the person-centred development process -- Other roles related to the person-centred development process -- Using person-centred development as a strategy for personal and professional development -- Chapter summary -- 8: Practising as a professional -- Introduction -- What is 'professional practice'? -- Requiring higher education -- Having a body of knowledge and theory -- Providing vital human and social services -- Possessing autonomy, control and accountability -- Involving altruistic life work -- Having a code of ethics -- The Nursing and Midwifery Council Code of Professional Conduct: Standards for Conduct, Performance and Ethics (2004) -- Accountability -- The clauses of the Code of Professional Conduct -- Clause one: respect for the patient and client as an individual -- Clause two: informed consent -- Clause three: confidentiality -- Clause four: cooperation with other members of the inter-professional team -- Clause five: maintaining professional knowledge and competence -- Clause six: being trustworthy -- Clause seven: identifying and minimising risk to patients and clients -- Guidance for students -- Chapter summary -- Index.

Vital Notes for Nurses: Professional Development, Reflection and Decision-making provides a concise, accessible introduction to professional development, reflective practice and clinical decision-making. Vital Notes for Nurses: Professional Development, Reflection and Decision-making explores the core strategies of reflective practice and decision-making underlying professional nursing development. Separate chapters on reflective writing, evidence-based practice, clinical supervision and portfolios demonstrate the inter-relationship between professional development and professional practice. It is aimed at both student and qualified nurses, recognising that professional development is a life-long commitment. It provides clear guidance to help practitioners think critically about their actions, work within professional boundaries, be accountable for their actions and plan for their future. * Provides a concise introduction to professional development, reflective practice, and clinical decision-making * Written in a clear accessible style which assumes no prior knowledge * Enables students to consider and develop their practice in order to become competent practitioners * Each chapter includes learning objectives, scenarios and case studies * In the Vital Notes for Nurses series.

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Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2018. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.