The first week covered many important topics related to nursing practice. Among these, understanding informed consent and advanced directives, learning about considerations for psychiatric settings and patients, and prioritization and delegation are the three topics worth emphasizing. The healthcare system is built around patients’ needs and desires. They should have the required information at their disposal to be able to make informed decisions. Informed consents are a way for patients to confirm that they understand all implications of the proposed treatment. Patients provide their decision in the form of advanced directives. These topics are significant to nursing practice because treatment should not start before consent and directives are given. This knowledge will contribute to my career and help me avoid mistakes when communicating with patients.
Along with informing patients, healthcare providers are obliged to accommodate patient safety in all procedures. Safety is challenging under inpatient mental health settings, and specialized training is required to avoid any unexpected circumstances. Nurses work with all types of patients, and therefore, learning about considerations for psychiatric settings is significant to my career as a nurse. In addition, besides performing instrumental functions, nurses engage in management activities. Nurse leaders, for instance, work with other departments to devise a financial plan and budget. Therefore, it is significant for aspiring nurses to be acquainted with concepts of prioritization and delegation. The former allows nurses to manage their time to be able to achieve greater efficacy per unit of input. Delegation contributes to effectiveness by allowing cooperation with other team members. It is not possible to delegate everything as such an attitude may lead to toxic relations with subordinates. This knowledge will help me become a competent nurse leader in the future.