Running head: NURSING STANDARDS

Self-Assessment of Nursing Standards

Maria Licari
Ferris State University

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Self-Assessment of Nursing Standards

The purpose of this paper is to look at 10 of the nursing standards outlined by the
American Nurses Association (ANA) and develop an understanding of each, as well as identify
how I have or have not met each standard. I will also use the pre-licensure knowledge, skills,
and attitudes (KSAs) outlined by the quality and safety education for nurses (QSEN) institute to
evaluate the criteria required for select standards. Finally I will self-reflect and identify ways in
which I can adjust my approach to certain standards. This will help me identify growth
opportunities as my nursing career develops.
Nursing Standards
The American Nurses Association (ANA) published these standards to provide a
framework for all registered nurses (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2010). There are 16
total standards, with accompanying competencies within each standard. The first six standards
fall under the category of Standards of Practice which are the steps in the nursing process. The
last 10 standards are described as Standards of Professional Performance.
Standards of Professional Performance describe the nurses ability to have competent
behavior in the professional role by utilizing abstract thinking, using ethics, education, evidencebased research, and quality of practice (ANA, 2010). It is also important for a nurse to engage in
effective communication and collaboration. Displaying effective leadership skills, practicing
detailed evaluation, resource utilization, and environmental health are also crucial (ANA, 2010).
Below, I will describe the standards seven through sixteen and how I have met them in my
clinical practice, using the ANAs Essential Guide to Nursing Practice as a guide.
Standard 7: Ethics

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The first Professional Performance nursing standard is ethics. Ethical issues routinely
encountered by nurses are related to protecting the rights of patients and families, upholding
their autonomy, ensuring informed consent, and assisting patients and families in the expression
of self-determination such as advanced directive decisions (White & OSullivan, 2012). Ethical
practice is a foundation of nursing and serves as a commitment that a nurse will ensure safe and
quality patient care. Ethics also considers the confidentiality of information and the trust a
patient has in the nurse to uphold that promise. Overall, a nurse should be an advocate for the
patient when regulating care of the patient with members of the health care team.
The ANA states that nursing students and new nurses must learn how to recognize the
existence of an ethical issue, as well as how to think about and reason through ethical situations,
and then how to determine the most appropriate action (White & OSullivan, 2012). Another
essential step in ethical decision making is for a nurse to look within themselves to determine
possible biases that may impede the outcome of the ethical decision making process.
An ethical dilemma I have experienced in the clinical setting required me to determine if
it was truly ethical or not, as well as look within myself and acknowledge any possible biases I
have about the situation before taking any action. I was assigned a patient who suffered from a
head trauma resulting in a subarachnoid bleed and required a craniectomy. The patient
developed marked confusion, agitation, and violent outbursts because of the bleed. Within the
past 24 hours he was prescribed four point restraints, which were removed upon starting my
shift. During morning medication administration, he became more agitated and violent resulting
in an unsafe situation for the patient. I could see nursing staff were frustrated with this patient
and his actions, and the physician put in an order for a Posey bed, as soon as possible.

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I felt uncomfortable that this order was put in before attempting ordered as needed
(PRN) intramuscular Haldol administration, or restraints. I addressed this concern with the nurse
and she agreed. We spoke with the physician and explained that we felt this patients outbursts
were not severe enough for the need of a Posey bed, and that the agitation this patient was
experiencing may be increased if we went through with the bed order. The physician agreed and
stated he would keep the order, but not make it immediate, and save it as a last resort. My nurse
and I administered as needed (PRN) Haldol and Ativan, which luckily suppressed the patients
agitation enough that we could administer the rest of his ordered medications. In this situation, I
recognized a possible breach of the patients autonomy, and advocated for the least intrusive and
restrictive measures possible. I suggested an approach where both the safety and selfdetermination of the patient were maintained to the best of our ability.
Standard 8: Education
The healthcare field is always advancing and this standard describes the professional
obligation to acquire and maintain the knowledge and competencies necessary for current
nursing practice (White & OSullivan, 2012). Maintaining knowledge in a changing field can
be accomplished by formal and informal educational opportunities. Some nurses have the desire
to continue their education past the baccalaureate level and obtain their masters or doctorate
degrees. There are informal competencies available for those who stay within their degree such
as conferences and educational credits offered within their work environment. The state of
Michigan requires nurses to renew their license every two years. The Department of Licensure
and Affairs (LARA) outlines that Michigan nurses must complete at least 25 hours of continuing
education approved by the board with at least one hour in pain and symptom management
(LARA, 2013).

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My current clinical site has a few examples of continued education opportunities that
keep staff informed of evidence-based practice. The entire hospital is removing all butterfly type
IV catheters and replacing them with regular angiocatheters with blood flow control. The
manager of the floor made sure a select amount of nurses were well trained on the new IVstarting equipment. In addition, she invited people from the medical supply company to come in
and educate the nurses on the floor so they could feel more comfortable using the new devices.
Having a select group of nurses proficiently trained in using these IV starts allows them to be
available to help nurses on the floor.
I have attended several lectures offered by Spectrum to educate nursing students about
respiratory treatments, common hospital acquired infections, treatment, and prevention, as well
as a seminar on pain. I have learned that these lectures are also offered to the staff at the hospital
and count as continuing education credits required for licensure. These methods can
significantly benefit nursing practice. Research comes up with ways to improve techniques and
update technology. For a nurse to provide the best, most up-to-date care, it is important to
continue education in the field even if a nurse does not wish to become a master or doctorate
level nurse.
Standard 9: Evidence-Based Practice and Research
As mentioned above, the healthcare field is always advancing. Techniques and practices
learned as a nursing student can quickly become outdated. Nurses have continuing education
credit hours they must complete, however a nurse should also look to journals and evidence
based materials to educate themselves on their own time to improve evidence based practice
(EBP). QSEN outlines the knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) needed in the pre-licensure
mindset for various standards. The KSAs for EBP highlight the importance of knowing there

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may be a deficit in practice, the potential for improvement, where to find that information, and
how to gather that information and present it using accredited sources (QSEN, 2014). Initial
teaching and emphasis on evidence based practice first occurs in the classroom, but it is
important to know that once in the field, practice may change. Nurses must have a positive and
accepting attitude toward change and value the need for research and continuous improvement in
order to provide the best care possible (QSEN, 2014). Nurses must also be able to critically
examine his/her own practice, determine knowledge deficits, areas in which to improve, as well
as take action to improve in those areas rather than ignore them.
An instance of utilizing evidence based practice in the clinical setting is the
implementation of alcohol impregnated green caps on central lines to prevent central line
acquired blood infections. A nurse explained to me that the hospital used to only use alcohol
pads to sanitize central lines. She stated there has been a significant reduction in infection since
using the caps, and that she believes it is a better practice than using only alcohol pads.
Throughout the nursing course I have had assignments that required students to choose a nursing
procedure and research it using peer reviewed articles to determine if this is best practice. In the
clinical setting, I have also noted various nursing practices that utilize peer reviewed research,
such as the alcohol caps, reduction in use of indwelling urinary catheters, and pain management
medication and assessment. I have witnessed various ways management has implemented
evidence-based practice notifications to staff via newsletters, flyers, and required seminars.
I believe it is very important to maintain competency in nursing practice and have an
open mind to find areas that can be improved. It is important for facilities to stay informed of
new and upcoming research and relay that information to staff. It is also important for staff to

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take the initiative to research practices themselves, and bring their findings to the proper
networks to address possible changes.
Standard 10: Quality of Practice
A competent nurse should provide quality care for each patient catered to their specific
needs. Nurses can use evidence-based research to support practices used and look for ways to
improve care. My current clinical site is implementing a call light initiative to reduce the answer
time of call lights, and in turn reduce the incidence of falls. The manager of the unit has some
friendly competitions occurring between the day and night shifts, comparing the amount of call
lights per week and the average time taken to answer the lights. There is also a wow jar at the
nurse station in which employees can recognize each other for their initiative to answer call
lights by nominating someone on a slip of paper. The manager takes a name from the jar during
each shift to recognize the employee chosen and gives them a reward. Since starting at the
clinical site I have seen the call light answering time for day shift drop from a two minute
average to a one minute average. I admire the staffs use of positive recognition, and
reinforcement of quality practices to make positive changes for their patient populations.
Another way to improve on quality of practice is to always document in an accurate and
timely manner. This assures that the actions taken by the nurse are always accounted for, and
provides data for the quality assurance team to see.
Standard 11: Communication
Nurses act as liaison between the patient and the health community. Nurses communicate
with patients, doctors, therapists, nurse techs, social workers, family, and even health care
workers from other facilities. Effective communication is essential to streamlining patient care.
With todays technology, nurses can communicate with physicians through email called

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PerfectServe as well as face-to-face communication. It is important that a nurse maintains

professionalism when utilizing tools such as text through phones, and emails through
PerfectServe. Other forms of communication occur face to face which can happen with anyone
in the workplace.
Clinical has provided me with many opportunities to communicate with patients,
families, physicians, and nurse techs. Therapeutic communication is a skill that takes time to
perfect, but is important to use when speaking with patients and families. I have had the
opportunity to utilize therapeutic communication on a few occasions. One memorable
interaction was with a patient diagnosed with bladder cancer. I used my listening skills and
open-ended questions after forming rapport with this particular patient. I learned that sometimes
a patient just wants someone to sit with, and listen. I have also learned that as a nurse, you will
not always have the answer. I initially went into nursing with the mindset that I would always
make people better, but quickly learned that is not always the result for some patients. To some
patients healing may be the opportunity to speak with a nurse and express their feelings about
their health.
I have had other instances within clinical where communication was difficult, in the case
of a patient with a subarachnoid brain bleed. I witnessed how such an injury can cause an
individual to lose control of impulses and speech, which made me critically think about how I
can effectively communicate with this person.
Reverting to hand gestures such as a thumbs-up or thumbs-down is effective the patient is
unable to verbalize, but able to comprehend. I could also provide a patient with a sheet of paper
with simple pictures depicting food, bathroom, pain medicine, and other basic needs. This will
enable them to feel more control over their situation. I have learned how to de-escalate patients

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who become agitated due to increased stimuli from a neurological check or noise. Each of these
skills I can apply to various situations, not just with patients who have brain bleeds, but other
communication barriers as well.
Standard 12: Leadership
My leadership skills are still developing, however, I feel more confident now than I did at
the beginning of the program when it comes to leading and managing. According to White and
OSullivan (2012), While leadership works through influence, management works by making
sound decisions, thinking, solving problems, and executing plans. Regardless of the practice
setting, nurses lead and manage every day (p. 164).
For my service learning project, I participated in the Diabetic Wellness Clinic on campus
which treated community members with diabetes. Students gave them an A1c screening, lipid
profile, and foot exam. The patients would then see optometry students to receive an eye exam,
and all the results would be generated into a report and sent to their physician to count as a
diabetic exam for insurance. After my volunteer time was completed, I needed to teach the
upcoming nursing students the technology we used, and how to go about performing an exam. I
used leadership skills to explain the A1c and lipid profile machines, how to properly perform a
foot exam, and how to input information into the computer system to generate a professional
report that is sent to the patients physician. After explaining, I had each student do a return
demonstration and gave them an opportunity to ask questions before assisting them to perform
these tasks on a live patient.
I have also experienced leadership in the clinical setting and continue to become more
confident each week. I experienced how a charge nurse is the leader of the floor during the shift,
as well as the managers role in leadership for the floor. I will have the opportunity later in this

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clinical rotation to experience following a charge nurse for the day, which will give me better
insight as to what responsibilities a charge nurse has on the floor. I have used my leadership and
management skills in delegation with nurse techs. I have also utilized conflict resolution
techniques with a nurse tech who spoke negatively about a patients family member within
earshot of the family.
Standard 13: Collaboration
A nurse must be able to work effectively with nurses, physicians, and other individuals as
a part of the healthcare team to provide quality care to the patient. Communication is key to
making this process go as smooth as possible. My first exposure to collaboration occurred
during the first semester of nursing school when we were a part of the inter-professional project.
Nursing students and pharmacy students came together to focus care on one volunteer patient
and gain insight into one anothers professional duties. This project went on for two semesters
and I believe I learned a significant amount about what a pharmacy professional does to provide
adequate care for a patient. As a result of this exposure, I have a greater respect for pharmacists
and will feel comfortable knowing who to speak to if questions or concerns about medications
arise. I also gained a greater respect for the amount of schooling needed to achieve the degree
they earn.
A more recent use of collaboration occurred within the clinical setting in which my nurse
and I had to communicate with a patients physician to advocate for a change in medication.
This particular patient was recovering from a C3 fracture and was experiencing total body
muscle spasms, but did not have any muscle relaxants ordered. My nurse and I sat down with
the physician, discussed the patients condition and our concerns with current pain medications
not treating the patients symptoms. This particular patient was to be transferred that day to a

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different facility. The nurse and I then discussed with the care manager about our concern, and
the change in medication order was verified to be taken care of upon transfer.
This approach assured that the patients needs were met across the continuum of care.
It was a great opportunity to see how effective communication and collaboration with the right
people can result in a positive outcome for a patient. I will utilize these skills I gained in my
future practice because I now have a better understanding of how much a nurse can advocate for
a patient and get positive results.
Standard 14: Professional Practice Evaluation
This standard states that a nurse will engage in self-evaluation of practice on a regular
basis, identify areas of strength as well as areas in which professional growth would be
beneficial (ANA, 2010). I agree that this is very important for a nurse to continually do
throughout their professional career. As a student, I do practice professional evaluation to some
degree. However, I am still learning skills to be a professional nurse, which I am constantly
improving on. I am always reflecting on my performance during clinical, and searching for
constructive criticism from my peers and the nurses I follow. I understand that I continue to need
practice on basic skills such as IV starts and female indwelling catheter placement due to lack of
practice opportunities. I also participate in feedback to my peers when asked, and provide this
feedback in a professional and constructive manner.
I assess each patient individually and address their developmental stage and possible
cultural considerations before making assumptions. Each week for clinical, I fill out a selfreflective form from the week before, and turn in to my instructor to make comments and
provide constructive criticism. By using this measurable tool, I have seen that I have been
consistently improving throughout the semester.

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Standard 15: Resource Utilization

In my short practice in the nursing role I have quickly understood the importance of
keeping healthcare costs low while maintaining quality care. This involves using supplies as
needed, informing the patient about insurance, and becoming the liaison between these forces.
Using resources as a nurse is the use of physical supplies for care as well as utilizing other
members of the healthcare team to meet the diverse needs of the patient. As a student, I have not
had responsibility to actively inform patients about insurance, nor have I participated on a floor
long enough to see resources become expended. However, I have witnessed some instances in
which a patient verbalizes some fear that they will be unable to pay for services needed outside
of the hospital stay, and the nurse working as an advocate and bringing these concerns up to the
care manager.
I have also learned that cleanliness is a prevention measure against hospital acquired
infections that can be of cost to the hospital. Nursing interventions such as scheduling frequent
turns for immobile patients, discontinuing indwelling urinary catheters to prevent urinary tract
infections, and frequent hand washing to prevent spread of germs are all ways a nurse can use
resources to reduce extra health care costs due to hospital acquired complications.
Standard 16: Environmental Health
This standard, outlined by the ANA states that the nurse practices in an environmentally
safe and healthy manner (ANA, 2010). The environment in which a nurse works is very
diverse. Most of our clinical experience has been within a hospital setting on various floors.
Nurses have the potential to be exposed to very sick patients, cleaning chemicals, potent drugs,
and long working hours. There is also a social aspect to the environment in which a nurse works,
and I have experienced both positive and negative social working environments. The floor that

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had the best work ethic, and most positive patient outcomes was the floor in which the staff had
the best relationships.
Nurses utilize evidence based research when providing care for patients and their
environment. Low stimulation environments are important in patients in intensive care unit
(ICU) settings and patients healing from traumatic brain injuries. Nurses can also utilize
collaboration with other members of the healthcare team to have the best healing environment
for their patients. Nurses are responsible to tidy patient rooms when they are in there, make sure
beds are in safe positions, walkways are free of obstacles, and the call light is within reach. If
there happens to be a biohazard spill such as urine or feces on the bathroom floor the nurse can
initially clean up the mess but should notify the correct staff to adequately disinfect the area as
soon as possible.
Isolation precautions are put into effect to keep the environment for the affected patient
and surrounding people safe from exposure. Use of isolation gowns, gloves, and masks are used
to protect the staff from a potential exposure, as well as the patient from possible illness the staff
may have. Also, the practice of proper hand hygiene is the number one defense against
transmission of infection, and in turn, keeps the environment as healthy and clean as possible.
On a greater scale, nurses can participate in improving the environment outside of the
hospital by advocating for recycling, or implementing education programs for the community on
safe health practices. This reduces hospital re-admissions and disease progression, and
contributes to the overall health of a community. As a nursing student I have seen all the above
in practice within the clinical setting as well as during my public health rotation. I am constantly
participating in healthy practices of standard health precautions, safety precautions for patients,
and community health programs such as recycling and get fit initiatives.

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Goals

This paper was a great tool to self-reflect where I am as a nursing student in my

confidence. I believe I have met many of these standards, but still have room to grow. I now
have a greater appreciation for the standards outlined by the ANA. I can see how each standard
applies to nurses in every setting, and the important impact they have on patient outcomes.
The standard I could use the most improvement on is the professional practice standard. I
am confident in my skills, however, I have not had many opportunities to practice these skills on
real people. By the end of April, 2015 I will have more confidence in using therapeutic
communication after completing my clinical rotation at Pine Rest. Within the first year of being
hired I plan to join a nursing organization so I can have access to peer reviewed nursing journals
to continue educating myself about changes occurring in the nursing field.
Conclusion
The 16 standards outlined by the ANA provide a guideline to nursing practice. These
standards are available for reference to any nurse. This paper was a self-reflection of how I met
the last 10 of the 16 standards. After self-reflection I also identified areas that I needed to
improve on, and made goals as to how I will complete this. This paper provided me with an
opportunity to better respect the ANA nursing standards, and form an understanding about each.

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References
Continuing education requirements for Michigan nurses. (2013).
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/lara/LARA_Nursing_CE_Brochure_511_376431_7.pdf
Nursing: Scope and standards of practice. (2nd ed.). (2010). Silver Spring, Md.: American
Nurses Association.
Pre-licensure KSAs. (2014). http://qsen.org/competencies/pre-licensure-ksas/
White, K., & OSullivan, A. (2012). The essential guide to nursing practice: Applying ANA's
scope and standards in practice and education. Silver Spring, MD: American Nurses
Association.

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DATE, TIME, &

16

PROOFREAD FOR: APA ISSUES

INITIAL

1. Page Numbers: Did you number your pages using the automatic functions of your
Word program? [p. 230 and example on p. 40)]

N/A

2. Running head: Does the Running head: have a small h? Is it on every page? Is it
less than 50 spaces total? Is the title of the Running head in all caps? Is it 1/2 from the
top of your title page? (Should be a few words from the title of your paper). [p. 229 and
example on p. 40]
3. Abstract: Make sure your abstract begins on a new page. Is there a label of Abstract
and it is centered at the top of the page? Is it a single paragraph? Is the paragraph flush
with the margin without an indentation? Is your abstract a summary of your entire
paper? Remember it is not an introduction to your paper. Someone should be able to
read the abstract and know what to find in your paper. [p. 25 and example on p. 41]

4. Introduction: Did you repeat the title of your paper on your first page of content?
Do not use Introduction as a heading following the title. The first paragraph clearly
implies the introduction and no heading is needed. [p. 27 and example on p. 42]

5. Margins: Did you leave 1 on all sides? [p. 229]

6. Double-spacing: Did you double-space throughout? No triple or extra spaces

between sections or paragraphs except in special circumstances. This includes the
reference page. [p. 229 and example on p. 40-59]

7. Line Length and Alignment: Did you use the flush-left style, and leave the right
margin uneven, or ragged? [p. 229]

8. Paragraphs and Indentation: Did you indent the first line of every paragraph? See
P. 229 for exceptions.

9. Spacing After Punctuation Marks: Did you space once at the end of separate parts
of a reference and initials in a persons name? Do not space after periods in
abbreviations. Space twice after punctuation marks at the end of a sentence. [p. 87-88]

10. Typeface: Did you use Times New Roman 12-point font? [p. 228]
11. Abbreviation: Did you explain each abbreviation the first time you used it? [p. 106111]. Remember, no abbreviations in the title of the paper.

12. Plagiarism: Cite all sources! If you say something that is not your original idea, it
must be cited. You may be citing many timesthis is what you are supposed to be
doing! [p. 170]

13. Direct Quote: A direct quote is exact words taken from another. An example with
citation would look like this:

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The variables that impact the etiology and the human response to various disease states
will be explored (Bell-Scriber, 2007, p. 1).
Please note where the quotation marks are placed, where the final period is placed, no
first name of author, and inclusion of page number, etc. Do all direct quotes look like
this? [p. 170-172]
X

14. Quotes Over 40 Words: Did you make block quotes out of any direct quotes that
are 40 words or longer? [p. 170-172]

15. Paraphrase: A paraphrase citation would look like this:

Patients respond to illnesses in various ways depending on a number of factors that will
be explored (Bell-Scriber, 2007).
It may also look like this: Bell-Scriber (2007) found that
[p. 171 and multiple examples in text on p. 40-59]
For multiple references within the same paragraph see page 174 re: use of year.

16. Headings: Did you check your headings for proper levels? [p. 62-63].

17. General Guidelines for References:

A. Did you start the References on a new page? [p. 37]
B. Did you cut and paste references on your reference page? If so, check to make sure
they are in correct APA format. Often they are not and must be adapted. Make sure all
fonts are the same.
C. Is your reference list double spaced with hanging indents? [p. 37]
D. Formatting of different types of titles: see page 185.
E. Check formatting of all types of authors and sources before submitting your paper.
PROOFREAD FOR GRAMMAR, SPELLING, PUNCTUATION, &
STRUCTURE

18. Did you follow the assignment rubric? Did you make headings that address
each major section? (Required to point out where you addressed each section.)

19. Watch for run-on or long, cumbersome sentences. Read it out loud without
pausing unless punctuation is present. If you become breathless or it doesnt
make sense, you need to rephrase or break the sentence into 2 or more smaller
sentences. Did you do this?

20. Wordiness: check for the words that, and the. If not necessary, did you
omit?

21. Conversational tone: Dont write as if you are talking to someone in a casual
way. For example, Well so I couldnt believe nurses did such things! or I was
in total shock over that. Did you stay in a formal/professional tone?

22. Avoid contractions. i.e. dont, cant, wont, etc. Did you spell these out?

17

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18

23. Did you check to make sure there are no hyphens and broken words in the
right margin?

24. Do not use etc. or "i.e." in formal writing unless in parenthesis. Did you
check for improper use of etc. & i.e.?

25. Stay in subject agreement. When referring to 1 nurse, dont refer to the nurse
as they or them. Also, in referring to a human, dont refer to the person as
that, but rather who. For example: The nurse that gave the injection.
Should be The nurse who gave the injection Did you check for subject
agreement?

26. Dont refer to us, we, our, within the paperthis is not about you and
me. Be clear in identifying. For example dont say Our profession uses
empirical data to support . . Instead say The nursing profession uses
empirical data..

27. Did you check your sentences to make sure you did not end them with a
preposition? For example, I witnessed activities that I was not happy with.
Instead, I witnessed activities with which I was not happy.

28. Did you run a Spellcheck? Did you proofread in addition to running the
Spellcheck?

29. Did you have other people read your paper? Did they find any areas
confusing?

30. Did you include a summary or conclusion heading and section to wrap up
your paper?

31. Does your paper have sentence fragments? Do you have complete sentences?

32. Did you check apostrophes for correct possessive use. Dont use
apostrophes unless it is showing possession and then be sure it is in the correct
location. The exception is with the word it. Its = it is. Its is possessive.

Signing below indicates you have proofread your paper for the errors in the checklist:
_________Maria Licari________________DATE:___March 3, 2015___
A peer needs to proofread your paper checking for errors in the listed areas and sign below:
__________Megan Lammers_____________________DATE:___March 3, 2015
STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS OF CURRENT BEHAVIORS

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Needs improvement

Competent

Proficient

Exceeds expectations

1 points

3 points

5 points

7 points

Does not reflect on

professional standard
at all, and no examples
are provided.
Reflection entries do
not refer to standard
criteria.

Used the LEARN steps

of reflective practice.
Reflects on
professional standard
and improvements in
knowledge, skills, and
attitudes on occasion,
but does not
consistently provide
examples. Reflection
makes a brief reference
to standard criteria.

Used the LEARN steps

of reflective practice.
Demonstrates an
ability to reflect on
professional standard
and change in
knowledge, skills, and
attitudes by providing
examples of activities
or new actions most of
the time. Reflection
entries demonstrate
awareness of the
standard criteria.

Used the LEARN steps

of reflective practice/
Demonstrates an ability
to reflect on
professional standard
and apply knowledge,
skills, and attitudes by
always providing
examples. Reflection
entry demonstrates
comprehension of
standard criteria.
Discussed how the
professional standard
can be used to
influence
interdisciplinary
standards of care and
improve quality and
safety of health care
delivery in the critical
care environment.

Standard 7

Standard 12

Standard 8

Standard 13

Standard 9

Standard 14

Standard 10

Standard 15

Standard 11

Standard 16

Goals: Articulates clear professional goals which reflect a plan to

attain and maintain competency in each standard. These must
be specific and measurable! Refer to information on nursing care
plans re: writing clear & measurable goals to receive full credit for
this section!

30

TOTAL POINTS

100

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WRITING STANDARDS & APA CRITERIA

Writing: Reflection is presented with accuracy, precision, clarity,
relevance, depth, breadth, logic and personal significance.
Sentence structure, paragraphing, headings, spelling, typing,
grammar, neatness

Up to

APA: title page, running head, headers, abstract, margins, font

size, and references: citations in text & reference page.

30 point
deduction

APA checklist submitted with name of course peer who proofed.

(Points will earned if no APA errors found by course instructor)
FINAL POINTS EARNED