Write A Paper In APA Style That Discusses Each Of The AACN E

Write a paper in APA Style that discusses each of the AACN E

Write a paper in APA Style that discusses each of the AACN Essentials and describe how you met each essential. Incorporate evidence from your previous Nursing Evolution assignments, as well as detailed examples from your didactic, skills lab, and clinical rotations. For each essential include the following: A brief summary explanation of the essential that is cited with at least one scholarly source. At least one example of how you met the essential during your nursing program.

Paper For Above Instructions

Introduction

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials (2021) define the foundational competencies expected of baccalaureate nursing graduates. This paper summarizes each AACN Essential with scholarly citations and provides specific examples of how I met each Essential through didactic coursework, skills lab practice, clinical rotations, and related Nursing Evolution assignments. The structure follows each Essential with a concise definition and a reflective example of mastery.

Essential I: Liberal Education for Baccalaureate Generalist Nursing Practice

Essential I emphasizes broad-based liberal learning that supports critical thinking, cultural humility, communication, and ethical reasoning (AACN, 2021). Liberal education prepares nurses to integrate knowledge from the sciences and humanities into clinical judgment and patient-centered care (IOM, 2011).

Example: In my didactic coursework for lifespan development and ethics, and through a Nursing Evolution assignment on ethical case analysis, I applied principles of moral reasoning and cultural humility when proposing care plans for diverse patient scenarios. In clinical rotations, I used communication strategies from a liberal-arts-informed communication module to obtain comprehensive histories and build therapeutic rapport.

Essential II: Organizational and Systems Leadership

Essential II focuses on leadership, quality improvement, and systems thinking to improve health outcomes and workplace safety (AACN, 2021). Effective nurse leaders coordinate care, manage resources, and engage in quality improvement initiatives (Curtis, de Vries, & Sheerin, 2011).

Example: During a med-surg clinical, I participated in a unit-based fall-prevention quality project, applying root-cause analysis techniques introduced in leadership lectures. My Nursing Evolution assignment documented data collection, proposed staff education, and tracked incident metrics, demonstrating application of systems leadership principles in practice.

Essential III: Scholarship for Evidence-Based Practice

Essential III asserts that baccalaureate graduates must synthesize evidence to inform practice, translate research into practice, and participate in improvement efforts (AACN, 2021). Evidence-based practice (EBP) integrates best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient preferences (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2015).

Example: For an EBP-focused Nursing Evolution paper, I completed a literature review on catheter-associated urinary tract infection prevention and implemented a bundle of evidence-based interventions during clinical. I tracked compliance with hand hygiene and catheter care, reflecting EBP principles in both planning and evaluation.

Essential IV: Information Management and Healthcare Technologies

Essential IV highlights competency in informatics, health information systems, and the ethical use of data to support decision-making and patient safety (AACN, 2021). Nursing informatics supports documentation, clinical decision support, and quality measurement (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2017).

Example: In skills lab and clinical documentation sessions, I demonstrated proficiency in the electronic health record (EHR), using clinical decision support alerts to adjust medication administration. My Nursing Evolution assignment evaluated data visualizations from unit dashboards to identify trends in glucose control, applying informatics concepts to quality improvement.

Essential V: Healthcare Policy, Finance, and Regulatory Environments

Essential V requires understanding health policy, reimbursement, and regulatory frameworks that shape care delivery (AACN, 2021). Nurses are expected to engage in advocacy and understand how policy influences patient access and safety (IOM, 2011).

Example: In a policy analysis assignment, I examined how state-level Medicaid changes affected transitional care services. In clinical, I advocated for a patient’s access to home health by coordinating eligibility documentation and discussing cost-effective discharge options with the case manager, demonstrating policy-informed practice.

Essential VI: Interprofessional Collaboration for Improving Patient and Population Health Outcomes

Essential VI emphasizes teamwork across disciplines to deliver coordinated, high-quality care and optimize population health (AACN, 2021). Effective interprofessional collaboration improves outcomes and reduces errors (WHO, 2010).

Example: During an obstetrics rotation, I joined rounds with physicians, social workers, and lactation consultants to develop a discharge plan for a postpartum patient with limited resources. My Nursing Evolution reflection highlighted roles, communication strategies, and shared decision-making that led to a safe, patient-centered plan.

Essential VII: Clinical Prevention and Population Health

Essential VII focuses on prevention, health promotion, and population-based care across the lifespan (AACN, 2021). Graduates must apply public health principles to reduce disease burden and support community health (Koplan et al., 2009).

Example: In community health clinicals, I conducted health screenings and provided education on hypertension prevention. A Nursing Evolution project required data aggregation from screenings to identify at-risk groups and propose targeted prevention strategies, demonstrating practical application of population-health competencies.

Essential VIII: Professionalism and Professional Values

Essential VIII describes professional identity formation, ethical practice, accountability, and lifelong learning as central to nursing (AACN, 2021). The ANA Code of Ethics underpins professional responsibilities (American Nurses Association, 2015).

Example: I demonstrated professionalism through punctual, respectful practice in clinical rotations, adherence to privacy and informed consent standards, and reflective journaling in Nursing Evolution assignments that documented growth in accountability and ethical reasoning.

Essential IX: Baccalaureate Generalist Nursing Practice

Essential IX synthesizes competencies across settings to provide safe, holistic, and patient-centered care. It emphasizes clinical judgment, care coordination, and evidence-based interventions across the lifespan (AACN, 2021; Tanner, 2006).

Example: In acute-care rotations I performed comprehensive assessments, prioritized care using clinical judgment frameworks taught in didactic courses, and coordinated multi-disciplinary interventions for complex patients, which was documented in clinical evaluations and a capstone case study.

Essential X: Synthesis and Application of Learning to Clinical Judgment and Practice

Essential X requires integrative application of knowledge, clinical reasoning, and adaptive expertise to complex care situations (AACN, 2021). Development of expertise is progressive and grounded in reflective practice and experience (Benner, 2001).

Example: My final practicum required synthesizing pathophysiology, pharmacology, interpersonal skills, and leadership under preceptor supervision. A reflective Nursing Evolution assignment analyzed a critical incident where I adapted care plans based on evolving patient status, illustrating growth in clinical judgment and synthesis.

Conclusion

Across didactic learning, skills lab practice, clinical rotations, and Nursing Evolution assignments, I integrated the AACN Essentials into practical, measurable learning activities. Each Essential informed specific behaviors—from evidence-based interventions to interprofessional advocacy—preparing me to graduate as a competent, reflective baccalaureate nurse.

References

  • American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021). The essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education. AACN. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Essentials
  • American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. ANA.
  • Benner, P. (2001). From novice to expert: Excellence and power in clinical nursing practice (Commemorative ed.). Prentice Hall.
  • Curtis, E. A., de Vries, J., & Sheerin, F. K. (2011). Developing leadership in nursing: Exploring core factors. British Journal of Nursing, 20(5), 306–309.
  • IOM (Institute of Medicine). (2011). The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health. National Academies Press.
  • Koplan, J. P., Bond, T. C., Merson, M. H., Reddy, K. S., Rodriguez, M. H., Sewankambo, N. K., & Wasserheit, J. N. (2009). Towards a common definition of global health. The Lancet, 373(9679), 1993–1995.
  • McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. (2017). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
  • Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2015). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare: A guide to best practice (3rd ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
  • Tanner, C. A. (2006). Thinking like a nurse: A research-based model of clinical judgment in nursing. Journal of Nursing Education, 45(6), 204–211.
  • World Health Organization. (2010). Framework for action on interprofessional education and collaborative practice. WHO.

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