PGC Reflection Paper
PGC Reflection Paper
PGC Reflection Paper
Christina M. Collins
As I reflect upon the last eight years, of my nursing journey, I am overwhelmed with a
great sense of accomplishment. It has been a long, arduous, but rewarding journey. During the
last eight years, I completed the LPN program, and the RN program at Delaware Technical
Community College (DTCC) – Terry Campus. When DTCC announced they would be
implementing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, I was excited to apply and become one
of the first graduates of the program, mainly because it was my alma mater.
Often I am asked the question, “Why did you choose a career in nursing?” My response
is always the same, “I didn’t choose to be a nurse, nursing chose me!” Why do I say that?
Initially, when starting the LPN program I had no desire to be a nurse, I was utilizing the
education and clinical background to further my career plans to become a Physician Assistant.
After passing the licensure exam for my LPN, I did not seek employment. After six months, a
fellow nurse reached out to me to ask if I would be interested in working at her facility. Initially,
I was apprehensive, but I did accept a position, and it was from this point on that I realized I was
meant to be a nurse.
Early on in the BSN program during the advanced level nursing classes we were required
to think about what is our nursing philosophy. My core values as a person are caring, kindness,
compassion, honesty, trustworthiness, and respect. The core components that drive my practice
in nursing are similar, kindness, caring, compassion, honesty, trustworthiness, safety, and
treating the patient as a whole, which includes mind, body, spirit, and family. I believe it is my
values that draw me to nursing. I have an innate need to make others feel important and to offer
people positive experiences even when their life’s circumstances may not.
accomplish this goal of obtaining my BSN is necessary. Not only is my BSN necessary to
PROGRAM GRADUATE COMPETENCIES: BSN REFLECTION PAPER 3
progress in nursing and advance, but it is also important even if I do not continue my education.
The BSN program enhances the RN license because as an RN our education mainly focused on
the clinical aspect of nursing. The BSN program takes it a step farther and educates nurses for
Throughout the BSN program at DTCC, the education has been guided by nine Program
Graduate Competencies (PGCs). The nine PGCs are meant to build a foundation as a
professional nurse.
PGC 1 - Integrate general education knowledge, skills, and aptitudes to advance nursing
The expectation is not only to receive an education tailored to nursing but to be well rounded
with a liberal education. The Association of American Colleges and Universities (2018) defines
liberal education as one that provides students with broad knowledge of the wider world (e.g.,
science, culture, and society) as well as in-depth study in a specific area of interest. The liberal
education is essential to healthcare delivery for many reasons. One of the most important
components of receiving a liberal education is learning how to communicate, both orally and
written. Nurses communicate with patients daily, and as a nurse transitions into a professional
nurse role, there may be research to be conducted, policy and procedures to be written, and many
Throughout the BSN program, there have been several research papers. Research is
aspect of a liberal education is cultural competency. Understanding our patient’s culture and
social norms is integral to positive outcomes. If every patient is addressed in the same way,
many patients will refuse care because the care would not be relevant to how the patient lives
their life. Psychology is also important to nursing. It is the study of human behavior, and it
allows the nurse to understand the personality of the patient and why they may choose certain
actions.
PGC 2 - Demonstrate leadership skills to promote patient safety and the delivery of high-
quality healthcare.
During the nursing leadership course, I learned what type of leadership style I resemble, which
leadership as a process that motivates followers by appealing to higher ideas and moral values
where the leader has a deep set of internal values and ideas and is persuasive at motivating
followers to act in a way that sustains the greater good rather than their interests (as cited in
Burns, 1978). Transformational leadership empowers the nursing staff to speak when they
thought they were not allowed. This empowerment opens the doorway for individuals to
communicate with any medical personnel regarding patient safety and patient outcomes.
nursing is most liked because leadership can create future leaders who can efficiently problem
solve and meet the goals of the organization's mission, values, and goals (Doody & Doody,
2012).
PROGRAM GRADUATE COMPETENCIES: BSN REFLECTION PAPER 5
During the leadership course, I also took the time to evaluate myself as a leader and to
find areas that I could improve upon. The nursing leadership course came at the right time
because it provided me with answers to questions I had asked myself regarding my leadership
PGC 3 - Apply skills of inquiry, analysis, and information literacy to support evidence-
Langford and Young define evidenced-based practice as “the conscientious, explicit and
care delivery to individuals or groups of patients and in consideration of individual needs and
preferences.” Evidenced-based practice (EBP) is the new standard of care. EBP provides safe,
quality methods for treating people and delivers the most effective plan of care.
Research has not always been one of my strengths. The nursing research course forced me to
come out of my comfort zone and utilize the library to find journals and/or information related to
various research papers. One of my research topics was Substance Use Disorder. My first
practicum was at Ashley Addiction Treatment, and during my clinical, I was able to understand
and see first-hand how evidenced-based practice has given new life to those individuals who
suffer from substance abuse disorders. The standards of care for those who suffer from addiction
have been proven through evidence-based practice, which has paved the way for mandates for
insurance companies to provide coverage for those treatments they feel will help individuals with
The American Nurses Association (2008) defined Nursing informatics as "A specialty
that integrates nursing science and computer science to manage and communicate data,
information, and knowledge in nursing practice. Nurses work with technology in health care
every day, whether it is using computers to document patient information in the E-MAR, using
devices to gather information such as blood glucose, and/or utilizing the computer system to
retrieve educational materials for patients. Nursing informatics is about using technology
effectively to provide safe and quality care to patients. Nursing informatics is continually
growing and changing with time to provide the most up-to-date advanced technology systems
that provide the safest care with continuity of care between health care teams.
I enjoyed the project required in the Nursing Informatics course. My topic was patient
engagement and telemedicine. I created a workforce process and policy for patient engagement
for mental health patients to keep the patient engaged in their mental health appointments the
workforce process utilized reminder phone calls, email reminders, communication via telephone,
telehealth using video, and other various forms of technology to communicate with patients. The
PGC 5 – Advocate for patients and the nursing profession with regard to healthcare policy
One of the classes in the BSN program that I learned a great deal of information was in
the Nursing Policy course. I felt inspired after watching the introduction video from Lieutenant
Governor Bethany Long-Hall because she started as a nurse and now is in a position to make a
positive change on many health care issues. This is important for nurses to have an advocate in
PROGRAM GRADUATE COMPETENCIES: BSN REFLECTION PAPER 7
policy because most of those making decisions on health care policy has never worked in health
Oestberg made a good point when he said, “If nurses don’t stand up for issues that are
important to us, those with competing interests in healthcare may be the only ones whose voices
are heard.” Nurses work directly with patients daily; they spend the most time with patients, so
they have the best insight to have an opinion and to advocate for patients.
Communication and collaboration are paramount to delivering high quality and safe care.
Collaboration and interprofessional communication when done properly build respect and trust
among health care professionals and patients. In my current position I work in management, but
there are only two nurses, one being myself in the building. Therefore I often am responsible for
providing direct patient care. To make sure the patients in my facility receive safe, high-quality
care I must be their advocate. I have to educate and mentor our staff on a continuous basis. To
be an effective leader, the staff has to feel appreciated, heard, and trust management.
In the BSN program, I was able to have many experiences during my practicum to witness a
from all departments meet once a week to discuss each patient and determine how the patient’s
PGC 7 – Integrate health promotion and disease prevention practices to positively impact
The American Nurses’ Association (ANA) defined nursing as “the protection, promotion,
and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering
through the diagnosis and treatment of human response and advocacy in the care of individuals,
families, communities and populations” (ANA, 2010). Every day nurses are by default
promoting health and disease prevention. When a patient comes into a hospital, they are
generally addressing an acute problem and before they leave a nurse is educating the patient how
to stay healthy, signs and symptoms to be aware of related to their illness, and educating patients
where to seek further care if needed. I work with an aging population. Therefore every day I
spend most of most days educating my residents about the steps they can take to stay as
independent as they can. I educate the residents about their medications and why they are
The Code of Ethics for Nurses means ensuring integrity and safety, competence and
personal and professional growth (Chaiking, 2018). To demonstrate ethical practice, the nurse
needs to act as a moral agent. The question isn’t whether an ethical situation will rise; it is how
one will behave when it does? The number one question a nurse must ask, “is it the right thing
to do?” Nurses are one of the most trusted professions, and to maintain this status, nurses must
continue to make the right ethical decision. Many times in my practice I come upon situations
where I feel as though I need to make an ethically right decision, but at the same time, I feel as
though it could put my job on the line. When I feel that weight on my shoulder I ask myself
PROGRAM GRADUATE COMPETENCIES: BSN REFLECTION PAPER 9
what are the negatives and is it worth putting my job on the line and if something occurred
because I did not speak up, would I be able to live with myself?
PGC 9 – Demonstrate lifelong learning that empowers personal and professional growth.
Continuous learning keeps nurses up-to-date on ever-changing best practice. After I graduate
from the BSN program, my goal is to apply to the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
programs. There is a great need for health care providers in the mental health sector. I
thoroughly enjoy working with an individual who have mental health issues. A 2011 study by
researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing found that a 10% increase in
hospital nursing staff holding a BSN degree was associated with a 2% to 6% reduction in patient
mortality rates (Mensik, 2018). Research shows that lifelong learning produces positive
The RN-to –BSN program at the Delaware Technical Community college has opened my
mind to many topics in nursing that I would have probably never thought about had I not
continued my education. The BSN program has given me confidence in my leadership skills and
References
http://www.nursingworld.org /EspeciallyForYou/StudentNurses/WhatisNursing.aspx
Chaiking, J. (2018) Why do nurses need to know about ethics? Retrieved from
https://www.nurse.com/blog/2013/07/05/why-do-nurses-need-to-know-about-ethics/
Langford, R., & Young, A. (2013). Making a difference with nursing research. Upper Saddle
https://resources.nurse.com/magnet-hospitals-encourage-lifelong-learning
Oestberg F. (2013) Getting involved in policy and politics. Nursing Critical Care, 8(3),