In this blog entry, we are looking at The Registered Nurse Standards and how to address them properly in your nursing key selection criteria response. The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia standards are the benchmark of what constitutes nursing quality in Australia. They have been developed and honed over many years to give emerging and experienced Registered Nurses the explicit tools for high-quality, effective nursing in 21st-Century hospital and healthcare settings that will improve nursing outcomes for patients.
The Registered Nurse Standards for Practice comprise seven Standards that chart what Registered Nurses (RN’s) should know and be able to do. The Standards are all unified, mutually dependent and overlapping. They are:
- Thinks critically and analyses nursing practice
- Engages in therapeutic and professional relationships
- Maintains the capability for practice
- Comprehensively conducts assessments
- Develops a plan for nursing practice
- Provides safe, appropriate and responsive quality nursing practice
- Evaluates outcomes to inform nursing practice
Standards one, two and three relate to each other, as well as to each dimension of practice in standards four, five, six and seven.
Nursing key selection criteria questions usually relate to the following key areas:
- Professional Knowledge and Responsibility
- Legislation
- Guidelines, Policies and Procedures
- Commitment to Professional development
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Conflict Resolution
- Clinical Knowledge and Skills
- Quality Improvement
When answering questions in this area, always refer back to the standards to ensure your response addresses the specific question with a demonstrated example and also adheres to the relevant standard.
Professional Knowledge and Responsibility
As nurses, an understanding of the National Law, Registered Nurse |Midwife | Enrolled Nurse Practice Standards, Registration Standards, The International Council of Nursing (ICN) Code of Conduct, the Code of Ethics, and unprofessional and professional misconduct is vital.
Legislation
Knowledge of legislation that governs nursing practice is also essential. Federal and State Legislations can include The Poisons Standard, Poisons Act, Poisons List, the Mental Health Act, Coroners Act and Mandatory Reporting. These are just some of the areas in which nurses need to be familiar to practice within the scope of their Registration and area of practice.
Guidelines, Policies and Procedures
Guidelines, policies and procedures that guide nursing practice and enable nurses to practice within an evidence-based framework and ensure the best patient and organisational outcomes are necessary. Not only do they ensure best practice and patient safety, but they also provide measurable outcomes for healthcare organisations to meet auditing and accreditation requirements. These may need to be applied to various criteria outside a specific question in this area.
Commitment to Professional development
Your prospective employer will want to know that you are committed to nursing. And this question will allow you to demonstrate knowledge of and commitment to ongoing professional development, including education, qualification advancement, conferences and workshops, for example. Relating this to contemporary and evidence-based practice, including identifying what was learned and its application to past, current and future positions, can be included in the answer.
Communication and interpersonal skills
Displaying an understanding of interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills is invaluable in any job application. This type of key selection criteria will come up in some form and enables you to showcase values and attributes that display qualities and skills in leadership, adaptability and an ability to work within a team environment, including with multidisciplinary teams. Furthermore, it can display a lot about your character and whether they suit the position and are able to fit into the current work environment.
Conflict Resolution
Questions in this area have two functions. One is to identify your insight and your ability to negotiate, communicate and expose character. The second is to allow you to demonstrate your understanding of professional responsibility in escalating issues and how to diffuse them. This may be in relation to a colleague, a patient, or a carer. How you handle a conflict situation, your knowledge in applying organisational policies, reporting and escalating, and the outcome are crucial here. Whether the outcome is positive or negative, the reader will want to assess your response, including your ability to know what the best solution may have been in either situation or what was learned.
Next time, we will look at the rest of these key areas and how to apply the Standards within your responses.
