Bringing together education and healing was a life-changing experience that made me realize that nursing is my true calling. Traditionally, nurses were viewed as caregivers. In today’s world, image of nursing profession changes as nurses play many other roles such as patient’s advocates, educators, managers, team members, facilitators, and experts. (Zerwekh, 2006). As I read the entries from my reflective journal, I could see how my focus shifted from assisting patient with his basic needs at the beginning of the nursing school to more comprehensive nursing care today.
This class in many ways has changed my nursing practice. It has made me look at my wants and needs as a nurse. It also has had me exam how I have been practicing and caring for the patient. I have learned about the process of reflection in my nursing practice, my beliefs within my practice, nursing ethics in my practice, delegation in my practice, and the importance of following evidence-based practice in my nursing. All of these topics have made me look at the way I practice as a nurse and have made me become a better nurse.
In my nursing class, I learned that doctors cure the sickness and nurses cure the patient. This means that the nurse attends to the physical, mental, and psychosocial aspects in the care of patients. Some days can be demanding on the mind and body, but you can still go home and be grateful of what you have done for someone else. I believe that the core of nursing is love and passion for others. Without this love and passion, why is one in nursing.
In my seven years of nursing practice, my core values have changed over time. As I gained more experience in the medical field and rotated through different units in the hospital, I’ve noticed that I’ve added to my values in my daily nursing. Autonomy and dignity are my top two values in my every day nursing. These are extremely important to me because I think that patients, doesn’t matter what culture, male or female, young or old, deserve the right to have a choice, deserve the right to their own dignity. Some patients don’t have anything left in their life than choice and dignity and who are we as nurses to take that away from them.
Personally speaking, I can relate to the comparison of broccoli and nursing theory. As a new nurse, I was resistant to the thought of applying theory to my practice. In the big scheme of nursing care, it appeared to be one more thing to tack on to my list of things to do. After all, I was overwhelmed with meeting the demands of patients, families, and physicians. In addition, I was trying to meet best practice standards, develop effective time management skills so my twelve-hour shift did not become a fourteen-hour shift, and often handling life-threatening situations.
The path that my career has followed has been different from the one I envisioned as a young, fresh out of school nurse. I have progressed from a bedside nurse to being the manager of the unit that I have worked on since 1978. As I have stepped beyond the bedside nurse role, I have realized that the foundation my nursing education gave me was a basis to build on instead of being the only education I would need. The focus of the bedside nurse is on the patient and his or her immediate needs. There may be little attention paid to what is going on in the healthcare environment or how it affects nursing and the place of employment.
I have enjoyed a twenty-four year career of public service. I can recall countless of lives that I touched as a Paramedic. Two instances that touched my life while helping people were, the patient experiencing a diabetic coma after a drop on blood sugar, and the mother with no prenatal care that waited until the last minute to give me the honor of delivering her child. These patients were special to me and brought a great sense of accomplishment to my life. I first decided to become a nurse, because nurses are paid
As a child I went from wanting to be a doctor to now wanting to become a nurse practitioner. In particular my goal is to specialize in maternity and pediatric care. Pregnancy and children have a special place in my heart, being that I am a mother and pregnant myself. I want to help both groups of people feel the best they can. Children should never have to deal with serious illnesses, especially since they haven’t
Nurses are not only lifelong learners, nurses are also political changers and leaders in the health care industry. Nursing leaders must be conscientious regarding change his or her profession, remaining an active member of professional organizations. It is important for nurse leaders to make use of the various organizations in the nursing profession to remain aware of political changes within the nursing profession, the health care industry. Professional Organization Although there are many professional organizations for nurses, one of the go to professional organizations in the nursing profession is the American Nurses Association (ANA). The ANA is responsible for growth and professional development for nurses, in addition to political leadership among the nursing profession and health care arena.
Also having the baccalaureate degree in nursing gives me more opportunities in the competitive career world. There are many qualities that I feel a nursing student as well as a future practicing nurse should posses in order to be accomplished. Many of these qualities I feel I possess in one way or another and also have the ability to progress and strengthen. One of these qualities is solid communication skills. I feel that as a student and a later on a practicing nurse I am able to follow directions and am easily able to communicate with people.