My Journey in Nursing

My Journey in Nursing

First Name Middle Initial Last Name

Keiser University

Nursing Professional Development Plan

NUR3805 Nursing Role & Scope

Date

My Journey in Nursing

I want to be a Florence Nightingale. I acknowledge the immense contribution the Angel of Crimea had in the development of modern nursing practice. Her success is partly due to her passionate devotion to humanity, hard work and the drive to leave her surroundings better than she found them. I desire to follow in her gallant footsteps, touching lives wherever I go and whatever way I can. Ultimately, regardless of any goals I will have stated or career path I will have taken, I will measure myself by the impact I will have made to lives in my nursing career.

My journey to this point has been thrilling. I have had my ups and downs, moments of strengths, and some weaknesses. I have had moments of doubt where I lost trust in the course I had chosen. Retrospectively, I look back at my journey with immense pride. I believe my experiences have shaped my character and largely influenced the choices I am making now for the near and far future.

I will be demonstrating this journey from its inception to where I stand currently. I will also share a glimpse of what I feel my future nursing career holds for me. I will illustrate my dreams and aspirations, with plans on how I intend to meet them. Then, I will distinguish the problems I acknowledge that may reach me in my journey and how I plan to navigate through them. In the end, I hope to demonstrate my love affair with this profession and the heights I want to reach in due time.

Educational and Personal Background

• How did you come to the place you are now in your nursing career?

My short nursing journey has been long ironically long. Since my early childhood, I have had the urge to be of service to humanity. I prescribe to the school of thought that there is a greater picture of our existence. For me, nothing surmounts service. When it dawned on me that nursing might be what I’m looking for, I deliberately took subjects that would lead me here in my high school. I had to withstand the rigors of mathematics, which I struggled with for a while. I also ensured I did well in my physics and languages. Besides that, I excelled in Spanish classes. Knowing all too well an additional language could come in handy in my professional career.

• Describe where the motivation comes for your journey in your professional nursing career. My motivation in pursuit of a career in nursing stems from my belief that service to humanity is the noblest of courses. One summer, I heard the story of Florence Nightingale from my parent. I understood how she left her wealthy family and went to serve soldiers who were dying. I also heard of the lives she had saved and the immortality she accrued from her exemplary work. It was at that moment that my fascination with nursing was bred. I spent asking about nursing and doing some research on it. I knew what I wanted to do in life, and I have never turned back.

Professional History

• Professional Organizations (past and present): I am a keen follower of the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA), offering mentorship programs to all nursing students. I attend their annual conferences to obtain resource materials from their website.
• Committees (past and present): I am yet to sit in any committee as a nursing student. However, in the future, I intend to get involved in committees within the National Students Nurse Association that mentors students. I believe mentoring is an essential part of the development of the profession and will help future nurses make more sound decisions based on information obtained from experienced professionals.
• Certifications (current): I have not received any certification as of yet. However, I intend to get accreditation in different fields. First, I will aim to get a certificate for practicing as a registered nurse, then an additional one for a Certified Nurse Practitioner. This will be critical in enabling me to give holistic care to my patients in terms of diagnosis and management.
• Leadership positions (committees, preceptoring, mentoring, etc.): I Currently hold no leadership position in the nursing field. However, in the future, as a nurse practitioner, I intend to be a leading voice for nurses in advocating for more extensive roles within the profession. The current dynamics in the US health care system needs more primary care providers, and training more Nurse Practitioners will be a good start (Judge-Ellis & Wilson, 2017, p. 586)
• Community Service/Volunteerism (past and recent): During my summer holidays, I have always spent two weeks in my local nursing home. I get the opportunity to volunteer some of the services I can and practice some of the skills I learned in school
• Politics/Advocacy involvement (registered voter? Community advocate?  Patient advocacy?): I am a duly registered voter. I believe the leaders present at the top play critical roles in ensuring that the healthcare system is appropriately streamlined. I also educate my friends, family, and neighbors who have little knowledge of health matters on lifestyle choices and generally strive to respond appropriately to questions they may have. I also direct them to where they can get professional help.
• Research involvement (data collection, research committee?): I am yet to be involved in the research process. However, I acknowledge that proper research is essential to the evolution of healthcare practices. Through it, novel data is obtained on how to streamline the health care system effectively. In the future, I will be keen on looking for opportunities to be part of the research teams.
• Education (Associate Degree? LPN?  Other?): I started as a certified nurse assistant. I took an online course after high school then progressed to do a clinical exam. Afterward, I was certified as a nursing assistant. I used the opportunity to know more about the nursing profession and gauge my preparedness for the whole process

Goals

Short Term Goal (STG -within a year):

• Short-term goal –Professional Organization: I intend to be a member of the Health Policy and Advocacy committee in the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA) by December 2020.
• STG #1 Action Plan: I will do this by submitting my application letter to the NSNA then convince them of my strong desire to be involved in the advocacy process. This will help train me on how to champion the needs of my patients at a political level. Patient advocacy ensures that patients’ views are integrated with their general management, thereby increasing their satisfaction (Schwartz, 2002, p. 38)
  • Long Term Goals (LTG -more than a year)
• Long-term goal #1 – Education: I intend to graduate with my bachelor of science in nursing with a 3.5 or higher GPA and pass the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses by December 2020. This will be the initial step in getting to practice as a nurse practitioner. Part of the requirement for being a nurse practitioner is the successful completion of BSN and required licensing for training as a registered nurse (American Nurses Association & Ovid Technologies, 2015, p 2)
  • LTG #1 Action Plan: I will put in effort in my academic work, utilizing all available resources, including library materials, instructors, and group discussions, to obtain the GPA score I so desire. The GPA score will be a reflection of my effort. It will be evidence that I am knowledgeable enough to handle patients in the hospital set up effectively. I will apply to the nursing regulatory body (NRB) to get my Authorization to Test (ATT). I will then schedule my exam to the earliest possible time and ensure to excel in it also
• Long-term goal #2 – Education: Become a nurse practitioner with prescription rights by December 2026. Becoming a nurse practitioner is the life-long dream that will enable me to take better care of my patients. The prevalence of chronic diseases in the USA is on the increase. Furthermore, the introduction of the affordable care act means that the demand for primary care is still on the rise. Yet, the number of primary care providers is painfully low and not growing in tandem (Poghosyan, Norful, & Martsolf, 2017, p. 82). The incorporation of nurses in primary care in the means of nurse practitioners will go a long way in easing the shortage. Also, since nurses spend more time with patients generally, enhanced skills will enable me to offer quality care that will guarantee patient satisfaction. This is because research has shown that increasing contact time between nurses and patients increases patient satisfaction (Judge-Ellis & Wilson, 2017, p. 585).
  • LTG #2 Action Plan: After getting my license to practice as a registered nurse, I will seek employment, at which point I will work for two years. This will enable me to get priceless experience in the field of nursing. It will also help me comprehend my patients’ needs and challenges that may be bound in the system. Afterward, I will pursue my Masters of Science in Nursing degree for another two to three years. Eventually, I will get my certification from the Board of Registered Nursing. Additionally, I will apply for a furnishing number from the Board of Registered Nursing to be approved in giving drugs and devices to patients. Furthermore, I will apply for the Drug Enforcement Administration registration number to be approved in order controlled substances for some of my patients who may need it. By getting these qualifications, I will have enhanced skills in the diagnosis and management of illnesses. As a result, I will be adhering to standard 14 of professional nursing which requires nurses to contribute to quality nursing practices (American Nurses Association & Ovid Technologies, 2015, pp. 1–3)

Strengths and areas where improvement is sought

Nursing Strengths: I am bilingual. I am proficient in speaking Spanish. Knowledge of a language communicated by the patient is vital in ensuring there is little confusion and correct information is exchanged between patients and health care providers (Gonzalez, Vega, & Tarraf, 2010, p. 748). This will translate to improved patient outcome primarily when I serve the Latinos who are a significant ethnic minority in the country

Areas for improvement I need to improve on my leadership skills. I tend to be timid and introverted in general. More often than not, I take a back step and watch as things unfold. This could affect my patients negatively since, as a nurse, I need to advocate for them. I will need to learn how to be at the forefront of activities and to actively engage people around me for the benefit of the patient.

Potential Barriers and Strategies to Goal Achievement

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic poses a severe challenge to the timely achievement of my goals. First, schools have been closed. Furthermore, the pandemic’s economic impact means obtaining funds for some of the plans outlined herein may be tricky. In a bid to mitigate this impact, I will purposely attend all online classes and do all online assignments and exams to ensure that not much time is wasted. Also, when normalcy resumes, I will seek out a small side hustle to keep my financials flowing

Conclusion

I intend to focus my nursing career on the admirable qualities displayed by Florence Nightingale. Her life and passion are what primarily motivated me to join the field of nursing. So far, my journey has been thrilling, right from my days in high school, where I had to contend with the rigors of mathematics. Since then, I have learned a lot. The learning process is still continuous. I appreciate the need to develop my leadership skills and be involved in research processes that will benefit the patient and the practice of nursing in general. I intend to join the Health Policy and Advocacy committee in the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA) by December 2020. IN the long run, by the year 2026, I hope to be a certified nurse practitioner with prescription rights. I will use my bilingual ability to communicate with a part of the ethnic minority effectively. Furthermore, for more efficient practice, I will need to teach myself how to be proactive in my workplace. All in all, I intend to make this world a better place in my small way. Wouldn’t it be nice if we all did?

References

American Nurses Association, & Ovid Technologies, I. (2015). Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice. Maryland, USA: Nursesbooks.org.

Gonzalez, H. M., Vega, W. A., & Tarraf, W. (2010). Health Care Quality Perceptions among Foreign-Born Latinos and the Importance of Speaking the Same Language. The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 23(6), 745–752. https://doi.org/10.3122/jabfm.2010.06.090264

Judge-Ellis, T. (Tess), & Wilson, T. R. (2017). Time and NP Practice: Naming, Claiming, and        Explaining the Role of Nurse Practitioners. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 13(9),       583–589. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2017.06.024

Poghosyan, L., Norful, A. A., & Martsolf, G. R. (2017). Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Practice Characteristics. Journal of Ambulatory Care Management, 40(1), 77–86. https://doi.org/10.1097/jac.0000000000000156

Schwartz, L. (2002). Is there an advocate in the house? The role of health care professionals in patient advocacy. Journal of Medical Ethics, 28(1), 37–40. https://doi.org/10.1136/jme.28.1.37