On my second day of clinical rotation, I was assigned to postpartum floor. I followed my Nurse everywhere she went as well as observed what she was doing. Every patient she was taking care of, she let me do the assessment on the newborn and on the mother. She would show me how to check the fundus, the peripad for locia, and to check on any sign of bleeding.
I communicated with the patient’s, my preceptor, other nurses, the PCT’s, PT, and the kitchen staff. When I was in the patient’s room I was sure to explain what I was doing, and answer any questions the patients had about their plan of care. I worked with my preceptor throughout the shift, asking questions, clarifying orders, clarifying medications, procedures and more. I communicated with other nurses by thoroughly receiving and handing off report. I communicated with the PCT’s that I would perform the vital signs for my patients and worked with the PCT when my patient needed labs to be sent down.
Many thoughts and emotions involved. But when you see the child again and they stop by to visit, you realize how important this job is” (Strandas and Fredriksen, 905). In some cases, nurses have to take on the responsibility of advocating for the child themselves if they do not
An infant getting discharged from the hospital because they are well enough to go home will be the best moment of my career. Knowing that in some way, shape, or form I played a part in them leaving the hospital, will leave me happy and in tears. Just by the infant leaving the hospital, I know that all the hard work that I put into becoming a NICU Nurse has paid off. It will also show me that I know what I am doing when it comes to critically ill newborns. Five to ten years down the line when I bump into the infants and their families outside of the hospital, I want to recognize the impact I had on their life.
The anticipation of the first born is filled with a mixture of excitement, anxiety, and pain. My pregnancy had been normal and healthy. I did not have any problems or concerns during my whole pregnancy. With my due date approaching, I expected the birth of my child would be the happiest time of my life. However, a serious of avoidable and unfortunate events caused by my doctor and nurses lead me to have a horrifying experience.
Florence Nightingale was the first nurse to propose theories that would create an influential impact on nurses for years to come. Nightingale focused on the well being of her patients and what could be changed to improve their health (Johnson & Webber, 2015). This led to other nurses creating theories of their own to guide practice. Patricia Benner’s theory of Novice to Expert is a theorist that every new graduate can relate to. There are five stages that Benner addresses that each new nurse will go experience as they grow and learn: novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert level (Johnson & Webber, 2015).
With Nurse Dre Dre, the night nurse, I got to do suctioning, tracheotomy care and start feedings. I feel like I’m getting confidently effective with my communication skills everyday that my I’m learning and enhancing my nursing skills. I was able to educate a family member who was not wearing protective equipment inside an isolation room the importance of wearing one to prevent the spread of infections and promote wellness.
During a clinical shift, I would be responsible for providing care to patients with malignant hematological diseases, completing pertinent assessments and teaching skills, such as how to care for the mouth when experiencing mucositis and how to avoid infections. Self-reflection on Professional Practice All nurses registered in the general and extended classes are required to complete their self-Assessment every year. Self-Assessment is a self-directed, two-part process that results in a learning plan (CNO self assessment 2018). Through the process of self-assessment, you identify your areas of strength and learning needs (CNO
They decided to keep her there because they knew how much I cared for her and that I would make sure she got the proper care from everyone else. She told me that her mom always talked so highly of me and that I was one of the few things she looked forward too especially in her last few weeks. This experience was overall a very difficult but rewarding experience. It taught me that it’s okay to advocate for a patient and insist they get the respect and care they deserve.
Every time I would go in the room to check vitals, bathe, or change her, she would just have this deep stare that really frightened me. Her mom would bring her flowers once to twice a week and the smell would linger throughout the room, when I would open her door it was like a breath of fresh spring air. In conclusion, my first clinical experience was scary and a learning experience all in one. My patient and I ended up forming a magnificent relationship where she would allow me to do her hair and suction her tracheotomy.
During a clinical shift, I would be responsible for providing care to patients with malignant hematological diseases, completing pertinent assessments and teaching skills, such as how to care for the mouth when experiencing mucositis and how to avoid infections. Self-reflection on Professional
The first day I stepped onto the floor, I felt overwhelmed and I questioned myself if I was meant for this line of work. I was assigned 14 patients. Soon after interacting with all my patients, my perspective and doubts changed. After leaving for college; I started my college days as a full time pre-nursing student. I continued to work as a CNA and
As I enter my final semester of nursing, I look forward to new nursing opportunities and to apply my nursing philosophy with each new experience. My goal as a nurse is to grow and learn each day, knowing that each day will provide me with new knowledge making me a better nurse than the day before, and becoming a better nurse the following day than the previous day. Nursing is an exciting, fulfilling, and respected profession which I am very fortunate to be a part of and look forward to the journey
For example, if she is unfamiliar with what she needs to do if a child reports an earache she can refer to the standard orders, and it will give her a list of steps to follow. Overall my experience in observing the school nurse was amazing. I was able to connect some of the things we learned in lecture to the clinical scene. For example, I was able to see how different age groups require different assessments due to their stage of development.
Today, I am glad I choose nursing because I have overcome my social fears, learn to be a team player, learn how to prioritize and most importantly learned to manage stress. Lastly, I grew as a nurse with each semester because I learned how to respect and treat each patient as a unique individual. I have also learned to put my patient safety as my priority and provide presence because I realized through my clinical experience that, sometimes that all the patients need. Below is the breakdown of how I have developed each semester in nursing school. FALL 2013 • Foundations of Nursing: NUR 2310