Nursing is a calling. Nurses deliver compassionate care to fellow human beings for the purpose of promoting wellness, treating disease, and palliating distress. Helping people is the most gratifying part of being a nurse. Whether it be helping to relieve a patient’s symptom or helping to teach another nurse how to do a clinical procedure, I enjoy making a difference in someone else’s life. Nursing is a bridge that connects people to the help that they need. While nursing care includes the treatment of diseases and promotion of physical health, it also considers other factors that contribute to well-being, such as psychosocial, spiritual, or environmental factors. I became a nurse to help alleviate suffering and advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves. The healthcare system can be daunting for people to navigate, especially those who are physically compromised by an illness. I became a nurse to help people understand what is going on inside their bodies so they can understand how to help themselves. I enjoy mentoring other nurses, because I know the information I teach them will be passed on to help their patients and nurses they work with throughout their careers.
Integrity is the key to being the best nurse I can be. Having a strong moral compass has enabled to me to become a strong advocate for what is right and to make difficult decisions when necessary. Remaining true to myself and loyal to my colleagues has never steered me in the wrong direction. Resiliency has given me the ability to persevere through the grief of losing patients. It has given me the strength to remain optimistic so I can continue to help patients and nurses. Engaging as a member of a team strengthens my courage and confidence to provide quality nursing care to my patients. I learn valuable lessons from my colleagues every day, and it is gratifying to teach my teammates something that helps strengthen their confidence in their own clinical skills.
Early in my nursing career, I was providing care and support to a hospice patient and his family. I struggled to find the right words when the family asked how long their loved one has left. Other nurses seemed so confident in their knowledge of end-of-life care, but I was still relatively new to the specialty. When my patient’s family member asked how long I thought the patient would live, I reviewed the literature with the family and educated on the signs that death is approaching. I reviewed certain signs that occur days, weeks, and months prior to death. The family asked if I thought it would be weeks to months. I answered honestly and told them I thought it would be closer to days to a week, rather than weeks to months. My patient passed away later than night. When I called the family the next day to offer my condolences, they were understandably grief-stricken. They asked why I told them that the patient had a week left when he actually only had one day. I will never forget that day. I felt terribly that I had given this man’s family false hope. This encounter taught me a valuable lesson about the power of my words. Since then, I have educated patients and their families about the impossibility of predicting when a patient will pass. I choose my words carefully as to not give them false hope of more time with their loved one. I have passed that lesson on to the nurses I have mentored to help prevent them from experiencing the same guilt I felt for contributing to that family’s grief.
My nursing practice is influenced by Florence Nightingale, who is often referred to as the founder of modern nursing (Blais & Hayes, 2016). Her commitment to nursing leadership and education paved the way for the conception of the nursing profession. Nightingale’s Environmental Theory identifies essential factors that contribute to health and healing, such as ventilation, clean water, drainage, sanitation, and daylight. This profound theory has guided me to consider not only the illnesses of my patients, but the impact their environment may have on their conditions. Nightingale set the stage for the future of nursing research. Her memorable leadership inspires my passion for helping my fellow nurses realize their full potential.
References
Blais, K., & Hayes, J. (2016). Professional Nursing Practice (7th ed.). Pearson Education.
Integrity is the key to being the best nurse I can be. Having a strong moral compass has enabled to me to become a strong advocate for what is right and to make difficult decisions when necessary. Remaining true to myself and loyal to my colleagues has never steered me in the wrong direction. Resiliency has given me the ability to persevere through the grief of losing patients. It has given me the strength to remain optimistic so I can continue to help patients and nurses. Engaging as a member of a team strengthens my courage and confidence to provide quality nursing care to my patients. I learn valuable lessons from my colleagues every day, and it is gratifying to teach my teammates something that helps strengthen their confidence in their own clinical skills.
Early in my nursing career, I was providing care and support to a hospice patient and his family. I struggled to find the right words when the family asked how long their loved one has left. Other nurses seemed so confident in their knowledge of end-of-life care, but I was still relatively new to the specialty. When my patient’s family member asked how long I thought the patient would live, I reviewed the literature with the family and educated on the signs that death is approaching. I reviewed certain signs that occur days, weeks, and months prior to death. The family asked if I thought it would be weeks to months. I answered honestly and told them I thought it would be closer to days to a week, rather than weeks to months. My patient passed away later than night. When I called the family the next day to offer my condolences, they were understandably grief-stricken. They asked why I told them that the patient had a week left when he actually only had one day. I will never forget that day. I felt terribly that I had given this man’s family false hope. This encounter taught me a valuable lesson about the power of my words. Since then, I have educated patients and their families about the impossibility of predicting when a patient will pass. I choose my words carefully as to not give them false hope of more time with their loved one. I have passed that lesson on to the nurses I have mentored to help prevent them from experiencing the same guilt I felt for contributing to that family’s grief.
My nursing practice is influenced by Florence Nightingale, who is often referred to as the founder of modern nursing (Blais & Hayes, 2016). Her commitment to nursing leadership and education paved the way for the conception of the nursing profession. Nightingale’s Environmental Theory identifies essential factors that contribute to health and healing, such as ventilation, clean water, drainage, sanitation, and daylight. This profound theory has guided me to consider not only the illnesses of my patients, but the impact their environment may have on their conditions. Nightingale set the stage for the future of nursing research. Her memorable leadership inspires my passion for helping my fellow nurses realize their full potential.
References
Blais, K., & Hayes, J. (2016). Professional Nursing Practice (7th ed.). Pearson Education.
