Personal Portfolio: My Nursing Career - Essay Example

Running Head: Reflection portfolio Reflection Portfolio Name Course Lecturer Date Having completed my nursing course, I have strong commitment to serve and care for the people and encourage them on their health and development. I have good communication skills which have been of great help to me in communicating with my colleagues in training and my instructors. Listening to the instructions and acting on them adds value to the skill. I believe in solving any kind of problem that comes on my way and especially the problems that are related in my career because I know nothing is impossible if I believe in myself. Additionally I understand how to interact with other individuals without making them feel uncomfortable. Am caring person and feels for others and that is what made me take nursing as my career. I believe in cooperation and working in team for better services to the people. My academic qualifications and work experience will help me in enhancing the clinical competence and also in delivering care, since the quality of care given to patient hinges on having a well learned nurse. In my training I have been taught on how to handle the patient and pay the required attention to him/her. With the knowledge and skills that I have, it is my duty to provide the essential care to any person in need and also providing more care in the field of practice. Assessing peoples need in making them manage their health is my great concern. As a trained nurse, I believe in helping people and support them to recover and attain their potential fully; this is especially to individuals who adjust to mental, health illness or any kind of disability. I understand that caring is not only providing support or intervening when there is illness and distress, but also keeping people and the wider generation healthy in general (Nursing and MidwiferyCouncil, 2010). One of the limitations that I encountered during my practical is the changes in the nurse role that have been primarily driven by the allegedly augmented in workload coming from the new general practitioner contract. The entrusted work to nurses provides a means of workload that is organized within a practice without allowing the choice of the patient (Rashid, 2010). The strengths that I admire in nursing are providing the kind of empathetic, responsive and expertise care that brings in the gratitude, high regard and royalty of their parents. The commitment and support of professional growth of each other in nursing is one thing that strengthens me. The dedication to competence and skill development and also the commitment of welcoming new nurses to the practice gives strength to nurses. I have commitment to excel and dedication for learning more about nursing (Medstar Franklin Square Medical Center, 2013). For health care to improvement, the appropriate technologies for knowledgeable management should be improved and also the use of technology system that will help to confine data on variables for nursing care assessment. In applying clinical investigative skills to improve health care outcomes, will help in knowledge and skills improvement in nursing career. The new practical thing that nurses learn in their duty makes me like nursing more and more. Caring for a patient and watching him/her recover from illness and gain the full strength make me happy in this career. Some of the patients that I have cared for have been rude and unappreciative of the care that i offered to them. The policies of safety and wellness that deal with hazards in the place of work, prejudice, violation of workers either psychological or bodily and issues of personal health are the surroundings that motivated me. In addition, the equal opportunities and treatment that every nurse is given makes nurses to give the best in their work. The chances of career development and developing professionally, which help in gaining knowledge and skills, are some of the things that I admire most and make me give the best at my work. The efficient management and directorial ambiance and the practices of leadership, the good support and playing part in making decision in the workplace are the reason for better results in nursing. The balance of work in nursing and the decent payment and the benefits that I get are the motivations in my work (International Centre for Human Resources in Nursing Nursing, 2007). The desire by management to make the nurses satisfied in their work and encouragement to achieve professionally and the help they offer in making the nurses be good role models to the populace are the best motivations that I admire most in my work (Falcuties, 2011). As a registered nurse, there are many opportunities that are open. After one has graduated, one may go full time employment as a nurse. In 2008, 94 per cent landed job as health professionals, 52 per cent as nurses, 22 per cent as staff nurses and 12 per cent as midwives. In addition, other found jobs as paramedics, hospital matrons and GP in various clinics (Foster, 2011). However, there are various limitations that are associated with the work. One of the limitations is that the health workers are said to be working long hours due to an increase in the number of patients. In addition, there wages are little compared to the work load. As expected in all careers, there are social trends that influence ones career plans. In recent times, career in nursing is being influenced by both healthcare and social issues that may have an effect on my career. At the moment, there is a decline of nurses in Australia (Thome, 2003). This shortage may be caused by increases in financial constraints, stressful working environment and dissipating workforce. In addition, it has been reported that nurses are quitting their career for better paying jobs and other higher opportunities (Thome, 2003). This is attributed to the fact that most nurses believe that there low wages and job dissatisfaction which have played a major role in the nursing exodus. Still, few students are choosing nursing as their career. This is attributed to the fact that the view nursing as a low paying job and nurses are placed in a low status quo in the community. People tend to believe that nursing is a demanding job where nurses work for long hours in environment that are not conducive. As such, they bear a negative view towards nursing. Therefore, I need to understand the negative views that people have built towards nursing if I have to work towards achieving my career goals. It is important to note, while applying for positions in this field, that there is a shortage trend of workers in the nursing field in Australia. Indeed, this has been a growing concern to the health sector which is trying to curb the situation by introducing various strategies that will assist in increasing the number of nurses in the country. For instance the government is trying to establish more medical schools in the country in order to accommodate an increasing number of students who want to specialize in the medical field. In addition the government has introduced a policy of supplementing the health care work force by fishing international trained nurses and doctors indeed by 2005; the Australian medical workforce had an estimation of 25 per cent of health workers from overseas. Still, there are successive reforms that are being laid by the Australian government, for instance, there us a redesign of work processes that will introduce a reduced workforce turnover. There are many opportunities that are available for me in my career. These opportunities require that I work hard in order to get ready to grab them. Many of these opportunities require that I get some experiences and further training (Karmel & Li, 2012). Specializing is one of the open opportunities I got in this career. For instance, while working in an acute hospital setting there are various areas that I may specialize in such as accident and emergency, outpatients, neurology, orthopaedic, neonatal care and operating theaters (Moss, 2013). In all these opportunities, I want to grab that of an Orthopaedic Nurse. This is attributed to the fact I want to care of people with musculoskeletal disorders and diseases such as fractures, arthritis, joint replacement, osteoporosis, broken bones and genetic malfunction (Carmichael & Nicholas, 2006). Still, when I was 7 years old I fell and suffered a broken arm. The nurse who took care of me was very kind and this made want to be to become an Orthopaedic Nurse. Indeed, there are other opportunities that are appropriate such as becoming a nephrology nurse, neuroscience nurse and anesthetist nurse (Harvey, 2005). However, compared to the opportunity that I want, Orthopaedic Nursing is a prestigious opportunity and there are many opportunities sin the market place given the fact that most people avoid specializing in this field. Education is an important part in this opportunity as I will be obliged to teach families and patients about the disorder, its prevention, signs and symptoms and the treatment . Therefore, I will have to go back to school in order to gain the required knowledge on this opportunity. In addition it is important that I gain experience in the areas as it is structured, multifaceted and patient facing. Therefore, I will have to be attached in a busy orthopaedic hospital and this will help gain enough experience in handling the patient recovery after assisting the doctors during operations. Having specialized in this area, I am looking forward to work with John Hopkins Hospital. This is a well known hospital in the world and it will give me an excellent experience in my career. In order to achieve my there are people who need to be involved. Firstly, I need full support from my parents. This is attributed to the fact I have to return to school to do a certificate in orthopaedic and become a Certified Orthopaedic Nurse. In addition I need their guidance and encouragement in order to pass the examinations. This is because I need to be certified in order to work as a Certified Orthpaedic Nurse. Still I need support from my tutors especially those who have been teaching me in the current status. Fellow students in the same course will also be involved as we will need to assist each in other in terms of assignment, discussion group and discussion assignment that will be given by the lecturer. There are some factors that bring changes in my plans. Peer pressure, social and health care trends in the nursing career. My parents to some extent may not be happy with the plan but I hope to try and make them understand the passion I have for my goals. I would have been contented by being a registered nurse only, but with the rise of this opportunity and my childhood desires, I prefer changing my goals and working towards being an Orthopaedic Nurse. In addition, my lecturers at the moment are really encouraging us not to be contented with just being a registered nurse but to go ahead and specialize in the other nursing field. They attribute this to the fact that there are many open opportunities for those who are specializing in the nursing field in the recent times. As such, they have exposed us to different areas while one may specialize. All goals have timeframe so is mine. I wish first to finish my studies and become a registered nurse. After this, I need to work for two years as a registered before I enroll to for an Orthopaedic Nurse Certification in order to be a Certified Orthopaedic Nurse (Stokowski, 2004). In addition, most the hospitals require that an Orthopaedic Nurse have one to two years of experience in the field. Therefore, am goals time framework is 4 years to be a qualified and experience Orthopaedic Nurse working in one of the most renowned hospital in the world. It is obvious that there are internal and external factors that I will have to think about to know if my plan is working or not. Some of the internal factors that will determine include; self determination, which is a combination of knowledge, beliefs and skills that enables and individual to engage in any goal oriented, autonomous and self-regulated behavior. I will have to assess my determination whether is working towards achieving my plans. Self strategies are also internal factors that will help in assessing whether am in the right direction in reaching my goals. If the strategies are flowing accordingly, it means that am moving in the right direction in achieving my plans. Some external factors that will assist in evaluating whether my plan are working include; combination of events and people. I will evaluate the people views towards my plans; if they are encouraging, I will definitely know that am in the right tract in achieving my goals. The views of my lecturers will also help in evaluating my progress. Indeed, this will be determined by my performance in the examinations. Feedback from the patient and the doctors that I will be working with will also be a platform in which I will assess my performance that have a strong influence on the flow of my plans. Indeed, a success of my plans will be a great thing, working in John Hopkins Hospital as an Orthopaedic Nurse will be the ultimate part in my nursing career. Indeed, it may be hard to describe how my success will look like but being an Orthopaedic Nurse will see move into a new part in my social and financial life. References Carmichael, K., & Nicholas, G. (2006). Orthopaedic essentials. Orthopaedic Nursing , 25(2):137-139. Harvey, C. (2005). Spinal Surgery Patient Care. Orthopaedic Nursing , 24 (6):426-440. Karmel, T., & Li, J. (2012). The Nursing workforce. Commonwealth of Australia , 12. Moss, M. (2013). Career trends in nursing. ehow Health , 1. Stokowski, L. (2004). Trends in nursing: 2004 and beyond. Topics in Advanced Practie Nursing eJournal , 4 (1). Thome, S. (2003). Theoretical issues in nursing. In R.-K. J, & M. Wood, Canadian Nursing : Issues and perspectives (pp. 116-134). Toronto: Mosby. The National Organization of Nurses Practioner Falculties. (2011). NURSE PRACTITIONER CORE COMPETENCIES. Goshen: The National Organization of Nurses Practioner Falcuties. International Centre for Human Resources in Nursing, I. C. (2007). Positive Practice Environments. Geneva: International Council of. Rashid, C. (2010). Benefits and limitations of nurses taking on aspects of the clinical role of doctors in pary care: integrative literature review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 1658-1670. Council for Nursing and Midwifery. (2010, March Saturnday). Pre-registration nursing education in the UK. Retrieved from http://standards.nmc-uk.org/Documents/Pre-registration%20nursing%20education%20in%20UK%20FINAL%2006092010.pdf Foster, A. (2011, August Friday). What to do wit a degree in nursing. The Guardian , p. 12. Medistat Franklin Care Square. (2013, March Saturnday). Nursing is the Strength of the Square. Retrieved from http://www.medstarfranklin.org/body.cfm?id=558057 Read More