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Reflection

I started my nursing journey right after I graduated high school in 2022. I knew I always wanted to be a nurse and planned on applying to Trent University’s Collaborative Program, however I was missing some prerequisites and decided to apply to Fleming College’s Practical Nursing Program instead. At the time I was upset I couldn’t go right to university; however, looking back now, I would not change my nursing journey in any way. College gave me hands on and clinical experience that really helped excel my confidence and development as a nurse. I lived at home and commuted to and from school each day, which worked well for me, as I had my family close by and was familiar with the Peterborough area. After becoming an RPN, I wanted to gain more experience before making the decision to go back to school and thought it would be easier to upgrade my education later in my life. However, I knew I would regret not going back to school sooner, which is why I chose to apply to Trent University’s Compressed Nursing Program right out of college to complete my goal of becoming an RN sooner. I was happy to accept my offer in February 2024 and start the process of obtaining my BScN.

 

The transition process from RPN to RN schooling has been challenging, especially with understanding the diverse set of prior nursing knowledge that varies from student to student (Parzen & Janzen, 2019). As for me, I have only been practicing under my own license for a couple months and feel at a disadvantage compared to a student with multiple years of experience. Although this may look like a setback, I came to realize that everyone’s experience is unique to them and the main goal within this program is to enhance our knowledge, skills and professional judgement in our own nursing practice. Continuing education enhances nurse’s professional development and provides areas for improvement to ensure we can provide the best care possible to our patient’s (Mlambo et al., 2021). I value this outlook, as it encourages me to fully embrace new learning opportunities that will come within the program, which will also facilitate my development from an RPN to an RN.

I have already encountered many transitional challenges within my first semester of the program such as maintaining a healthy balance between school, work, extra circular activities and my social life and also, the increased level of research required for many of my assignments. I am usually a very organized individual; however, this is the busiest schedule that I have had to manage yet. It is reported that first year, full-time students experience greater levels of stress within this new this transitional phase of their lives (Maymon & Hall, 2021). It can be very overwhelming at times, but I have found coping mechanisms to mitigate these stressors such incorporating physical activity, music and planning into my daily routine. I have noticed an increase in my mental health and productivity throughout the day as well. Furthermore, I find it difficult to sometimes find relevant scholarly articles for my assignments. As empathized within this class, research is critical within the development of the nursing profession (Chen et al., 2019). Interventions, treatments and practices are founded on evidence-based practice, which is why it’s important to have up to date research to ensure patients are receiving the best possible care. This class has reveled the importance of ensuring I am reviewing up to date research articles and has provided techniques on effective researching.

 

Since the beginning of the course, I have been able to take away lot of information that I don’t always see within my practice, such as encountering cultural diversity within the healthcare setting. I work in a very small hospital that experiences very limited race, gender and cultural diversity. It was important to review the racism and discrimination that remains present within out healthcare system and the need for incorporating cultural safe care for patients. I have been reminded from this course that it has a direct effect on the quality of care that is provided, and nurses must uphold this standard to ensure patient’s and family member’s safety (Galea, 2024). I am proud of myself for persevering through this program thus far and almost making it through the first semester. I am excited for what this program has to offer and how it will help reshape my current nursing practice to fit within the scope of a Registered Nurse.

 

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