16/11/2024
Reflection
Growing up I had a lot of visits to the Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. Never did it get easier because I had always been frightened of getting blood drawn. Fortunately, I had a wonderful team in the Phenylketonuria department that had always done their absolute best to support my family and I. I am very grateful for all that they do and for being the main reason I had decided I want to pursue a career in nursing. There are many reasons I decided to pursue nursing but out of them all, the nurses at Sick Kids have given me the most inspiration.
My dream is to become a Pediatric Intensive Care unit nurse after I graduate. I want to be able to give hope to tiny humans as well as being an advocate for their health. When I was young, being hospitalized scared both me and my parents which is why my goal is to support kiddos and their guardians in these tough times. Patient care is the top priority but communicating with the family and the loved ones of the patient is a huge part of a PICU nurse’s role (Host Healthcare, 2021). To me, support isn’t solely to perform the tasks my job entails but it is to hold the hand of a child when they are frightened, comfort parents when their grieving, listen to both patient and parent concerns and do my best to adjust treatment to meet their standards, and to whole-heartedly care for each patient with everything I have. My nurse at Sick Kids held my hand when I was frightened and I will never forget the level of comfort it brought me.
I strongly believe my nursing philosophy revolves around a holistic approach of patient-centred care. I will implement this care into nursing practice which includes my clinical placements throughout my nursing program at Trent as well as in future careers. My values influence how I provide care to patients which is why my values reflect optimal patient care. Personal values are a set of guiding principles and beliefs that influence behaviour, relationships, and everyday life (Perry, 2023). My values include honesty, respect, courage, and altruism. As a nurse, it is important to provide co-workers and patients with credible information otherwise the failure to provide accurate information may lead to negative outcomes. Respect is crucial in nursing practice because I believe you have to give respect to get respect and in a hospital, teamwork and collaboration is of vital importance. Courage is important as a nurse because you will have to put yourself in uncomfortable situations to become comfortable in that situation. Nurses also need to be able to act in a selfless manner when caring for patients because putting patients above one’s own needs is another important aspect of nursing. These four values I have for myself will guide the way I provide a holistic approach to patient-centred care.
The SMART goals I created are intended to help me reach my highest potential as a nursing student. SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely (CFI Team, n.d.). My two goals are to become a better public speaker and to go over lecture content before class. Developing smart goals is an effective way to focus on desired outcomes and reevaluate in necessary circumstances (Leonard, 2024). Becoming a better public speaker will help me develop leadership skills which are highly recommended to have or to gain as a nurse. Leadership skills are necessary because it is important to act fast in serious and life threatening situations. Going over lecture content before class is also beneficial because it can help me develop a better understanding of the content during class. These goals will positively impact my future in nursing practice because both goals grow my knowledge and mindset in helpful ways in which I can use to promote patient health.
To conclude, I have learned a lot from new experiences in the past few months of school about the different aspects of nursing. These experiences include my labs, seminars, lectures, projects (e.g., Scholarly paper), which have all added to my knowledge of nursing as a profession. I will continue to learn all throughout school and throughout a professional career about the importance of nurses, the nurses role, and how I can advocate for the rights of nurses and patients. There is a whole lot more to learn about nursing and about myself in order to eventually work as an official registered nurse. I can say confidently that I have made the right decision when I joined this program and I am beyond excited to embark on the rest of the journey with my classmates!