Artefacts

My first artifact is my diploma from Durham College from when I graduated from the RPN program. This diploma symbolizes the beginning of my professional career. It also represents my professional development as I decided to continue my education and am now working on receiving my BScN degree. This diploma is a reminder of what I can accomplish when I am passionate about something. My goal is to become the best nurse I can be, and this all started with a strong education.

My second artifact is the surgical symposium. This is an annual workshop that I attend to learn the latest surgical skills. I started attending this workshop because I did not feel confident in my surgical nursing skills after switching from a medicine unit.  This workshop is a representation of my commitment to professional growth and development. It is also proof of my determination to become the best nurse I can be. I plan to always attend workshops and seminars throughout my career so that I can stay up to date on the best practice guidelines and expand my knowledge and skills.

This artifact is my acceptance letter into the Trent Nursing program. To get into this program, I needed to take one year of Honor Science so that I could upgrade my GPA. This acceptance letter represents my tenacity when working towards my goals. In Honor Science, I had to work hard to get good grades as I was competing with other students for a spot in the nursing program.  In RPN school, I struggled to achieve a high GPA so this acceptance letter also represents my humility in knowing that I needed to better myself to earn a spot.  I believe this translates into my practice because humility is an important trait for nurses to have. Overconfidence leads to mistakes and the development of an ego, so I believe finding a balance between confidence and humility is important to finding success in this field.

This artifact is my CPR certificate, which I received through heart and stroke a few months ago. This photo represents my commitment to patient safety and my ongoing dedication to improving my skills as a nurse. Achieving my CPR certificate not only enhances my confidence in emergencies but reinforces my responsibility to provide the highest standards of care. This certificate further reflects my readiness to continue to expand my knowledge by updating essential skills that directly impact patient care.

My last artifact is the ICU. The ICU is where I would like to work after obtaining my RN license.  This artifact represents my future goals and my motivation to succeed. To be an ICU nurse, you have to be confident, competent, and resourceful. I consider ICU nurses to be the best of the best in the nursing field. I aspire to reach that level in my career and I will work hard to get there. ICU nurses are constantly saving lives and I believe there is nothing more dignified than saving a life. I joined this profession to make a difference in people’s lives and I believe being an ICU nurse is the best way I can do that.