At some point in life, each one of us has tried to nurse a living object be it a plant or an animal back to life. At times we succeed. Other times we don’t and have to watch as life slips from it despite our tireless efforts to sustain it. This is the everyday life in nursing. Some patients make a full recovery, others make a partial one. Then, of course, there are those who die.
As a young girl of around seven years, I remember slicing up my doll’s thighs and hands then tying them in bandages after washing the ‘wounds’ in antiseptic. I decided to spice up my play by pouring some tomato source on the bandages to make it look like my ‘patient’ was hemorrhaging. I then whisked the ‘patient’ to ‘surgery’ where I managed to stop the bleeding by amputating the bleeding limbs!
There is also this time in my childhood when my elder sister and brother caught a frog and sliced its belly because they wanted to see what the inside of a frog looks like. I couldn’t help but sympathize with the poor frog which had to undergo surgery under no anesthesia. I was very saddened by the thought of the extent of pain the unlucky frog underwent. Then when they were through with it they just left it there to die a slow painful death. Somehow I felt that I could not let this happen. So I picked it up and placed it on a make-shift bed and even covered I with a blanket of leaves. The frog died shortly after.
This was when my interest in nursing began. It became my childhood dream and it continued to be my number one aspiration even when I completed my O-level education. I then decided to pursue an undergraduate degree program soon after. As a student nurse, I was broken by the number of suffering illnesses bring to people. So I decided to embrace my own philosophy that would help me to be a better nurse.
I decided to choose a personal philosophy that is in accordance with the model by Chinn and Kramer(1999) which depicts nursing as both a science and an art (Gaydes 152). Nursing is an art that involves the sensitive integration of the relevant theory learned with technical skills. It’s also science as it involves the application of theoretical knowledge as well as natural and behavioral science in a loving and respectful manner. The philosophy embraces two major elements that are wellness and collaboration.
Wellness should be not only of the body and mind but of the spirit too. Proper health of the spirit is very important as a sick spirit leads to a sick mind and consequently a sick body. Therefore a nurse should also make it her responsibility to look after the spirit too and ensure its constant nourishment while the patient is under her care.
The nurse should also collaborate with others to ensure the proper delivery of her services. This collaboration could be either between her and other nurses for a better review of the patient. It could also be between her and the patient. collaboration between the nurse and the patient is crucial in the delivery of quality care to the patient. The nurse should be able to tell the patient to assist her in tasks that require the patient to be calm for example the patient lying in the appropriate position for an examination or procedure. She should also know how to coax difficult patients into collaborating with her.
Nursing has its highs and lows. The highs are when you care for a patient until they are recovered. Nothing beats the feeling you get when you see a client who was placed into your hands in very poor shape slowly but surely recover his/her strength and high spirits back. It also raises your self-esteem when you know that God has granted you the knowledge necessary for the healing of a sick person.
However, nothing had prepared me for the lows that came with this profession. The major one is death. It’s not always that the client you are caring for will pull through. At times it was hurting when you did all you could for the client but they still died. During such times I would wonder if there was something that I should have done but didn’t do. But a senior nurse who had been watching me for some time told me that death is also part of my career. Some patients live some die. We don’t have the power to change the course of nature and therefore we must do our best and leave the rest to destiny.
Another low is when the client or his family blames you when something goes wrong even if it wasn’t your fault. There are times when a client doesn’t tell you that he/she has an allergy to a particular drug and then he/she blames you when an allergic reaction occurs. Sometimes when things go wrong are looking for someone to blame. I came to understand that this also applies to clients and their family and that is why when things take a sudden unexpected turn as they sometimes do in clinical cases, they look for someone to blame – that is you.
As a student, I recall having to make numerous sacrifices including sacrificing my own comfort. Many times I had to do without sleep or even meals due to lack of time. I was humbled by how patients who had never seen us before opened up to us and shared with us their deepest fears as we cared for them or their loved ones. We, nurses, get to see them looking at their worst and help them get through that dark part of their lives. It is marveling how they in their trust on us to care for them skillfully and also to be confidential. It is amazing the many lives we touch throughout our careers.
The reason I chose to study a Doctor of the nursing degree program is so as to gain more knowledge on the various departments of nursing so as to help in the general improvement of the nursing care patients receive. This in-depth knowledge would also help me in understanding more broadly the patient’s illness hence guaranteeing an overall improvement in the care a client receives. The second reason is so that I can achieve my goal in life. I have always wanted to gain extensive knowledge of the nursing practice. The doctor of nursing program provides comprehensive in-depth information about it.
I expect that this program will provide me with the relevant information so as to enable me to achieve my goal of being able to gain comprehensive in-depth knowledge of the nursing practices. I also expect that the program will allow me active involvement in the nursing laboratory, seminars, and also in clinical settings as the practical part of the learning is just as important as the theoretical part of it.
It’s my expectation too that during class the educator will offer relevant case studies for better comprehension of the subjects. The educator should also accompany his lessons with appropriate pictorials where necessary so as to help us visualize the subject in our minds for better understanding. I also hope that my tutor will be easily available when I need them.
The program should also help in my personal growth as this is an essential tool in my professional growth. It should incorporate a variety of methodologies for teaching to and in (such) understanding.
At the end of this program, I believe I shall be able to think ethically and critically as well as be able to approach clients with a partnering framework whereby we both work together. The program should also be able to help me understand people’s needs with regard to their developmental stage and cultural background. Above all, I should have developed both intellectually and in terms of effectiveness.
It is my hope that the institution will also provide us with the relevant books of study required for this program. It would be very discouraging if a tutor gave us an assignment for which we cannot find any material to refer to in the library. The institution should also provide recently edited books that contain updated information on the current breakthroughs in research and also new advanced technology in nursing.
I on the other hand will strive to be a good student and embrace the qualities that lead to success in my education. I will engage in broad studying of relevant studying to help me better understand the subject.
My future goal is to be the Chief Nurse in our nation. This will give me a lot of experience hence improves the quality of services I offer to clients.
A public health nursing course is of much relevance to this program as it aids in the development of a healthy community. A psychology course is also important as it helps to settle understanding of the patient hence leads to better care and less conflict between the nurse and the patient. It teaches you how to deal with the mental illnesses that can accompany illnesses such as depression.
It is my utmost prayer that I shall be able to fulfill my goal.
Works Cited
Gaydes B. H.” Making Special”: A framework for understanding the art of Holistic nursing. Journal of Holistic Nursing(2004); Vol. 22:pp. 152-163.