Journal Week 1 in Nursing, Essay Example

Week 1: Think about when you completed your ADN. How did you view the role of nursing? What was your self-image at that time? What were your professional goals at that time?

At age 22 years, naive and young, I managed to complete my ADN despite the numerous challenges and pitfalls in the new world of nursing. Many things have changed like a diversified workforce that work together as a team in meeting patients end goals and objectives. In nursing school, many things were not taught in the classroom, but in the field, an individual learns many things by working with the hands. My journey was made easier by the presence of my two preceptors in the clinical field. They enabled me visualize things in a different view, which included prioritizing my duties. Additionally, I learned how to handle assorted skills in the clinical field. After six months, the manager gave me the opportunity and role of becoming a charge nurse. This made me expand my familiarity in managerial positions and enabled me conceptualize on different ways and methods of working as a team. This responsibility was overwhelming at first, but with time, I got the grasp of it all and understood how to handle the older nurses issues and problems. From their point of view, it was understandable, but I implemented on new ways and methods of handling their patients to avoid the problems arising.

Week 2: Describe your present self-image. How has it changed? What are your professional goals for the next two years? (Be sure they are S.M.A.R.T. goals: http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/smart-goals.html ) What actions will you take to accomplish those goals?

Nursing for 17 years has given me the confidence to say that my self-image is different today. In the diverse new nursing world, I managed to learn many things that built my level of confidence in my skills of clinical nursing and a way of making decisions in the workplace. As a leader, I have managed to change several perspectives with regard to roles ascribed to leaders. Over the next two years, my ambition is first completing my BS then the following year I enroll in the program of becoming a professional practitioner as a family nurse. These goals are attainable if only I have discipline and balance on work and schoolwork. This will ensure that I will not let any one of them suffer and practice all I learn to develop more skills.