Essay on Freedom Vs Control in Nursing

The aim of this essay is to talk about my transition from student nurse to staff nurse, as well as how certain factors can affect my practice. I will look at the change from student nurse to staff nurse critically. I will think about how my interests will change, what I will be able to do as a registered nurse that I was not allowed to or could not do as a student nurse, and what positions and responsibilities will change. I will use material from The Open University as well as material from a larger reading list to help my findings. I will focus on Begley's key attributes for successful nurses: autonomy, assertiveness, advocacy, and transparency, and discuss two aspects to provide a clearer picture (Begley, A. 2010).

Transitioning from a student to a registered nurse may leave registrants feeling unprepared for the job and can be daunting at times, but it can also be a rewarding experience that helps the nurse become a safer practitioner. My personal emotions include curiosity, feelings of responsibility, and a lack of faith in my clinical abilities as a registered nurse, as well as apprehension, anxiety, and self-doubt (Messenger et al., 2021h). My transformation from student to registered nurse is aided by an emphasis on personal and professional values, as well as an understanding of the importance of lifelong learning in maintaining my professional identity (Messenger et al., 2021h). The Department of Nursing offered insight into how professionals trained by the OU's Pre-registration Nursing Program supported their transition to registered practice as part of an OU study called Crossing the Threshold (Draper et al., 2010). The evidence indicated that there were role misunderstandings and that this was compounded by the fact that students are often treated as staff rather than students. As a result, it is up to me to balance my dual roles to facilitate my transition from student to registered nurse (Messenger et al., 2021i). As a registered nurse, I will use skills I learned as a student nurse, such as self-control, motivation, and time management, as well as the guidance of my peers, to help me adapt.

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Nursing practice has become more professionalized and specialized, and nursing accountability has shifted from a previous emphasis on following instructions to a new emphasis on nurses' own responsibilities for their behavior and outcomes (Begley, 2010). As a nurse, I will be responsible for delegating tasks to others, and I must be certain that the individual has the expertise and competency to complete the task. As a result, I must follow best practices (NMC, 2021), have faith in their competence, and ensure that my decisions and actions are justified and supported. Previous research indicates that new nurses lack the desire to demonstrate responsibility, even though we have been taught that it is an essential aspect of nursing (Krautscheid, L.C. 2014). The 'Preceptorship Frameworks' implementation mentoring program aids new nurses in adjusting to their new position, and the system has made suggestions for nursing education and professional development improvements (Department of Health, 2010). Mentoring students by registered nurses would also ensure that nursing staff maintains their competency in the field, and this will be a role for me as a registered nurse in the future (Jones, 2021g). I am hopeful that the preceptorship program will allow me to enhance my skills by allowing me to use the skills I have already acquired to aid transition. I need to have a strategy in place for any problems that arise during my preceptorship to improve my learning. By keeping my portfolio up to date and monitoring all competencies gained as a student nurse, I will be able to plan for my future career goals. As a newly qualified nurse, positive professional social contact is important in defining my professional identity and educating me on the nursing profession's ethical values while promoting cooperation with other professionals to plan structured care delivery (Jones, 2021g). My student mentor and preceptor as a registered nurse will serve as a positive role model, allowing me to understand the professional dedication required by both roles (Jones, 2021g). As a registered nurse, I will have access to a range of resources to help me gain specialist awareness, experience, skills, and behaviors (Jones, 2021g).

The Nursing and Midwifery Council Code (NMC, 2015) establishes guidelines and effectively acts as an 'external control' to ensure that nurses, both student and registered, operate within the Code's parameters, while 'autonomous' refers to the ability to make decisions without being affected by others, implying freedom as well as a willingness to take responsibility as a registered nurse (Jones, 2021a). I consider autonomy to be important to nursing and from my studies, it is a critical component of current nursing practice because we protect the autonomy and personal preference of service users, however, it can restrict your ability to act (Jones, 2021a). As a newly registered nurse, I need to feel comfortable expressing my thoughts and communicating my concerns to other members of the healthcare team without feeling incompetent. As a professional or student, you have a duty to refute negative behavior, but as a student, you tend to keep silent and do as you are told, so making your voice heard can be difficult, I will need to find ways to resolve this through encouragement from colleagues and mentors, team meetings, or conversations with my preceptor (Jones, 2021d).

As a result, as a student, I can act as a patient's 'voice' by helping my mentor interact on their behalf but as a registered nurse, however, it will be my duty to examine each case constructively, establishing caring and therapeutic relationships, listening to their concerns, and assisting them in making informed decisions by providing them with the information they need (Jones, 2021c). Nursing autonomy, according to Skar (2010), is dependent on being 'knowledgeable' and 'confident' and nurses are said to have some autonomy in areas like management, decision-making, and performing tasks (Jones, 2021j). I am responsible for my actions as a student nurse; however, they are supervised, as a registered nurse, I will be responsible for my own actions, maintaining educated, professional, and confident decision-making by focusing on values gained through my studies such as moral courage, assertiveness, critical thinking, and evidence-based decision-making (Jones, 2021f).

In conclusion, the transformation from student to nurse has been critically examined in this essay. I have spoken about the consequences of my practice and the changes that will occur in my career. I have concentrated on two areas: autonomy and responsibility and explored the essence of nursing autonomy by examining qualities such as mental independence and ability. I have demonstrated my understanding of the difference between a student and a registered nurse, as well as how I will adapt to my professional position. I have spoken about the preceptorship program and how I think it will help me transition. All in all, I have considered both the positive and negative aspects of the student-to-nurse transition with the patient at the center of care and safety. I discussed nursing autonomy and the existence of professional regulation and its role in influencing nursing accountability which has moved from a previous focus on following orders to a current focus on nurses' own accountability for their actions and outcomes (Begley, 2010).