The reason why I chose to do nursing is because of my past experiences. These experiences made me cherish the field and its excellence. After losing my parents at a young age, I was raised in a very big family. As the oldest, I was taught responsibility from a very young age. After completing my ordinary level, I noticed that the same skills and actions in my private life would prove me victorious in the nursing field. I not only uphold a nurturing character, but I also have empathy and I am very hardworking. Based on my past, I think I can manage stress in a good way, and I believe the intense and demanding nursing career match my abilities.
As I am about to graduate, I have essential goals that I hope to commit to as long as I am in the nursing field. One of my major goals is to develop the main characteristics that describe a successful nurse. My next goal is to develop and maintain my professional nursing portfolio. My other goal is to commit to lifelong learning, followed by being a competent nurse. Lastly, I would like to provide ongoing community support to those in need of medical assistance, especially in my country.
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To be a good nurse, I have some qualities that need development, and these qualities are very demanding in the nursing field. Nurses are the connection between the patients and the doctors, therefore I found teamwork to be the main characteristic required in the nursing field. Goosen (2015) mentioned that teamwork is highlighted and cherished in nursing. To understand the goals of patient care needs, improved outcomes, and patient safety, Goosen (2015); suggested that nurses should work together. I need to develop the qualities of a good team player; since I know my strength, I am going to use them to my advantage so that I can be a respected member of the team. The research suggested that the job of caring becomes more effective and easier if teamwork is present in the workforce (Goosen, 2015), so that is the reason why I chose this skill.
Another quality that I plan on developing is effective communication. Crawford et al. (2017) described effective communication as essential in developing a rapport with patients including nursing roles such as patient assessment, education, etc. Australia is a multicultural country and according to research there are growing concerns relating to the potential for miscommunication as differences in language and culture can cause misunderstandings which can have serious impacts on health outcomes and patient safety (Crawford et.al, 2017). I will continue keeping my good sense of humor as it can help me to build myself as an effective communicator.
I plan on adopting resilience as a strategy for struggling against challenges related to the nursing profession by maintaining my hopeful outlook while nurturing a positive view of myself. I understand that the problems related to workplace adversity can be negative, stressful, and traumatic and this will result in difficult situations or episodes of hardship for me as a nurse. Despite all these challenges, this strategy allows me to cope with my work environment and as a result, my healthy and stable psychological functioning will be maintained. Yilmaz (2017) defined resilience as the ability to bounce back or cope successfully despite substantial adversity. I chose these strategies because by being a resilient nurse, I will learn to overcome all difficulties. I will develop better coping mechanisms to address stress through exposure to difficult working situations and environments (Yilmaz, 2017). Yilmaz (2017) mentioned resilience as a supportive factor, meaning that this strategy will help me to adapt to my profession’s difficult physical, mental, and emotional nature. These are some of the crucial qualities that I hope to attain as a nurse and are the important goals I need to conform to throughout my years as a registered nurse.
My first goal is to develop and maintain a professional nursing portfolio. According to Davis (2015), developing a professional nursing portfolio is one way to preserve my educational, clinical, and professional accomplishments. This portfolio will also provide my peers, future employers, and my educational faculty with a comprehensive view of the path I have taken to be where I am currently which will be a certified oncology nurse in 5 years (Davis, 2015). To attain my long-term career goals, I am planning to use this professional portfolio to write a list of my professional growth and skill competencies that I plan to complete in the future (Davis, 2015). My tool to showcase all my ongoing education, clinical competence, and my leadership skills will be this professional portfolio.
Maintaining my continuing professional development records will also assist me to ensure that I comply with the governance requirements (Chang and Daly, 2015). According to the Nursing and Midwifery Board (2016), as a registered nurse, I will be required to undertake 20 hours of my Continuing Professional Development per annum. The portfolio will help me track my CPD to ensure that I met the requirements (Chang and Daly, 2015). Ongoing development will enable me as a registered nurse to maintain and improve my knowledge, skills, and competence for contemporary practice Chang and Daly (2015).
Committing myself to lifelong learning is the other goal that I tend to achieve. This is so because I believe that education doesn’t end at graduation. l would like to continue for as long as I am in the nursing profession. Lifelong learning is known as an important component of all professionals (Chang and Daly, 2015). To achieve this goal, I should demonstrate persistence and diligence. Some of the qualities that I must develop include being able to reflect on myself using Gibb’s reflective cycle which is a model that nurses frequently use (Chang and Daly, 2015). Another quality that I should develop is being able to question and enjoy learning by actively seeking learning opportunities throughout my career. Once I am in the workforce, I understand that there will be numerous opportunities for me to engage in lifelong learning and professional development (Chang and Daly, 2015). Other education opportunities I plan to undertake to include formal in-service, attending conferences and seminars as well as undertaking post-registration education such as graduate certificates, and graduate diplomas in oncology nursing as this is where l want to specialize (Chang and Daly, 2015). Some of the strategies that I can use to enhance my lifelong learning include maintaining my Australian College of Nursing membership (Chang and Daly, 2015). I know that these professional organizations will continue supporting me to pursue my lifelong learning. (Chang and Daly, 2015).
According to Galler (2007), continuing education is one of the methods to increase the skills, knowledge, and performance abilities of practitioners. It is necessary because of the unprecedented growth in professional knowledge, rapid changes in the healthcare system, and the consequent changes in nurses' roles (Griscti & Jacono, 2006). To update my clinical skills, nursing theory, research, and local policy and procedures, I will be undertaking in-service and staff development programs. Therefore, I will become more aware of current trends in nurse education and new developments in clinical practice. According to nursing research, continuing education is an essential component of the professionalization of nursing and could be a catalyst for the development of nursing practice (Galler, 2007). Therefore, continuing education will be the driving force that will promote me as a nurse to continue my professional development.
My other goal is to be a competent nurse. I want to have the ability to understand the rationale behind everything I will be undertaking. I would like to avoid doing anything that is outside my scope of practice. I plan on advancing my career and expanding my effectiveness as a successful nurse by completing all my goals. My final goal is to provide ongoing home or community service to those who are less fortunate and requires medical assistance. It has always been a wish for me to go back to my country and give back to my community. Once I have attained enough nursing skills, l plan to register with disaster response organizations as well as it will give me a chance to interact with various people with different cultures and backgrounds. It will be a privilege for me to serve deprived and needy people, especially those suffering from cancer and who don’t have enough income to pay for treatment, I would like to help such people as this is my way to further define my own meaning of being a registered nurse
Conclusion
In conclusion, I chose a nursing career as a result of my past experiences. This allowed me to gain essential qualities of what l believe determines a successful nurse. To remain on this path to success I have established important goals that I attend to achieve in 5 years’ time. This includes attaining the main characteristics that define a successful nurse. My other goal is to develop and maintain my professional nursing portfolio, followed by committing myself to lifelong learning and continuing education in my nursing career. Giving back to my community and providing ongoing medical assistance is the final goal that I would like to achieve.