Personal Narrative: My Nursing School Journey

New Beginnings Like so many before me, my nursing school journey has been filled with amazing experiences, but also many challenges. Each part of my education whether good or bad has shaped the nurse I’ am today and I’m proud of how far I’ve come.
My Nursing School Journey I began my education in August of 2016 at Okanagan College in Vernon, BC. I remember on the first day of class sitting down and noticing how quiet the room was. Right from day one, the workload was like nothing I’d experienced before. When the teachers say you’ll need to spend a minimum of three hours each day after class studying, they aren’t kidding. I usually spent longer than that each night and basically all of Sunday. I lived, breathed and slept homework. However, despite my efforts, near the end

Listening for me comes naturally, but it’s both a positive and negative attribute. Most people think I have nothing to say, because I’ am so quiet and this also comes off as me being non-assertive and lacking in confidence. While “even silence is a form of non-verbal communication,” I still have a voice to be heard (Belcher, 2014, p. 63). I have no trouble advocating for patients and you can be sure that whatever I have to say has been well thought out beforehand. I have never thought of myself as a leader, however when the need arises I have no trouble stepping in to get the job done. During this last clinical, I have enjoyed being given the freedom and trust to take charge of a Kardex and organize my own plans of care. I found the medical floor of the hospital a more “comfortable” place to be. But on the surgical floor, most of my nursing skills could be utilized and with the higher acuity of patients came a higher level of care. I’ve discovered I enjoy the busyness and challenges of these higher acuity settings with their constant changes.
Areas I Need to Improve