“They may not remember your name but they will never forget the way you made them feel” Maya Angelou (USA Today, 2014). This honored poet’s thought provoking phrase is often furnished with an addendum; an ode to nurses by an anonymous author, which states, “As a nurse, we have the opportunity to heal the heart, mind, soul and body of our patients, their families and ourselves”. It is that holistic approach to health and humanity that sets all nurses apart from the bureaucratic practices that often govern physicians. My own experiences as a patient have confirmed that despite the excellence of a physician it was always the nurses that comforted me most.
My own personal and professional goal is to become an advanced practice nurse, specifically
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A call to continue to elevate the roles of nurses in healthcare is a sentiment strongly echoed by the National Institute of Medicine reports "The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health"(National Academies of Science, 2010). This report was also followed up this year stating that ‘the nursing profession is making a wide-reaching impact by providing and affecting quality, patient-centered, accessible, and affordable care.’ (National Academies of Sciences, 2016). One of the pivotal players in this equation is that of the Family Nurse Practitioners whose role according to an accrediting body in "Scope of Practice for Nurse Practitioners" includes diagnosing, assessing, treating, educating, prescribing, conducting exams, as well as interpreting diagnostic tests (AANP, …show more content…
Stemming from the arduous training I received at the Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health as well as my experience on an ICU step-down unit has given me a unique insight into the hard work and love of humanity involved in caring for people with advanced disease processes. In my journey to advancement, I continued my education whilst working full-time and obtained a Magna Cum Laude Bachelors of Science in Nursing. I also enjoy volunteering and contributing to diverse causes such as regular blood donation and registration as a bone marrow donor, working in a soup kitchen, staffing senior center events, working at voting locations and even lending a helping hand to a non-profit feral cat awareness campaign.
Upon completion of the Family Nurse Practitioner program, it is my aspiration to practice in an outpatient primary care setting. Ideally, I would continue my employment with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services in this expanded role. The clinic setting may be within hospital grounds or as a stand-alone structure. Optimally I would like to serve marginalized minority patients who may have suffered disparity in a holistic manner as well as influence health policies to provide the most effective individualized and community care
Often time, nurses has been viewed by patients, their family members and the medical team as basic emotional care givers, pill crushers or cart pullers and not as healthcare professionals who are more interesting in health promotion, disease prevention and better patient outcomes. They also often forget the emotional, physical, mental, and caring part that is involved with the profession. And to make matters worse, nurses are continued to be viewed as a threat by doctors more than ever before especially with the opening of Nurse Practitioners programs.
Although nurses do not wield the power of doctors in hospital settings, they are still able to effectively compensate for a doctor’s deficits in a variety of ways to assure patient recovery. Nurses meet a patient’s physical needs, which assures comfort and dignity Nurses explain and translate unfamiliar procedures and treatments to patients which makes the patient a partner in his own care and aids in patient compliance. Nurses communicate patient symptoms and concerns to physicians so treatment can be altered if necessary and most importantly, nurses provide emotional support to patients in distress.
My research paper is on the healthcare occupation, in particularly,the field of licensed practical nursing, also called licensed vocational nurses. In my paper, I will cover such things as the definition of career choice, certain requirements, the expected job duties and responsibilities, any additional licensure that is required. After discussing these topics, I will then point out the potential of finding a job, the ranges of salary, as well as the environment I would be working in. Finally, I will talk about the potential growth in this field and legal requirements. Now i will start with the definition of my career choice.
Nursing is a knowledge-based profession within the health care sector that focuses on the overall care of individuals. According to The American College of Nurse Practitioners (ACNP), “defines nurse practitioners as registered nursed who have received graduate-leveling nursing education and clinical training, which enables them to provide a wide range of preventative and acute health care services to individuals of all ages. They deliver high-quality, cost effective care, often performing physical examinations, ordering tests, making diagnoses, and prescribing and managing medication and therapies”. Nurse Practitioners are able to specialize in a particular area, such as family and adult practice, pediatrics, and women’s health; and refer patients to other specialist when necessary. Some Nurse practitioners work under the supervision of a physician; while others run their own practices.
It is no secret that the current healthcare reformation is a contentious matter that promises to transform the way Americans view an already complex healthcare system. The newly insured population is expected to increase by an estimated 32 million while facing an expected shortage of up to 44,000 primary care physicians within the next 12 years (Doherty, 2010). Amidst these already overwhelming challenges, healthcare systems are becoming increasingly scrutinized to identify a way to improve cost containment and patient access (Curits & Netten, 2007). “Growing awareness of the importance of health promotion and disease prevention, the increased complexity of community-based care, and the need to use scarce human healthcare resources, especially family physicians, far more efficiently and effectively, have resulted in increased emphasis on primary healthcare renewal…” (Bailey, Jones & Way, 2006, p. 381). The key to a successful healthcare reformation is interdisciplinary collaboration between Family Nurse Practitioners (FNPs) and physicians. The purpose of this paper is to review the established role of the FNP, appreciate the anticipated paradigm shift in healthcare between FNPs and primary care physicians, and recognize the potential associated benefits and complications that may ensue.
The health care system and nursing practices are undergoing rapid changes, which are as well becoming complex. Preparing nurses balance these changes is a significant challenge. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report explored how nursing profession has to change to bring out a more solid health care system. As a result of these changes, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) decided to examine “Future of Nursing, Leading change and Advancing Health” (Creasia & Fribery, 2011). This paper will discuss the impact of the 2010 IOM report on nursing Education, nursing Practice with emphasis on primary care, its effects on present nursing practice, and the nurse’s role as a leader.
“We keep moving forward, opening new things, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths” –Walt Disney (Smith, 2001).
During my career as a registered nurse I have had the privilege of caring for my patients at the bedside and meeting their needs holistically. Additionally, the safety of my patients is one of the most important aspects of my current role. The experience of advocating for my patients during my nursing career has taught me to place my patient’s health and wellbeing first. The second most important aspect of nursing that I have learned during my career is how to meet my patient’s needs as a whole, not just physically but also emotionally and psychologically applying the holistic approach to each patient. I believe that the patient’s needs
Healthcare is viewed in an unrealistic way by most individuals. Many people view a physician as the only means to find a solution to their problem. Nurses are still seen by some as simply “the person who does what the doctor says.” This is frustrating in today’s time when nurses are required to spend years on their education to help care for their patients. In many situations nurses are the only advocate that some patients’ have.
Watching my brother struggle and then being able to overcome these difficulties, as well as seeing other children around him who were not as fortunate, really pushed me, even at a young age, to make a difference. My family, both immediate and extended, were very supportive, and I felt a real positive push towards working hard to achieve that goal of working in health care. In high school, I was fortunate enough to do a cooperative placement at the Peterborough Regional Health Center’s Intensive Care Unit.
“To do what nobody else will do, a way that nobody else can do, in spite of all we go through; is to be a nurse,” said Rawsi Williams, a registered RN. This quote completely captures the duties and responsibilities it takes to be in a healthcare profession. Like many health care occupations, nurse practitioners provide ‘patient-centered, accessible, high-quality health care’ (NP Public Awareness). They learn their roles by practicing in education facilities before heading out to the real world where everything they have learned help to save people’s lives. Now achieving doctorate degrees, nurse practitioners are slowly widening the professional field for nurses everywhere by continuing to maintain contact with
“Nursing encompasses an art, a humanistic orientation, a feeling for the value of the individual, and an intuitive sense of ethics, and of the appropriateness of action taken’, said Myrtle Aydelott (Hammarskjold, 2000). Nurses have our patients trust with their lives every day. These patients have needs that must be understood and met, whether; physical, psychological, or emotional. Nurses must provide nonjudgmental care to those in need, regardless of culture, religion, lifestyle choices, financial status, or hues of the human race. To quote Jean Watson, nursing theorist, “I am here to care for others, regardless of where they came from” (Hammarskjold, 2000). I believe that the nursing profession chose me because I have always had a calling to help those in need. Nursing
Nursing is more than merely a job, an occupation, or a career; it is a vocation, a calling, a frame of mind and heart. As a nurse, one must value the general good of others over his own. He must devote of himself nobly to ensure the well-being of his patient. However, today’s well-recognized nurses are notably different from nurses of the recent past. Service is the core of the nursing profession, and the essential evolution of the vocation reflects the ever-changing needs of the diverse patient population that it serves. As a profession, nursing has evolved progressively, particularly in its modernization throughout the past two centuries with the influence of Florence Nightingale. The field of nursing continues to grow and diversify even today, as nurses receive greater medical credibility and repute, as its minority representations
To briefly summarize, the report identifies nurses as an important factor in enabling access to high quality, affordable health care. This was supported by the development of four fundamental recommendations. The first suggests that nurses be allowed to practice within the scope of their degree. This becomes evident in the differences in state laws that pertain to nurse’s who have acquired advanced degrees, such as the nurse practitioner.... ...
My reasons for selecting a career in nursing stem directly from my desire to help our prospering population and community. This career appeals to me because it embodies what I strive to become, a person of influence, a guide, a respected adult, a mentor, and a person that can be trusted and looked up to with great passion. Another reason for selecting a career in nursing has a lot to do with my current job position at Generations Elder Care. Working with the elderly community at this personal care home has enriched my life in many ways, including one for my passion of learning more about the nursing field. As I shadowed the nurses entering the facility I watched them do their assessments on the residents which has peaked my curiosity. I believe being a nurse presents daily challenges which are unique, interesting, and rewarding and that is another reason why I want to become a nurse. Knowing that I have helped someone in some way possible gives me a feeling of fulfillment and enjoyment that I never understood or had before. And this career offers just that, and that is exactly why I...