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a nurses personal experience as a charge nurse
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Mrs. Denise Callaway (RN, BSN) is my charge nurse at the hospital in rural Georgia. She is a patient advocate. In her interview, she stated that she is a patient advocate first and foremost. She believes that all nurses, RN?s and LPN?s, have a responsibility to advocate for their patients. She admits that she try to put herself in the patient?s and/or family?s place. She was taught to? do unto others? and she has followed that philosophy throughout her nursing practice. Mrs. Callaway always encourages her staff to see the best in the patients. She never sets in an office. She is always out on the unit helping staff, it does not matter if it is housekeeping, and she is always there to lend a hand when needed. She always includes her patients …show more content…
I would in the future love to be the charge nurse, walking in her shoes. She has mentored me as I have gotten stronger in this field. I love being an advocate for my patients as well. Mrs. Callaway is what every nurse should strive to become. I want to follow in her footsteps. She never complains about anything, she just steps up and does what needs to be done. I strive for this every day. I do not want to be the nurse that is stuck in an office but I want to be that nurse that all my patients and co-workers can count on to do the right thing and to make the right decisions. I understand that every day is not going to be great days, but if I put my best foot forward everything else will follow. Mrs. Callaway has been my advocate for returning to school also. She sees in me what I do not see in myself at times. This is what I strive to be, I want to be that nurse that can help others return to school to pursue their dreams and goals. To walk in the steps of this amazing lady, would be a wonderful dream come true. To have the patience and dedication that she posses would be spectacular. I would love to run the unit as she does, without many nurse turn-overs. I would also like to run a unit where patients and families return to the unit just to say? thank-you?. I want to be able to perform small task, such as helping my co-workers with an I.V. or a large task, such as admitting patients for another nurse. I want to be accountable and
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.
- Nurse should place the patients well being above their personal beliefs and values. They should focus on treating the patient and making sure the patient’s needs are being met. This also means that tough decisions have to be made in the process whether it goes against what the health care team wants or it goes against what Mrs. Dawson wants.
The charge nurse Michelle N., at San Gabriel Valley Medical Center has been working there for approximately seven years. She graduated from Cal State Los Angeles with a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing back in 1994. From there, she started working at a small clinic specializing in cardiac. She said that working in a small clinic, she had to handle a lot of patient care and administrative work. It was very unorganized, but it allowed her to build her leadership skills. She realized that she wanted to get her masters degree and started looking into master programs shortly after. She always knew that she wanted to work towards the management side of nursing. After getting her masters of Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, CA, she landed a job at San Gabriel Valley Medical Center. She specializes in the ICU unit and has been working there for several years before working her way up to be a charge nurse.
Like holistic health, I identified this as an important concept to nursing practice early in my career. Nursing literature defines an advocate as someone who defends the patient against infringements of his or her rights. The primary obligation of the nurse is to the patient rather than the physician or hospital hierarchies (Mahlin, 2010). A failing on my part early in my nursing career guided the inclusion of this concept into my personal philosophy of
Ever since I was in middle school I dreamed of working in the medical field. I realized nursing was the profession for me when my grandfather became terribly sick with lung cancer during my freshman year of high school. It puzzled me that one of the healthiest and most physically active people I knew could be afflicted by such a damaging disease. After watching my grandfather’s suffering and the pain my entire family felt from his death, I knew I wanted to go into a field to help others that are facing the same challenges. This is when I discovered all of the opportunities that a career in nursing could offer me.
In addition to collaboration with other faculty members of the health department and the community, the nurse also has to be able to handle diverse populations with a wide variety of health concerns. Patients come into the health department for numerous reasons including, immunizations, birth control, annual physicals, STD testing, prenatal case management and vision hearing and dental screenings. She would start by taking the patients’ weight and blood pressure, while asking the patient focused assessment questions. The assessment questions would focus on why the patient came into the facility and in some cases, she would even talk to the patient on a more personal level. No matter what the problem may have been, my preceptor always had the ability to make the patient comfortable. Most patients have been coming to this health department for years now, so they really respect and trust the nurses working here. The nurse presented as the health educator and patient advocate, while promoting holistic health services. No matter what services the patients’ were in need of, education was always part of the process. In many ways the nurse was doing the job of a nurse practitioner, by prescribing birth control, performing Papanicolaou (pap) smears, and ordering diagnostic tests including STD testing. The nurse also performed duties in her management position, including, ordering supplies for the facility, balancing her budget for purchases, and hiring a new part time nurse. My preceptor, Jeannie, has taught me so many different things that I will take from this experience and apply to my own future nursing
Frequently, nurses are confronted with the task of finding the balance between advocating for the patient, and remaining loyal to their hospital or institution (Hanks, 2007). Risks that are associated with patient advocacy are more on the institutional level (Bu & Jezewski, 2007). Risks such as accusations of insubordination, reputation slander, hostile work environment, and loss of job security are among some of the top reasons nurses tend to shy away for patient advocacy (Bu & Jezewski, 2007). Another problem with advocacy is that there isn’t a universal definition as to what being an advocate means, along with inconsistency of interpretations (Bu & Jezewski,
...my best self, both in and out of the classroom. Equipped with Bachelor of Science in Nursing from LSUHSC, I will dedicate my life and career to fulfilling my role as a leader in health care delivery and strive to continually learn and grow in the field of nursing. I will use my core professional values to represent compassion, respect, integrity and excellence at all times because I understand that a holistic treatment is imperative in effectively healing all individuals. I will take the knowledge I gain at LSUHSC School of Nursing, as well as my own personal experiences, and apply it each and every day to all patients in my care. The field of nursing is my calling and as both a student and graduate of LSUHSC School of Nursing, I will give myself wholeheartedly to the study and practice of nursing while embodying the mission and vision of LSUHSC School of Nursing.
...rses work in an environment is forever changing. The one thing that I will not change is my dedication to excellence through ethics, standards, and best practices. My commitment to the health care profession is to provide excellent care for my patients. I will work to help manage patients with their illnesses, prevent disease, and promote a health lifestyle. We are health care educators and advocates for patients, families and communities. There is a mix of flexibility, opportunity and job security offered by nursing not currently found in any other profession, which allows me to rotate among different employment settings. I choose this profession to help the ones in need and improve the quality of life for others. There are so many areas of nursing out there, but all these areas overlap and the more I learn and absorb, the better nurse leader I will become.
As caring nurses quality time is spent assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating interventions to give patient’s the most functionality to their life. A nurse may not be able to intervene and give full range of motion in a patient’s broken leg, but that nurse can teach the patient how to use crutches to properly get to school. Listening to patients is the fundamental caring action that allows nurses to take their care a step further into advocacy. Creating a trusting relationship allows for deep understanding of how the patient wants to be cared for. The National Patient Safety Foundations defines a quality patient advocate to be “…someone you trust who is willing to act on your behalf…who can work well with other members of your health care team.” (NPSF) As a patient advocate there will be an intervention that the patient wants to better their life, whether that is starting treatment, modifying interventions, or ending treatment. A nurse’s job is to supply knowledge about patient’s individual case in order for them to make an educated choice. A caring nurse will give their patient’s all the information including any and all approaches to circumstances. If a topic is beyond the scope of nursing practice it is up to the nurse to find someone who can give their patient’s correct information and ensure that all questions were answered. A
My manager shift was spent observing Kaley McClure, the charge nurse on MICU at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Hospital. I observed her leadership style and how she handled the tasks of a charge nurse, helping the nurses on the unit, and making it a team effort. I observed how she communicated with the staff on the unit, doctors, and family members visiting their family members. Kaley implemented the core functions of management while leading the unit which are planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling.
In Nursing, there will always be instances where the patient's nurse needs to advocate for their patient. There are numerous reasons why a nurse would advocate for their patient ranging from getting the doctor to change the patient’s orders, helping the patient’s treatment team understand what it is the patient is requiring for the day, to expressing the patient’s last wishes before death. In every situation, the nurse should do what is in the patient’s best interest. Tomajan (2012), “Advocacy skills are the ability to successfully support a cause or interest on one’s own behalf or that of another. Advocacy requires a set of skills that include problem solving, communication, influence, and collaboration”(p. 2). With those skills, the nursing staff will be able to work together to advocate for their patients. Along with those skills, nurses need to keep in mind the three core attributes that are: safeguarding patients’ autonomy; acting on behalf of patients; and championing social justice in the provision of health care. (Bu & Jezewski, 2006)
Patient advocacy involves acting on behalf of patients who are unable to represent themselves, or those who do not wish to represent themselves (Kimble, 2012). When a nurse acts as an advocate for their patients they are able to empower the weak and vulnerable, releasing them from their discomfort and from unnecessary treatments (Kimble, 2012). During my clinical, there was one patient in particular who needed a patient advocate more than ever. The patient G. R., was quite ill at the time, he had no supports, no family or visitors, and was non-verbal. This patient required the judgment of the nurses in his care, as he had no one to speak for him and could literally not speak for himself. Eventually his care became too complex, and he needed to be sent to the Royal University Hospital (RUH), this was quite concerning to the Rosthern staff, as who would be there to care for him, and stand on his behalf. Using Carper’s (1978) “Five Ways of Knowing” I will examine G.
1.The characteristics that intrigued me of the nursing practice was as a patient at the Danbury Medical Center. As a patient, the nurses gave me the most delightful patient care ever received. They took their time to make sure my care was an urgency. When my pain had increased the nurses were there by my side. They had taken the time to make sure the proper dose of medicine was given to me at the correct time. Even though my current status was lying in bed with a fractured femur. They took the time to make sure my needs were met. I had never expected that going to the hospital from flying off a cliff on my skateboard would direct me in my future dream job. The nurses showed me what patient care really and truly was. Patient care is putting others in front of your own needs. Being a great nurse is showing your patient that there is hope. Patient care is not only making sure your patient is satisfied but making sure their family and loved ones are cared for as well.
Nursing, for me, is more than a profession, it is a journey where I learn continuously about life changing events and miracles. Touching the lives of others or being touched by other’s story is an experience one can’t describe, only endure. Nursing is a profession of integrity and compassion, and it is the most trusted professions due to our commitment towards our patient. The quality of a good nurse is they should be caring, sensitive, kind and respectful towards their patient, and I believe I possess all these qualities that have contributed to me in my successful career of nursing. Working at Cleveland Clinic, I got a great opportunity to work with a group of doctors and coworkers who have the same mission in life and job as mine; “Put the patient first”. Making a positive impact on patient’s life, big or small, noticed or unnoticed, gives me a great sense of accomplishment and makes me proud to be a nurse.