Developing Professional and Educational Goals
Developing Educational and Professional Goals
I would never have imagined seeing myself entering in the nursing field six years ago. My close family consists of physicians, so many would assume I would follow in their footsteps. My mother is a pediatrician and has been managing her practice for over twenty years. My father was an emergency medicine physician who served as Langley Air Force’s medical director, obtained a master’s in business administration (MBA) and was also a member of the board in making business decisions at Chesapeake Regional Hospital for nearly twenty years; he is happily retired. My brother obtained his medical doctorate (MD) at the University of Virginia and will be going into psychiatry. Medicine was always discussed around the household.
We have discussed how the healthcare model is moving towards a team-based approach and how patients are not spending as much time with their physician due to the fast-paced nature of medicine. Many assumed that I would follow my parent’s footsteps and go into medical school. After losing nearly 100 pounds throughout college, I have always wanted to be a health advocate that helps fight the obesity epidemic afflicting this nation by making a positive difference, one patient at a time. I believe being a nurse would help me achieve that goal because it would give me more time with the patient, obtain personal growth, and serve those who need assistance.
My journey into the nursing profession began back in 2017, but my academic journey in health began in 2010. I was an obese individual who did not have any drive. I wanted to become a park ranger when I started college. However, I began researching the risks of overeating and decided I wanted to lose weight. I did not focus on my studies and began exercising every day along with watching what I was eating. Eventually, I switched majors to Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise (HNFE) and began working as a wellness educator, two weeks after graduation. I taught families and teenagers on how to live a happy and healthy lifestyle for over three years. I have been satisfied with the number of people I have helped.
I became interested in the physician assistant (PA) due to their flexibility and autonomy, so I also became an emergency medical technician (EMT) to acquire additional clinical experience. However, PA school was too expensive, and I had a passion for teaching and spending time with people. I left my EMT position and decided to acquire a master’s in public health (MPH), became a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) to train athletes and novice lifters, and continue educating families. I picked up a couple of other jobs as a certified personal trainer (CPT) and as a wellness coach at the YMCA to work on my engagement with people. The skills I have learned through work and my education were beneficial to my personal development. I have learned how to engage people properly, to be patient with them when teaching, to acknowledge my mistakes when discussing errors, to be cooperative when working with co-workers, and to meet the individual’s needs.
I became interested in the nursing profession when I joined a bariatric conference. There was a nurse who was a CPT through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and assisted the physician with weight loss techniques. I began interviewing nurses from different specialties, asking what they love about the profession. Nurses, despite the long hours, find it rewarding when they make a positive difference, whether it be through a patient or a student. They are essential to the healthcare team because they build rapport with the patient. They spend the most time with the patient, educating them about what he/she needs based on their predicament. I decided to apply to a community college nursing program and to enroll in Old Dominion University’s concurrent Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.
Educational and Professional Goals
Healthcare schools require students to have several goals. For my BSN, I want to improve my ability in finding research articles through various databases. I also want to learn how to manage my academic time because nursing is a different field compared to public health and education. I will finish my nursing program next year, and I will finish up my BSN in the summer of 2020. Professionally, I want to be involved in public or community health and teach patients proactive preventive techniques. I also want to reach out to the underserved populations because there are severe health disparities within those areas. Another professional goal I would like to be involved in is to assist patients in post-operative care after bariatric surgery. I have always found the techniques involving it fascinating. Further down the road in life, I may give a presentation at a conference and combine what I have learned from those fields. My field of interest may change next year after I complete the second year of nursing school.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Everyone has a perk that makes the individual stand out. For example, I am a good listener because I believe that the only way to earn a person’s trust is by spending the time to listen to them. I also double-check with the person requesting an order for a patient because I do not want to make mistakes. I am also able to break down medical jargon into simpler words. I am also able to make my patients feel comfortable. These traits have helped me assure a stronger relationship with individuals. I will use my strengths to build a stronger rapport with the patient and the healthcare team.
However, everyone has a downside. I believe in the saying “we bring about what we think about,” so I do not dwell on negativity. I would also grow impatient because my patients either do not understand the material as quickly as I do, or they are non-compliant. Whenever I get impatient, I always remembered how I use to be like them back when I was obese and that all the patients want one thing: someone that can listen to them. I have also learned that I may take on too many projects, thus adding unnecessary stress. I have created a to-do list on my computer so that I may keep my schedules more organized. I have learned from my weaknesses on how I can improve my character, and I hope that can inspire future nurses to learn from my mistakes.
Conclusion
I come from a family that is involved in medicine, and we believe nurses will be vital in the future of healthcare Due to their skillset. I have been working for the last four years focusing on proactive prevention and want to teach individuals about proactive prevention along with making a positive difference in people’s lives. I want to be a positive inspiration for those who would like to learn more. I will be learning more through not just the BSN program, but through the clinical experiences I will be witnessing. Through this assignment, I understand that learning is a lifelong journey leading to humility and awe. It is not about the number of degrees that hang on your wall; it is about making a difference and doing something more with the acquired knowledge.
One Year Later- A Follow-Up After Starting the BSN Journey
Looking back, it is amazing how much has happened over the last couple of years. There is an intense election, and we are in the middle of a pandemic. Despite all of this, I have accomplished so much within the nursing profession and will be finishing my BSN by the end of this year instead of the summer.
In earlier classes, I have discussed how I wanted to become a nurse practitioner or become involved in bariatric surgery. I have worked on an intermediate care unit (IMCU), a COVID-19 unit, and now work in a rehabilitation facility. While working, I have been taking a couple classes per semester and trying to be more involved with the community. I have developed more patience for my patients, especially for those within the current clinical setting. I have been able to manage my workload better without stressing myself out while creating realistic goals for myself. I did not have much time to teach patients while working on the IMCU, but I have more freedom to explain to patients and their families within the rehabilitation setting about the conditions they currently have. I also feel that the first year working as a nurse is a tremendous, yet difficult, experience many new graduates will struggle with. Despite these experiences, I still have much to learn about the nursing profession.
I have noted how I may change career paths as time moves forward. Presently, I want to pursue a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) to ease new graduates into the nursing profession and to teach community/public health. I have a passion for assisting and guiding those who require assistance. It has been a common recurrence throughout my life that I have been able to explain techniques and certain tasks well. In the future, I may become a traveler and teach at other hospitals that require a guide for new graduates or continue down the path of bariatric medicine. If one inspires another to become more, then they are considered a leader.