NURS 8600 – DNP Field Experience Essay
NURS 8600 – DNP Field Experience Essay
between the patient and nursing personal is decreasing. Most of the developmentally disabled
population that resides at the group homes are aging and need more skilled nursing care. The
lacking need for human interactions and love to help those in need increased my interest to
continuing my nursing education. For the past two years, I was working with developmentally
disabled and substance abuse population. Most of the time, I was delivering direct patient’s care
and had limited time to review policies and procedures of the organization. NURS 8600 – DNP Field Experience Essay Paper
I identified a few policies with which I did not agree. At that moment of reviewing
those regulations I knew that a change must be made, however I was also aware that with my
title there wasn’t much I could have done. The feeling of being unable to make a difference in
people’s life encouraged me to continue my nursing education in order to influence life those in need.
I decided to continue my nursing education to gain the skills and
knowledge to provide the best care to my patients. I believe that all patients should be treated
the same way. The care should not be dependent on the insurance that someone is carrying or
ability to interact in a acceptable way. Most of my patients are developmentally disabled and
require lots of patience and understanding. A year ago, there was an incident that really touched
and inspired me. One morning, my job was to take one of my clients to the Beauty Salon and
assure safety in the community. Once we arrived to the place, my client quickly choose the hair
cut she likes and went to the counter to have her hair washed. While she was getting her hair
done I overheard the customers asking my client if she was getting a rainbow on her head. My
client was highly functioning and felt offended by the commend made by the customer. That’s when I approached the customer and…NURS 8600 – DNP Field Experience Essay Paper
Cassidy Howell Mrs. Savage Medical Anatomy 3 10 April 2013 Labor and Delivery Nurse It was said best by an unknown author, “If love can’t cure it, nurses can. ” Nursing is a broad and dependable career option.
There are many different fields of nursing; particularly there is “Labor and Delivery. ” The duties of a labor and delivery nurses consist of assisting women during their pregnancy, labor, and post-birth. Labor and delivery nurses must contain qualities of professionalism, good analytical skills, and the ability to make quick decisions.
Not only do these nurses assist patients, they also counsel families and collaborate with doctors (Labor and Delivery Nurse). All fields of nursing have a few things in common, one of them being the required training. The first step to becoming a labor and delivery nurse is to be accepted into a college institution where you can major in nursing. While attending a such college, a labor and delivery nurse must earn her Registered Nurse degree, these degrees can be obtained in two or four years.NURS 8600 – DNP Field Experience Essay Paper
The only way to obtain a degree is to first get accepted into nursing school, and complete all undergraduate requirements. During nursing school students take classes in the liberal arts, hard sciences, microbiology, organic chemistry, pathophysiology, psychology, and a semester of clinical education. In these classes nurse receives hands-on training at a hospital ( Herlihy, S. ). There are many available colleges that offer a nursing degree. In the state of Alabama, there are 41 colleges alone that offer an education in nursing.
Both the infamous rival schools, Auburn University and University of Alabama, offer a major in nursing, so do their sub schools, Auburn University at Montgomery and University of Alabama in Huntsville. Not only do the National Champions offer nursing degrees, but many other colleges across the state including but not limited to Troy University, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of South Alabama, Jacksonville State University, and Jefferson State Community College (Hack College).
Getting a degree alone is not enough; a license is required to become an official nurse. The state of Alabama requires all future nurses to take an exam called the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) that certifies them to be licensed to practice nursing in Alabama. After taking the exam, to become completely board certified in the specific field of labor and delivery nursing, experience as a staff nurse and clinical experience in labor and delivery is needed (Nursing Schools).
After successfully getting a degree in nursing, licensed, and found a job, an income ranging between $45,000-$95,000 is to be expected. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for a registered nurse is approximately $65,000. It’s to be expected to start lower, and have promotions along the way as more experience is gained. Other factors also affect the salary, such as level of education and/or type of degree earned, cost of living in the area, and nursing specialty.NURS 8600 – DNP Field Experience Essay Paper
Salary especially fluctuates for a labor and delivery nurse. For example, a manager can earn high salaries that exceed $83,000 annually. Also, a women’s health nurse practitioners (WHNPs) working in labor and delivery make more than $74,000 a year (Salary Information). There are many different options for a labor and delivery nurse, along with different settings within the labor and delivery unit. Options include direct care to patients in labor with uncomplicated deliveries to those with pregnancies that are experiencing complications.
Labor and delivery nurses also circulate the hospital floor to help manage patients in the operating room during deliveries and work as a surgical assistant during complicated procedures. Labor and delivery nurses can also work in the nursery, where they help monitor and care for newborn babies (About Labor and Delivery Nurses). Every medical career has many personal awards, achieving a degree in a medical field is a big accomplishment alone. All medical fields combine science with care, however labor and delivery touches a special
As the population of the United States ages, the need for skilled nurses increases. That’s where I come in; I plan on being a registered nurse. There is currently a nursing shortage and very few nurses graduating from their nursing schools and practicing. To top that, the average age of a registered nurse is 45.7 years old, which means that the current nursing shortage will only increase as older nurses start retiring. With the retirement of baby boomers, a good chunk of the population, more available patient care is going to be necessary. There is currently an ever-increasing shortage of registered nurses to provide care for the growing number of people in nursing homes, home health care programs, and hospitals.
In order to draw more people to the career of nursing, benefits and salaries for nursing will increase dramatically in the near future. Nurses will get better labor unions and more rights in the Standard of Care. There will be more financial aid available to people trying to obtain an education to become a nurse. Becoming a registered nurse requires attending and graduating from a state-approved nursing school. It must be state approved because nursing in the work force is regulated by the state and local governments, not the federal government. This is also why the licensing exams for becoming a registered nurse, or any kind of nurse for that matter, are controlled by the State Board of Nursing.
There will be an estimated shortage of over 434,000 nurses by the year 2020. This shortage is caused by a number of things. For one, most nurses are females and started practicing because there wasn’t much else for a female to do in the working world other than being a teacher. Now that there are more job opportunities for females, there is a steadily decreasing number of people coming to the profession. Enrollment and graduation from state-approved nursing programs is in a continual decline.NURS 8600 – DNP Field Experience Essay Paper
After reading, To Kill A Mockingbird, I thought a lot about discrimination against people- seeing that basically the theme of the book was social inequality and prejudice. I started to think about how I’ve been discriminated against or felt prejudice. But, the whole time I was thinking about the topic I couldn’t help but think, “Hm. I’ve never been discriminated against! I bet a lot of people hasn’t ever had to deal with discrimination.”
But I was only thinking race wise. I mean, prejudice takes a million other forms, anywhere from skin color, to eye color, to religious beliefs, to even something petty like the clothes you wear. After getting that thought wrapped around my head, I started to realized that a lot of people has had to deal with prejudice, or discrimination, or even the feeling of not belonging because of some aspect of yourself that other people just didn’t like.
I personally think it’s very sad prejudice is still alive and breathing in this century we live in. We’ve obviously grown as human beings now-a-days, compared to characters in To Kill A Mockingbird which was set in the 1930’s. We as people have learned more about compassion and the understanding of what other people actually feel. But, the citizens of Maycomb in To Kill A Mockingbird were southerns. It wasn’t that long ago when they actually had slaves- so, to have an African American man on trial with a white man defending him was probably something just mind blowing.
Anyways, On my personal experience with prejudice I thought for a pretty long time about it, after realizing that prejudice wasn’t just limited to race. The first thought that came in to my head was the fact that a lot of people who meet me, but who don’t really know me, look at my hair color- or just how I look in general- and think I’m just another dumb blonde cheerleader. I know, that probably just sounds like an insecure teenage girl problem, but after awhile it does effect you and who you are as a person.NURS 8600 – DNP Field Experience Essay Paper
That is the question that first came into my mind when I was considering nursing as a career. But of course, like any other people who considered working in this field, I first wanted to be a doctor. It would not only allow me to treat and care for patients but also it would be big money! I’m sure money is a factor that motivated many people in this line.
But when I thought about it longer, I start to think: “Do doctors have a close relationship with their patients?” “Are they the ones who carry out or supervise a caring plan for the patients.” – Most would say No. I mean, doctors would still diagnose illnesses and prescribe medication to patients and follow up treatments when patients need it. But who are the actual people who CARE alongside these patients, who supervise them through their period of treatment?? The nurses are the ones. The nurses are the ones who provide the doctors with the information about their patients.
Nurses are the ones who would be working closely with their patients. To check their health conditions, create a care plan for them and supervise their progress.
That was why I considered a nursing career. It’s because I would be able to care personally for my patients, have a closer relationship with them and have the satisfaction of seeing them get well. I take pleasure in that! Though, I’m aware that there are situations where patients don’t get better. I want a job where I can make a difference to people’s live, to make it more comfortable. A job where I get to use critical thinking and flexibility. And of course, last but not least, a decent pay!
Within the healthcare system, nurses constitute the largest healthcare provider group. Hence, personnel and other workplace matters are very crucial to this group. Besides, the latest nursing consultation recognized the urgency for more attention on approaches that deal with generational variations, like recruitment and retention problems associated with work-life balance expectations; full-time engagement; and particular education and mentoring requirements that help the changing roles of new nurses into more complex settings. More and more evidence has been obtained that nursing care has put a huge impact on the quality of care and patient safety. As regards nursing leadership is concerned, the areas which need to be addressed are identification of strategies and models for engaging nurses in governance and decision-making; finding means to strategically support new nurses in leadership development and mentoring; and finding out the role of nurses and nursing leadership in the implementation of quality improvement in health systems. (“Nursing Leadership, Organization, and Policy” n. d.) NURS 8600 – DNP Field Experience Essay Paper
The most recent development in Nurse Leadership has been Clinical Nurse Leader — CNL under which a new role for nursing has been defined which a pioneering concept in 35 years. The CNL tract grooms professional nurses as advanced generalists who are specialized at the point of care. The CNL has several roles to play in the healthcare setting including: Clinical practice, Outcomes manager, Patient Advocate, Educator, Information Manager, Systems Analysts or Risk Anticipator and the most important role which is Team Leader. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing — AACN has spearheaded the initiative for the CNL in an answer to the needs of the client within the gamut of healthcare delivery setting.
Question 1: What are my optionions? could I work at a doctors office? Before? After?
Reply: You don’t need to become a nurse to work in a doctor’s office. Most offices will have one or two nurses on staff, but mostly, they hire MA’s or medical assistants. They can perform some of the task of a nurse at a lesser pay scale. Of course, I think you should become an RN. You will be more marketable and the pay will be better.
Question 2: I would like to learn more about working in the field of nursing. How would you suggest one go about learning more about the career while possibly adding to one’s resume/experience before I try to enter a nursing school? Is my CAN experience enough?>
Yes, getting you CAN liscence was a step in the right direction. It really has never been a better time to become a nurse with the nursing shortage. Opportunity, financial stability, and the chance to make a difference in the lives of the patients you care for is so rewarding. Nursing isn’t for everyone. It requires a special personality, one with a great deal of patience. NURS 8600 – DNP Field Experience Essay Paper
Reply: You really should consider becoming a home care nurse. It is such a rewarding job. You feel like a real nurse. The pay has never been better, and the benefits are such a nice bonus. I worked in a hospital setting for 10 years before going into home care and have never been happier. Think about it and of course if you are in the Michigan area you should look into Health Care Partners. It is a family oriented business, and they make you feel like you are a part of the family.
Question 4: Do you have any suggestions on the best study skills you learnt?
Reply: I learned that if you can answer the objectives you know the correct material. Pay special attention to diagrams, interventions, etc. Get a good night’s sleep and review material OVER and OVER again. Note cards help.
I have always had an interest in the medical field. I can remember when I was a little girl reading any and everything about the human body and how it works. I did not know that I would choose nursing, as a career but I knew that I wanted to help people in their struggle to fight the horrific diseases that I had read about. I decided to become a nurse in 1998 after I had taken care of special needs children in my home. I can remember taking my foster daughter to her appointments and admiring the doctors and nurses for their caring and compassionate hearts. I knew that I had found my calling. I knew that I wanted to be a nurse.
I moved to the coast approximately 2 years ago. I have learned from coworkers and people in the community that this college has a very good reputation. I know from personal experience that I am pleased with the education I have received thus far. My Instructors have always been very helpful and available to assist with my needs.
Upon completion of this program I plan to work in a hospital setting. My immediate plan is to work in Labor and Delivery. My long-term plan is to continue my education so that I may be able to one day teach those who share my propensity to help others. NURS 8600 – DNP Field Experience Essay Paper
In this essay I will explore the common images of nursing and discuss how these images can influence and reflect the status of nursing within society. I conducted a series of interviews with five people under the age of twenty-five to determine some of the images of nursing, their negative and positive attributes and the reasons they exist. Further consideration of some of the broader implications of my research in conjunction with published readings on the subject, seem to indicate that gender norms; particularly in relation to the nurse as a female entity, have had a significant impact on common images. Perpetuated by the media, these images both reflect and reinforce the social status of nursing through out history.
I interviewed two female and three male students, all of whom were nineteen years of age. To maintain the private identity of the respondents the interviews were conducted on an individual basis and I have used the pseudonyms Belinda, Cathy, Andrew, Gary and Mathew. Below I have provided a table of the information I collected from each participant regarding the images and descriptions of nurses, their work, previous contact with nurses, and whether I consider these images to be positive or negative.
In the endeavour to determine some of the prevailing images of nursing I began by asking “when you think of nurses what image immediately springs to mind?”. Three participants responded with images of nurses as people who care. One described nurses as low paid females and one described the nurse as a doctor’s helper. To ascertain why the respondents believe they hold these images I followed up with the question, “why does that image spring to mind?”. Four respondents said that media was the reason and Belinda believes that a lengthy stay in hospital is the reason behind the image she holds of nurses. It seems that there is no correlation between the type of image and the reason given for them, … Discuss what you think research is and
• The significance of research to the practice of graduate nurses and
• The barriers/solutions to the use of research to inform nursing practice. NURS 8600 – DNP Field Experience Essay Paper
Research is multileveled. In a health care setting, research is used for a variety of reasons and for a range of purposes. Whether it be a nurse undertaking a patient history to determine the level of care required or collecting and analysing data for a pharmaceutical study. Research is extremely important in developing a nurse’s fundamental basis of knowledge to assist in future problem solving situations and to ensure sound judgements are made through their actions. Research, however, has barriers in nursing practice and this will be further explored in the essay accompanied by solutions.
There are a number of different definitions of research that have arisen, with the common theme being knowledge as the outcome. Research can be explained as ‘a rigorous process of systematic inquiry that seeks answers to questions about phenomena of concern to a profession or academic discipline’ (Daly, Elliot and Chang 2000) or suggested by Sykes (1997 in Roberts and Taylor 1998, page 1) ‘a careful search or enquiry, a course of critical investigations’. From these two definitions of research it can be seen that they are very broad and encompass a wide range of possibilities. In relation to health care, research can be seen as ‘an investigation undertaken in a systematic manner, using thorough and rigorous methods to answer questions about aspects or things of concern to nursing and health care.’ NURS 8600 – DNP Field Experience Essay Paper
There are a variety of ways in which research can be conducted, with no one particular method that must be followed. However, cited by Whitworth (1994) all research requires clear thinking and creativity
There are many types of nurses and they undertake different functions
in the treatment of their patients. Of the lot, the type of nurses who are
in regular touch with the families are the medicine nurse. They provide
care to the patients, educate the families about health and promote the
proper care for health for both individuals and families. They are often
the first point of contact between the families under their charge and the
overall healthcare system. When the doctors come, they are also an
important point of contact. They ensure that the care that patients get is
the most suitable for the patient, and also cost effective. (About the
Due to their close contact with the families they get to know the
families and individuals well. They provide care that can be accessed by
all without regard to the financial position of the family or the
geographical location, social status, cultural background or other
differences. They are continually involved with the families and the
members of all age levels and help them to pass through the different
health related happenings. All health care providers get their first
knowledge about the family from the nurses attached to the family. They
also help the families and the members to plan for their own health care. NURS 8600 – DNP Field Experience Essay Paper
The profession of nursing was given a proper image by Florence
Nightingale. Her first step in nursing was to sit in the homes of sick
people in her village and investigate local hospitals and nursing
practices. She had originally wanted to be a nurse, but was not permitted
by her parents, as it was then not considered a suitable profession for
women as well educated as Florence Nightingale.
ohn P. Kotter (1998) suggests several strategies in order to facilitate change within an organization. The most notable section of his article relates to eight steps that can be taken to implement change and transform an organization. These range from the beginning stages of identifying and establishing the urgency of change, through identifying opposition and obstacles to maintaining existing changes and optimizing future opportunities for change.
The medical profession, as a public service provider whose quality can result in life or death, should be subject to continuous change in order to optimize this service. An area that can benefit substantially from optimization is the nursing profession. Residency programs have been required for physicians, but not specifically for nurses. The benefits of these programs for physicians have been obvious. This has however not been the case for the nursing profession. Only recently have residency programs been implemented for them. Obviously, fewer errors with patients will occur when such residency programs are implemented. In general, this will provide the public with greater confidence in hospitals housing such resident nurses. Concomitantly, nurses going through residency programs have reported greater confidence in their own skills and in turn projecting an image of professionalism to the public.
In suggesting such a program for an academic medical center, the leaders of such institutions can be addressed according to the eight steps of change offered by Kotter. When following these steps, the necessary changes can be implemented not only with confidence, but also with success. Nurses will become more confident, and the public will have greater trust of their local medical service providers. In general, this system will benefit both the industry and the users relying on it. NURS 8600 – DNP Field Experience Essay Paper
A professional nurse is one who puts the needs and importance of patient care above all others. The professional should exert a positive public image considering the public is where services are directed to. A professional appearance is important for making first impressions on patients and other coworkers. The first impression is always of utmost importance and plays a major role in gaining a patient’s respect and trust. Once the nurse has began establishing a relationship with their patient, they must be careful to not pass or show any judgment on a patient’s decisions, beliefs, values, or culture. The professional nurse should demonstrate sensitivity to diverse cultural needs and ethnic backgrounds. Having an open mind is always necessary when dealing with such a wide array of people in the public as a nurse would be. Because healthcare is a continually expanding field, a professional nurse should be willing to stay up to date with continuing education or seminars, learning new and better ways to provide the best care possible for patients. The nurse should reflect a high degree of professionalism to patients, the public, and other professionals.
Teamwork is a major characteristic of professional nursing. Many times nurses will need assistance helping their patients, and people will be more apt to lend a helping hand if you yourself go out of your way to help others. This not only helps your coworkers but in the long run provides faster more efficient care for the patients. Teamwork may be one of the most important professional characteristics in healthcare. NURS 8600 – DNP Field Experience Essay Paper
Nurses act as advocates for the rights of their patients and are frequently involved in ethical issues and ethical decision-making processes. Some people have different goals than others. Some have career goals and some have ordinary job goals and others have school or academic goals. Picking a career is not as easy as it seems. To some people, picking a job based on money or a salary is very important. To others, being happy with a job is more important than money but it is not that easy to just jump in to a field of study and not be happy with it. I plan to pick my career based on my M.B.T.I scores, my personality, and on what I really want to get out of a career.