This nursing student story essay was selected from BrainTrack's Nursing Schools Scholarship for fall 2009. At the time of submittal this entrant was studying for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Washington State University, College of Nursing in Spokane, Washington.
Wishes Had Known |
Program Likes/Dislikes |
Choosing Nursing
What do you wish you had known about selecting and entering your nursing school that would be helpful to others going into nursing?
Nursing school can be likened to a wagon train headed West and in search of greater opportunities. Of utmost importance is the banding together and coordination between the members, whether they are the first-time trekkers or the seasoned guides. All strive together towards reaching the goal.
As a nursing student, or a first time trekker, building relationships with your peers can be enjoyable and will add to your health and success along the way. Further, getting to know your nursing instructors holds great importance because they are your seasoned guides. Your instructors will be there to help you in any way they can and will be a vast source of knowledge for you to draw from.
Know that the journey is not without difficulties and does require endurance, but it is completely possible. Think of completing your pre-nursing requirements as filling your wagon with goods, and getting accepted into nursing school as embarking on your journey. From there, each exam will be river crossed and an assignment as a hill climbed over. Sometimes there are storms and droughts, but everybody helps in a team approach to get one another through.
However, remember that there are often beautiful vistas along the way which are well worth stopping for and enjoying the moment. As a student, such “vistas” can be the smile of satisfaction in a patient's face, complements from those around you on your improvement, and having moments in clinical practice where you truly love what you are doing.
Through the good and the hard times, learn to take time for yourself. I have found in my second year of nursing school that keeping a regular exercise schedule has had great value. The health benefits I have gained from regular exercise have been amazing. I feel much more physically, mentally, and spiritually healthy. Not every student's outlet need be vigorous exercise, but find something that you love to do that is relaxing and healthy at the same time. Such examples I have seen that help others are yoga classes, knitting or sewing, reading good books, spending time with family, gardening, and participating in fun nursing student functions.
Lastly, those headed West keep their eyes on the goal, which is the promise of great opportunity. The field of nursing fits that to the tee. A nurse can go on to serve in incredibly diverse fields, including working in hospitals, schools, clinics, research facilities, or different parts of the world. A nurse can also go on to earn a masters or doctoral degree, choosing to specialize between an array of different areas. Furthermore, what degree holds so many opportunities for its beholder and also creates such a positive impact on peoples' lives at the same time?
What have you enjoyed most and least during your nursing degree program so far?
My highest enjoyment in nursing school is learning theory and skills related to patient care, and then being able to apply my knowledge in the clinical setting. First, the content learned in classes is often very interesting and engaging. Wouldn't you like to know how to prevent a heart attack or stop it from going further? How about learning how to help in the delivery of a baby? Student nurses also learn how to comfort families in times of grief, how to start intravenous lines, how to give a newborn a bath, how to advocate for a patient in need, and how to understand the processes behind a patient's illness. It is a privilege to learn this content, especially since it is according to cutting-edge evidenced based research.
Next, great satisfaction comes when the knowledge from class combines with being able to help a patient in a particular situation. How exciting it is when you successfully complete a nursing skill that you have been learning how to perform for a while. This prepares you for a nurse's most important job: to care for his or her patients according to the wide knowledge base learned with compassion, accuracy, and empathy.
The most difficult part of gaining my nursing degree has been handling a heavy workload and balancing it with the other aspects of my life. Tough times definitely come during school, when lots of tests are approaching, assignments and essays are due, and comprehension of clinical skills are still needed. When pressures are added from daily life, family, or critical events the stress may seem to escalate too high. However, through this I have learned stress management skills that will help me throughout life. Important skills I have found are talking with others to release my feelings and gain a new perspective, taking time to relax when needed, and having vision to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
What led you to choose nursing as a career path?
While growing up, I was inspired and encouraged to become a registered nurse by various support systems. First, both my mother and grandmother are registered nurses and they truly love their occupation. These women show compassion, empathy, and care for those around them, and this is not limited to only the workplace. Having these positive examples in my life allowed me to see what a difference I could make if I too became a nurse. Then, teachers and counselors at my high-school provided encouragement for my pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.
Through my curiosity in the healthcare field, I spent extensive time as a volunteer for the Holy Family Emergency Department, over 500 hours, and also volunteered at a week long summer children's camp. I was able to help so many people, including medical staff, patients, and children. Through these rewarding experiences, my desire to become a nurse who serves her community was solidified.
Through my time spent at the hospital and by hearing health-related news, I became aware of the current shortage of nurses in the work force. This propelled my desire to provide nursing care for my community. The need for nurses keeps increasing, due to a rising amount of retirement of older nurses, the shortage of available spots in nursing schools, and the small amount of nursing school instructors. Healthcare facilities and patients are in great need of more registered nurses.
My final decision for choosing nursing as my profession was realizing that nursing is truly unique and rewarding. It is hard to think of another profession that provides as many different opportunities. Only a nurse can work in such a wide array of areas and have significant responsibility and involvement in peoples' health. Nurses may choose to specialize in an area that they love, such as pediatrics or labor and delivery, but they may also gain experience in lots of different areas over time. Other members of the health care team do not have such an expanse of options, while still being able to care for people in a real and beneficial way.
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