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Nursing Entrance Essay
Nursing Entrance Essay
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Nursing Entrance Essay
Purpose of Enrolling in Your Nursing Program and How I am Going to be Prepared to Become Successful in this Nursing Program
Some individuals incline to become nurses as a profession, but others are born with the “spirit of nursing,” the innate ability to help others out of the goodness of their hearts and minds, with no thought of personal gain. My desire to serve others, my compassion for those in need, and my conviction that I can make a difference in people’s lives all contribute to my fascination with nursing. From a very young age, I wanted to be a member of the medical community, helping provide high-quality treatment to individuals worldwide. Besides, I am interested in nursing because it will allow me to better myself while also providing me with the opportunity to help others. Also, I am interested in nursing because I know it will be the beginning of a long and fruitful career working in one of the most challenging and gratifying medical fields, one that offers ever-expanding possibilities for dedicated professionals. I have also realized that the breadth of my interest and affection for medicine makes me well suited to a career where one may specialize in several areas.
To succeed in this nursing program, I am confident I have many of the qualities necessary for success in this program and in my chosen field. Because of my capacity for empathy, I will be able to put myself in the position of my patients and treat each one uniquely. In addition, I pay close attention to detail, which I feel will serve me well as a nurse. Moreover, I am a kind person, and it is in my nature to care about the well-being of those around me, which will help me provide friendly nursing care.
Essential Functions and Roles of a Nurse
Most nurses, as trained and experienced members of the healthcare team, are responsible for various tasks that may differ from patient to patient. Nurses play a vital role in providing care for patients by attending to their basic physical needs, treating health conditions, and preventing illness. To do this, Nurses are responsible for keeping close tabs on their patients and documenting any changes that might affect treatment plans (Paharia, 2022). Nurses provide first aid for injuries, give patients their medications, carry out regular medical examinations, document patients’ medical histories in depth, observe patients’ heart rates and blood pressures, carry out diagnostic tests, operate medical devices, draw blood, and admit and discharge patients following the orders of their attending physicians. In addition, nurses make sure their patients are comfortable, change their bandages, and communicate any adjustments in a patient’s health to the other nurses or physicians (Paharia, 2022).
In addition, nurses give not only physical care but also emotional comfort to their patients and their loved ones. It may include listening to patients and evaluating their physical, cultural, emotional, spiritual, and mental requirements and making sure the patient is informed and prepared for therapy. In many cases, nurses are there to assist patients and family members in working through their emotional responses to medical problems. The nurse’s role extends beyond providing medical care to include patient education and counseling to help patients and their families understand their treatment choices and make informed decisions about their health. Besides, nurses play an essential role in the decision-making process during patient treatment. Lastly, it is the nurse’s role to ensure that the patient understands his or her health status, diagnosis, medicines, and treatment plan. This is crucial when patients are discharged from the hospital and expected to continue their treatment regimen alone (Paharia, 2022).
Accountability and Integrity in Nursing Profession
Due to their significance in ensuring the success of healthcare initiatives, professional accountability and integrity are vital to the nursing profession. According to Davis (2017), the American Nursing Association Code of Ethics stipulates that nurses must behave in a manner that is consistent with the ethical and moral standards set out by their respective professions. Accountability is crucial in nursing because it helps avoid the repercussions of a lack of responsibility. Besides accountability, trust between nurses and patients is maintained, which boosts nurses’ efficiency and ultimately benefits patients (Davis, 2017). Enrolling in training programs designed to raise one’s level of knowledge is one approach for a nurse to demonstrate accountability in the clinical area of their specialty. As a result, the nurse will be armed with up-to-date and sufficient information that is beneficial in decision-making when confronted with healthcare challenges throughout the process of providing healthcare services.
Moreover, professional accountability and integrity are essential in nursing because nurses who uphold ethical standards and demonstrate accountability and integrity might help the facility where they work to earn a good reputation. Patients at healthcare institutions are often requested to fill out patient satisfaction questionnaires. A healthcare provider’s or hospital’s reputation benefits when patients are pleased with the service they get and provide constructive comments. In addition, a culture of integrity and accountability in nursing minimizes medical resource misuse. When nurses make decisions without fully appreciating the scope of the problem, it might limit patients’ access to essential resources. In nursing, accountability may be shown through making proper use of resources. Accountability for one’s patients and the employer is also shown by maintaining equipment, giving drugs as recommended, and keeping track of any materials used in patient care (Faubion, 2022).
References
Davis, C. (2017). The importance of professional accountability. Nursing made incredibly easy, 15(6), 4.
Faubion, D. (2022). 10 Ways to Demonstrate Accountability in Nursing Practice. Nursingprocess.org. Retrieved 19 October 2022, from https://www.nursingprocess.org/accountability-in-nursing.html.
Paharia, P. (2022). Roles of a Nurse. News-Medical.net. Retrieved 19 October 2022, from https://www.news-medical.net/health/Roles-of-a-Nurse.aspx.
nursing curriculum
Nursing Curriculum:
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The current nursing curriculum was designed to help in both the teaching and the practice of nurses. The curriculum aims at producing competent nurses who can serve diligently by emphasizing on practical teachings of the nursing students. The curriculum contains numerous practical lessons and sessions designed for the students. The practical lessons are meant to help the students acclimatize with the real-life work environments. Initially at the beginning of the semester, I had no idea about these practical sessions in the curriculum. I learnt about these practical lessons during the semester. I only knew of internship of the nursing students after some years of study. The nursing curriculum has made more knowledgeable about the nursing profession through its preference on teachings based on evidence.
The nursing curriculum examines the reforms in the health care sector and their possible impacts. It explores the effects of the health care reforms on the deliverance of heath care services. The Affordable Health Care Law will result to significant changes in the nursing and health sector in general. This law will not only affect the patients, but also the medical physicians like nurses. Examining the effects of this law is therefore paramount. It is necessary that nursing students are taught about the changes that will be caused by this law. For instance, one of the effects of the law is that it may lead to shortage of medical physicians due to the high number of patients who would seek attention. The nursing curriculum offers insight analysis of some of these effects to the nursing students. In this regard, my view of the curriculum has hugely changed as a current up to date curriculum. This is opposed to my previous view of the curriculum as a rigid, old document that is not in tandem with the current issues affecting the health sector.
The curriculum in addition, contains career guidelines in the nursing profession. The entry work level for nursing school graduates is well highlighted. This enlightens nursing students about the career issues in the profession. The curriculum also contains lessons on continuation of career and rising in career level in the nursing field. The curriculum therefore, meets the student’s career needs. These career guidelines are useful to the students as it enables students to examine their career prospects. Students can gauge themselves and their chances in succeeding in the nursing profession based on their examination results. This has helped me to change my perception of the nursing curriculum. At the beginning of the semester, I regarded the curriculum as designed to lock out students who score low marks. This is no longer the case at the moment as now regard the curriculum as one aimed to produce qualified and competent nurses.
My insight about the nursing curriculum will definitely change my contribution in the faculty. My understanding of the nursing curriculum will ensure that I perform to my level best. For instance, the career guidelines will be vital to me in my quest to improve my career. I will avoid mistakes like negligence and conform to the nursing ethics outlined in the curriculum. My insight and knowledge from the nursing school will enable me to contribute immensely in the faculty. My understanding of the reforms in the health care sector will help me to easily adapt to the changes in the sector. This will further increase my productivity in the sector.
The changes in the health care industry will affect the nursing curriculum in the future. This is because of the need of the nursing students to conform to the changes in the nursing sector. For instance, the number of people who visit the health care centers is expected to increase significantly. In this case, the nursing curriculum will have to establish solutions to manage the increase in patients.
Nursing case study
Nursing case study
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Case studies are employed in the medical field to teach students and nurses. Case studies are supposed to stimulate the thinking of the trainee without significantly increasing their workload. A case study may serve several purposes since it covers all aspects of clinical practice. It is a good way to determine the decision-making ability of the student. Good case studies should be informative. This paper shall focus on one medical case about myocardial infarction. The patient is a 57-year old male who presented to the emergency department with a chest problem. The patient is quickly assessed to determine the problem. The history is taken. The patient’s name is Chris. Chris states that pain began about half an hour after dinner while he was playing with his kids. Chris describes the pain as a crushing pressure that is located midsternally and radiates to his left arm and to the back. When asked to rate the pain on the scale, he gives it a 4/10. The patient reports that he is finding it difficult to breath (SOB). On assessment, the patient is diaphoretic and pale. The doctor suspects myocardial infarction but recommends further check-ups to rule out angina, heart failure, and other lying conditions.
The tests are performed by a nurse. There are several tests that are conducted such as heart sounds, vital signs, lung sounds, pulse, signs of edema, and skin condition. MI happens when blood flow to a segment of the myocardium ceases or decreases. It results in necrosis of the heart. MI is a common presentation of CAD. About 13% of the world population died from ischemic heart disease in 2016. Most of these deaths occur in developed countries (Thygesen et al., 2019). The disease is common among wealthy people who tend to do less physical exercises. Tissue death occurs due to ischemia when the section of the heart does not receive oxygen and nutrients. Troponin is a specific marker of MI useful in diagnosis. Troponin rises within three hours of a tissue injury peaking in 1-2 days. The electrocardiogram is a useful standard procedure in the diagnosis of MI. The ECG is used by clinicians to differentiate between the two types of MI. The two types are ST-elevation MI and non-ST elevation MI. STEMIs form the least prevalent of the three types. The STEMI occurs in 25-40% of MI patients. The current guidelines have categorized myocardial infarction into five types (Reed, Rossi & Cannon, 2017).
The most predominant source of MI is atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis occurs when a plaque on a coronary artery ruptures, leading to clot formation which further blocks the artery. Myocardial infarction proceeds in minutes. MI may also arise when the heart has limited blood supply as a result of increased oxygen demand by the rest of the body (Anderson & Morrow, 2017). Conditions such as hyperthyroidism, anemia, coronary artery spasms, and PCI failure predispose the person to MI. The risk factors for MI include the following: old age, active smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and total cholesterol. Several of these risks factors are shared with CAD. The other causes include low physical activity, past family history of MI, obesity, and alcohol consumption. Men are more predisposed to MI than women.
The patient reported that his father had died of CAD and that his aunt was currently on treatment for diabetes mellitus. Chris is a rare visitor to the hospital. Chris reports that he underwent a medical checkup the previous year, where the doctor recommended that he start doing physical activity. Chris had a high BMI, high LDL, and high total cholesterol. He says that he has not been following the doctor’s recommendations because he does not get time. As part of the empirical therapy, Chris was put on oxygen. His medical check-up report came back and the following were observed. There was no jugular vein distention. Chris had normal S1 and S2 sounds, the lungs were clear with scattered wheezes on auscultations. The vital signs also came and were as follows: the BP was 140/91, SpO2 90%, HR 93bpm, regular Ht 174cm, RR 33bpm, 110kg, and the temp was 37.0 C. Chris’s 12-lead EKG report reads as follows: “a regular sinus rhythm with repeated PVCs and three to four-beat runs of ventricular tachycardia”. ST-segment elevation in leads 1, aVL, and V2 through V6. The cardiac function tests were done but the results are yet to be available. The chest x-ray was also ordered. The doctor prescribes Aspirin 324mg PO, nitroglycerin 0.4 mg SL q5min TDS, morphine 4mg IVP when needed for the chest pain, and Oxygen to maintain the SpO2 above 92%. Statins were recommended but were to be used after discharge (Anderson & Morrow, 2017).
As the nurse in charge, it is important to immediately put this patient on oxygen therapy. Oxygen improves oxygenation and decreases myocardial oxygen demands. When the medications are availed, put the patient on nitroglycerin and aspirin. Nitroglycerin is a potent coronary vasodilator that increases blood flow to the heart muscle. However, the medication may be ineffective for MI patients and this may prompt substitution. Aspirin serves as an anticoagulant and thus decreases mortality (Anderson & Morrow, 2017).
The nurse needs to monitor the patient. Mr. Chris was still in pain after the three doses of sublingual NTG and the nurse put him on morphine 5mg and baby aspirin. However, the pain was still persistent and required further interventions. The cardiac enzymes were as follows: CK 255U/L, CK-MB 10%, troponin I 3.5ng/mL. The nurse reports to the physician who recommends a PCI. The PCI helps to relieve blockage (Reed, Rossi & Cannon, 2017). Four hours after the PCI, Mr, Chris states that he does not feel any chest pain. His vital signs have also improved. The nurse needs to advise the patient to change their lifestyle. The nurse should set targets with the patient. Advice the patient on the diet, the importance of exercise, and reduce caffeine intake. Advice the patient of the importance of compliance. The patient should seek medical attention when symptoms exacerbate.
References
Anderson, J. L., & Morrow, D. A. (2017). Acute myocardial infarction. New England Journal of Medicine, 376(21), 2053-2064.
Reed, G. W., Rossi, J. E., & Cannon, C. P. (2017). Acute myocardial infarction. The Lancet, 389(10065), 197-210.
Thygesen, K., Alpert, J. S., Jaffe, A. S., Chaitman, B. R., Bax, J. J., Morrow, D. A., … & Bucciarelli-Ducci, C. (2019). Fourth universal definition of myocardial infarction (2018). European heart journal, 40(3), 237-269.