A helping hand
I am almost half-way done with my last
semester of my undergraduate degree. It's crazy how you dream of
doing things when you are younger. I never imagined I would be at
this point–
pursuing nursing. I never knew what a nurse was when I was young, not
because I didn't care, but because no one really told me. To be
honest, society told me inaccuracies. They dumbed down the nurse's
role, made it a woman-only job, and gave no credit to the great deal
of responsibility that the job description encompassed. Boy were they
wrong. These past two years have shown me one of the most amazing and
selfless professions on this earth, one I am proud to say is my
future career, and will be for many years to come.
I
want to continue with the idea of mentorship. In any profession, a
mentor can be helpful in learning the tricks of the trade, but in
nursing, a mentor is a lifeline in the pursuit of something great. In
a clinical world of fast-paced, hectic, and sometimes out-of-control
responsibilities, a mentor can help you sift through the chaos to
find hope.
Reflecting
on my preceptorship thus far, I am proud to have a mentor who
understands the needs of a student. He has helped give me realistic
feedback, telling me what I need to improve, and how to go about
making those improvements. He has also given me praise and support
when appropriate, one important factor in the growth of a student.
Often times as students we feel like we are doing everything wrong;
it's nice to be reoriented to reality and know that we really are
progressing.
Getting
closer to the half-way mark of the semester I am realizing how much I
have grown in the last year and a half. I have learned an
immeasurable amount of information, but I think my biggest growth is
not in the area of knowledge. Caring for people at their most
vulnerable moments takes compassion, respect, and empathy. I no
longer feel like the out-of-place, awkward student of first semester;
I feel like a nurse. This realization hit me last week and soon
enough it will be true. I still have over one hundred clinical hours
left in the semester. My goal is to continue improving in my
professionalism and independence until December 14th,
when I accept my nursing pin and officially become part of the most
trusted profession.