Nursing Personal Reflection: Introduction To Professional Nursing

Over the course of this semester, I have learned such an array of important matters and aspects of nursing that will help me in the future. Among these topics were learning how to prepare for and take the NCLEX, learning how to manage stress and about self-care, learning how to be open-minded and realize one’s privileges, learning about the definition of nursing as well as nursing theorists, and learning about a plethora of options in the nursing field. Through discussing and thinking about these matters, I feel as though I have become a totally different person than I was at the beginning of the semester. I entered Introduction to Professional Nursing having already been accepted into the USM School of Nursing. That being said, I didn’t

Between work, classes, homework, studying for exams, and other responsibilities, life can become so stressful! This is why I am so thankful that I have developed ways of coping with stress through this class. I was glad to reflect on the way I currently manage stress, and the ways in which it could be improved for the last weekly write and post this semester. I explained: to help with the stress of schoolwork, I have always created extremely detailed lists about each and every assignment I have to do, and have always planned each and every day of the upcoming week to the hour” (Meserve, 12/09/15). I noted that “this activity is therapeutic, in a way, as it allows me to visualize being able to complete each assignment; however, it can be counteractive, in terms of stress, when I am not able to follow my schedule I have created and fall behind” (Meserve,

Unlike the shocking nature of nurse stereotypes, the thing about nursing theories that was so challenging for me, was the fact that there are so many of them, which all seem to sound valid, yet we can’t take them all to practice. Besides that fact, I really enjoyed learning about various theories and theorists, especially about Jean Watson and her Theory of Caring. This theory focuses on a humanitarian view of nursing, one that highlights the importance of human relationships (Watson Caring Science Institute, 2015). I reflected earlier this semester that “perhaps the most intriguing part of Watson’s beliefs and what she brings to nursing, though, is her view of the interconnectedness of people” (Meserve, 10/23/15). What I also found really intriguing about this theory is that another type of healing, besides purely science, prevails in Watson’s theory, as her last Caritas Process, is to be “open to mystery and allow miracles to enter” (Watson Caring Science Institute, 2015). I noted “maybe allowing oneself to be open to mystery and miracles just allows them to form better connections and relationships with patients and is part of the art of nursing” (Meserve,