Becoming A Registered Nurse Essay

When I chose to embark on the mission to becoming a registered nurse, I knew I would be entering a challenging, yet rewarding career. Ever since I was a little girl, I was always surrounded with family in the healthcare field, and growing up in a small town I could see the kind and humble care that they provided. This created a profound identity of the nurse I wanted to become—compassionate, thorough, and humble.

When I think about what nursing is, I think about a multifaceted person completing tasks to better one’ physical or psychological state. After many readings of definition of nursing, Virginia Henderson’s definition of nursing was timeless and appropriate to many eras of nursing. ‘The unique function of the nurse is to assist the individual, sick or well, in the performance of those activities contributing to health or its recovery (or to a peaceful death) that he would perform unaided if he had the necessary strength, will or knowledge. And to do this in such a way as to help him gain independence as rapidly as possible.’ (Henderson, 1966, p. 15).

I believe that a patient and presenting family members should be treated holistically—keeping mind, body, and spirit at the forefront of nursing services. The patient and family should be treated with respect and given a chance to communicate any comments or concerns. We, as nursing professionals, should encourage the participation in one’s own healthcare. We should stay vigilant in assessing the patient’s environment, externally and internally, addressing any mental or social needs. Patients should have adequate and accessible healthcare options. Access to healthcare is something we take for granted in the US compared to countries abroad, but there are still vulnerable populations here in the US that lack means to healthcare