Redefining the Modern Nursing Profession: An Interview

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Ask someone to depict a nurse, what will they tell you? Many hold the stance that the nursing profession is composed of angelic people in starched white uniforms, primarily women, whose main focus is patient care and following doctor’s orders. This image, though iconic and attractive to some, is not accurate when applied to modern nurses. In an effort to assess the attributes currently needed of nurses, I interviewed Jordan Kreklau. Ms. Kreklau is 25 years old and attained her BSN from The University of Eau Claire in May 2014. After attaining her RN license in July 2014, she was hired on for the medical/surgical unit at St. Joseph’s in Marshfield, WI, where she had worked as a graduate student. In 2015, she also began working in a progressive …show more content…

Every individual nurse has their own reasons for making their career choice. As in the case of Ms. Kreklau, some are compelled to care and nurture other human beings and enjoy the rewarding feelings they gain from positive outcomes. “There are so many [career options] in nursing” (Kreklau). Other people are motivated because of flexible scheduling, monetary reasons and/or job security. Then there are people like me, who have experienced extended time in a medical facility and experienced excellent or poor care for themselves or a loved one. My husband’s motorcycle accident in 2013, in which he sustained traumatic brain injury and other injuries, mandated our stay in the hospital for over a month. The outstanding and wonderful care he received left me with a marked impression. I would like to be able to help others in a similar …show more content…

“The good nurse is the nurse who fulfils the function of nursing excellently…nurses and (nursing practice) makes at least two key contributions to patient care: nursing increases the safety and quality of the care received and humanizes the patient experience” (Scott). This statement is pretty all-encompassing without going into a lot of details. Foremost, a nurse must be altruistic, adaptable, patient, compassionate and a great listener. Most patients want to be regarded respectfully and feel secure in their care. “Nurses that build a safe environment, go to bat for their patients, are responsible, direct and honest are highly regarded by staff and patients…In my experience, the biggest struggles that I see [exuded by nurses] are patience, commitment, responsibility and the drive to protect patient privacy” (Kreklau).
Considering my managerial background, I believe that I am fully capable of displaying appropriate responsibility, commitment, patient advocacy and privacy. I am, at times, direct and honest to a fault. Based upon my interview with Ms. Kreklau, I believe the biggest areas I need to work on is patience, flexibility and making sure to smile. When I become focused, I tend to have my “serious face” on, so I will have to be very aware of my body language so that I do not give others the wrong

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