Demonstrate the Ability to Incorporate the Dimensions of Person, Nursing, and Environment to Promote Health in a Variety of Nursing Situations
Therapeutic Conversation
During my first semester in the nursing program, one of my assignments was to write about our experience with the use of therapeutic conversations. We were to think back to a conversation that took place with one of the clients at a local long term care facility and record the specific therapeutic techniques that we use. This use of therapeutic conversation demonstrates care that treats the patient as a whole person and leaves them feeling cared for and respected. The conversation provided in the link below, takes place between myself and a male in his late 60s, who is living in the long term care facility.
My Philosophy of Nursing
For an assignment in my Professional Foundation course, I constructed my own philosophy of nursing, incorporating the dimensions of person, nursing, and environment. I revisited and updated this philosophy during my senior year after reflecting on my experiences in clinical and classroom settings and encountering other nurses in practice.
Peer Health Assessment
As a sophomore, I took Health Assessment and Promotion (N270). In this class, I had the opportunity to conduct a comprehensive and holistic assessment of one of my peers. Through this experience, I was able to examine all of the dimensions that make up a person and see how those dimension fit together to comprise the health of the individual. I was also able to use my assessment data to come up with a few nursing diagnoses and education tips to promote health in the life of my classmate.
Cultural Assessment
In
my Culturally Congruent Health Care Class (N365), I had the opportunity to
interview several people from different cultures over the course of the
semester. While interviewing them, I also performed an assessment of
the culture and explored its impact on the health and health-related needs of the client.
Based on my assessment of a client from China, I wrote a paper on
developing a deeper understanding of this culture and how the nurse can
incorporate cultural practices into the health care experience.
Anthropology Field WorkOver January Term in 2008, I took an Anthropology class entitled "Gods, Magic, and Morals", in which I had the opportunity to attend and conduct field work at a local church to explore their beliefs, practices, and community culture. The assignment gave me the opportunity to be exposed to a different culture and way of thinking than my own by immersing myself in the activities at the church and regularly talking with congregants. The link provided below is my first field work assignment, which describes my impressions during my initial encounters at the church.
REFLECTION
Throughout my time in the nursing program I have had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of clients in a wide range of settings. From community health to working in the hospital, I have seen and experienced the many different roles that nurses play in the lives of their clients. I have also discovered that it is impossible to fully care for someone without understanding all of the aspects that make them a complete person and addressing them appropriately. The following assignments demonstrate my ability to incorporate the dimensions of person, nursing, and environment to promote health in a variety of nursing situations.
During my first clinical rotation, in long term care, I was able to directly address the emotional aspects of a person by analyzing one of the therapeutic conversations that took place between myself and my patient. In this conversation, I was able to listen to my patient's concerns and validate his feelings in order to provide him with a greater degree of emotional support. I was able to further facilitate the conversation by creating a quiet and comfortable environment. This assignment demonstrates my ability to incorporate more than just the physical dimensions of a person, but to go beyond that and understand the emotional needs of the client.
During my second semester in the nursing program, in my Professional Foundations class, I developed my own philosophy of nursing. This philosophy incorporates my ideas about what nursing should look like and serves as I guide for how I will practice nursing throughout my career. It incorporates the dimensions of person, nursing, and environment and is based on the experiences that I have had in the nursing program and in the hospital setting. It also reflects what is truly important to me as a nurse and will guide me to promote health in a variety of situations and patient encounters.
One of the most comprehensive assessments that I have conducted was my peer assessment in Health Promotion and Assessment (N270) during my Sophomore year. In this assignment, I examined physical, physiological, emotional, and spiritual aspects of a person and used my assessment and analysis skills to come up with health-related goals and education points for one of my peers. This assignment provided me with a better understanding of all of the aspects of a person and how those aspects can impact a person's overall health and well being. While I may not always be able to conduct such a thorough assessment with all my clients, this assignment gave me a better idea of how to tailor my assessments to meet the needs of each individual client that I encounter. This very comprehensive assignment shows that I am able to address all aspects of my clients and understand the role that I play in promoting their overall health and well-being.
While I encountered many different clients in my
student nurse experiences, I did not always have the opportunity to
fully assess and understand each individual's culture and the way in
which culture affects health. During my class in Culturally Congruent
Health Care (N365), I was able to conduct four in depth assessments on people
of varying cultures. After completing my assessments, I chose to delve
deeper into understanding one culture that I have encountered often in
the clinical setting--the Chinese culture. From my assessments and
outside research, I wrote a paper about understanding the Chinese
culture, so that I might be able to better serve clients that I
encounter who are Chinese. In doing this assignment, I was able to
expand my knowledge of the practices of others and better appreciate
the diverse backgrounds of my clients, while incorporating their cultural needs into my nursing care.
Last January, I took a month long class entitled, "Gods, Magic, and Morals", which challenged me to act as an observer and conduct field work in a local church. While this class was not part of my nursing school curriculum, I feel that it helped me to advance my assessment skills and to understand the spiritual aspects that make up a person's health. I also gained a deeper understanding of cultural differences within our own local communities and how the community we live in can affect our health. From healthy options at church dinners to weekly exercise programs, I was also able to see how the members of the church supported one another to maintain not only spiritual health, but physical health too. My experience of conducting field work has made me more comfortable with addressing the spiritual needs of my clients and has also shown me that the church environment can offer opportunities for health promotion, even beyond the spiritual level.
When I first entered the nursing program, I was extremely aware of the role that nurses played in the physical well-being of their patients; however, I had a limited understanding of how to meet the other needs of my clients. Through course work in the nursing program and in liberal arts classes, I have gained an understanding of all of the aspects that make up a person and have become more comfortable with addressing them in client encounters. After graduation, my nursing practice will give me the opportunity to become even more comfortable client interactions. Working as a nurse will challenge me to see each client as an individual, with many pieces that make up who they are, and modify my care to meet their needs.
