Reflective Essay On Becoming A Professional Nurse

Becoming the first Registered Nurse in my family was a challenge. While most children were playing outside with friends, I was at the library or finding a nurse that I could talk with. At the age of ten, I was guided to a mission that would ultimately lead me to where I am today. My uncle was diagnosed with kidney cancer when I was ten years old, and his primary nurse was beyond mean. Sad to say, but that experience changed my life forever. I remember thinking, “when I become a nurse, not one person will be treated badly”. At the age of ten, I knew I could change the world. Well, needless to say, I have grown and realized that I cannot change the world, but I can guarantee that everyone in my care will be treated as I would have liked my uncle …show more content…
Annie said, “The difference between a professional nurse and a nurse is the person she becomes”. For years, I thought, “what does that mean”? As I progressed through my career, it became perfectly clear. To make five minutes (that a nurse does not have to spare) appear to be an endless amount of time, to smile and speak to all others in passing, to know when words are needed or silence is more appropriate, to quietly bow one’s head and pray for those who are in need of something that only the Good Lord can provide, to go home daily and remind those you love how precious the time is that is shared, to sit with a dying person so the fear can be eased, to share in the joy of the precious miracle of birth, to show gratification for those working at one’s side, to mentor a struggling nurse without appearing superior, to wake up tomorrow and be thrilled that you are blessed with another day to provide services to others; that is my definition of a professional. The manual skills that people of the nursing profession possess, including intravenous catheter insertion, Foley insertion, dressing changes, etc. can be taught to anyone who is willing to