Hello again, friends. Once again I would like to apologize for the extended silence. It seems that I have come down with a bad case of what can only be described as...SENIORITIS. It happened at the termination of the Spring semester, when I realized that I had been back in school full time for an entire year, and that I only had six months left until I am awarded a Bachelor of Nursing degree. Wow am I ready to be finished and get out there! Besides, summer has always been my favorite season, and I would much prefer to be soaking it up instead of constructing mental health care plans.
Speaking of mental health, I tomorrow will start my fourth week in (out of eight). I have a lot of respect for psychiatric nurses and I know that what they do is vitally important, but it didn't take me too long to figure out that it is not my top area of interest. We aren't even allowed to pass medications or follow nurse preceptors...we observe and have discussions with our patients. Talk about being out of my comfort zone. That being said, I know there are a great deal of mental health issues surrounding physical illnesses and disabilities that I will surely encounter in any specialty, and I am doing my best to stay actively engaged in the learning process despite my shortened attention span.
A couple of weeks ago, we had to submit our placement requests for Senior Integrated Practicum (SIP), which for me, is coming up in Fall semester, block one (which mean the first eight weeks of a sixteen week semester). I had some anxiety over my placement choices, as I know that I am competing for spots not only with my classmates, but with all nursing students of the same level across the Denver Metro area. In addition, I know that new grad programs at the top hospitals are highly competitive and "may or may not" give preference to students who completed a SIP rotation on one of their units. I am lucky to have the advice of some of the physicians I had worked with in the past about how to rank my placement choices. I am just hoping I get a spot!
As I contemplate applying for a job (and hopefully a new grad program) I get so excited about being a nurse in the changing times. With the latest Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative for the Future of Nursing, I believe that nurses are starting to be recognized for their professionalism and leadership in the healthcare profession. I also believe that it is up to us (the future nurses) to put this change into motion and set an example for future generations of nurses. In the latest issue of "Imprint" - a quarterly publication by the National Student Nurses' Association, professionalism is the topic of discussion. Several articles talk about how nursing has long been one of the most trusted professions. They also mention that often to a patient, one nurse can represent all nurses - either positively or negatively. The bottom line is that it is up to us to ensure that we portray those characteristics of a professional, so that we remain among the most trusted professions and we maintain quality patient care and advancement in the profession with integrity. I know that I and my colleagues often grumble about the strict dress and conduct codes that take a whole class period to discuss each semester, but I know we all realize the importance of professionalism to our patients, our professors and our peers.
