Hero’s Journey Reflection
The journey to becoming a nurse is comparable to that of becoming a hero. To truly be a great nurse, there must first be a calling that inspires one to become a hero for their future patients. Throughout the process of learning, many experiences can be overwhelming and discouraging. Because of this, it is essential to persist through challenges and constantly be open to learning. Nurses are not only responsible for learning, but being compassionate advocates for their patients, which ultimately makes them heroic.
Call to Adventure
When I first entered nursing school, I was aware it would be challenging but was not completely prepared for its demands. As a freshman, I was excited to take new classes and face new challenges. The rigorous science courses were intriguing to me, but they did not come without trouble. There were many times when I entered the abyss, feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how I would reach my goals. During these moments, I had to remind myself of my ultimate goal, which is to become a nurse and provide high quality, compassionate care to my patients. Ultimately, my qualities of persistence, devotion, and time management pulled me through each of my classes with the grades I sought to attain.
Heroes must possess numerous virtues that allow them to face challenges and rise to success. The virtues I consider most significant are passion, integrity, confidence, caring, and humility. Now that I have entered the nursing program, I have acquired more skills and qualities which will be highly beneficial to me as a hero on her journey. My mentors have continually shown me the value of qualities such as compassion, being observant, and honoring human dignity. My learning is no longer merely focused on science but has transformed into viewing patients holistically. As a nurse, my job is not simply to heal patients; it is to establish a therapeutic relationship with them, assess their needs, and treat them as a person.
Departure/Crossing the Threshold
As I crossed the threshold into the nursing major, my greatest difficulties were all within myself. This shadow manifested mainly as lack of self-esteem, anxiety, and a heavy schedule that resulted in a clouded mind. While I believe that heroes must be confident, it has been incredibly difficult for me to maintain confidence in myself at certain points in nursing school. I have always considered myself to be my biggest critic, as I set very high standards for myself and feel great disappointment when I do not reach them. Various mentors in my life reminded me that it is okay to not be perfect. They assured me that everything would be okay if I took my work one step at a time. At the white coat ceremony, I was reminded of all the work I had put in to that point and how proud I was to receive that coat in front of my family. From that point on, I believed that I was capable of reaching my goals in becoming a compassionate nurse. In that moment, I was certain that I could become competent and benevolent in my nursing career.
Initiation/Transformation
While I am eager to gain experience in the acute care setting, it is likely that various shadows will follow me throughout this transformation. As I mentioned before, I have very high expectations for myself that often leave me feeling disappointed or like a failure. When I fail to achieve a goal in my academic work, I can typically overcome it and move forward with a positive attitude. However, as I begin taking care of real patients, this lack of self-esteem is going to make me much more vulnerable. My utmost goal is to be the kind of nurse a patient can trust and is comfortable talking to. I am not guaranteed to be perfect at what I do; mistakes are essentially guaranteed in the learning process. Whenever challenges arise in the clinical setting, it is possible that I will lead myself into an abyss as the result of self-doubt. If I let these inevitable challenges continuously overwhelm me, it will inhibit my ability to learn and succeed. Therefore, it is important to remember that establishing good relationships with patients will act as an amulet in my journey. My previous experience providing care to residents in long-term care will also act as an amulet, as my knowledge and experience will support me as I move further toward my goal of becoming a competent nurse.
Extending the Journey
As I embark on this journey of becoming a professional nurse, I make the commitment to be a hero not only for my future patients, but also for my professors and myself. Heroes must show integrity, be honest, passionate, committed, and caring. There is a place for each of these qualities in the nursing profession. As a nurse, it is my responsibility to rise up to the challenges of each day. In order to truly succeed as a hero, I must be open to continuous lifelong learning. Each experience – whether it be in school or taking care of a patient – has the ability to challenge me and lead to growth. When I think about my future, I view my openness to lifelong learning as the best quality I could have. I am bound to make mistakes as I learn to be a nurse; however, if I accept that my mistakes can lead to transformation, then I will learn in a way that will help me better the lives of my patients. My ultimate goal is to be fully dedicated to the well-being of my patients and to continuously find ways to challenge myself and learn.
It is inevitable that I will face challenges all throughout my journey as a nurse. My commitment to being a nurse requires that I meet adversity with positivity and open myself to new experiences and learning. Despite the shadows I will face and the moments I feel as though I am stuck in an abyss, I will remember what inspired me to become a nurse in the first place. I will choose to remember the impact I will make on my patients lives, and ultimately decide that their well-being is worth the challenges I will face.
