A nurse is someone who is caring and compassionate. They are sensitive to patient’s needs and do everything they can to better people’s health. I believe nursing is an art mixed with science, it takes a certain type of person to be a good nurse. When graduating from kindergarten at the age of five, we were asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. Our graduation scrolls had our dream careers written on them and mine was to be a doctor.
From a very early age, my family let me doctor their cuts and scrapes, pretending to be their caregiver. As I’ve grown and had my share of doctor and hospital visits, it has become clear to me that nurses are much more benevolent than doctors. Some characteristics I believe a nurse should possess include hardworking, caring, responsible, honest, loving, determined, persistent, and should be a good listener. The three principles that have guided me throughout my life are hard work, persistence, and kindness.
As a future nurse, there are many things that will guide me in success. My three principles are very essential to nursing practices. Hard work and persistence will help you to work long shifts, care all night for an intensive care patient, and perform CPR on someone for an extended time. It is extremely important to do your job to the best of your ability and give 100 percent. Nurses should keep a set of goals for themselves.
Whether it’s a daily goal or a long-term goal, it’s important to stay ambitious, never settle, and continue to learn. Kindness is one of the main qualities a nurse should have. When caring for strangers who are putting their lives in your hands, kindness and understanding will put them at ease. People who are comfortable are usually more compliant and relaxed. It is a valuable tool to have when working in the healthcare profession and dealing with people that need assistance.
Many people would agree that growing up playing sports can teach you a lot of important life lessons. Playing softball for 15 years shaped me into the person I am today. My father was always brutally honest with me when it came to sports. He was always quick to tell me when I absolutely sucked, what was done wrong, and what needed to be worked on. Learning that honesty from him taught me that being honest really is the best policy.
I would spend weeks on my own at the batting cages trying to fix a problem with my swing, this taught me persistence and hard work always pays off. Each season, we would set goals for myself for the year, things like batting average, fielding percentage, and on-base percentage. My education is no different. Setting goals and working hard to achieve them is something that has been instilled in me from an early age.
Kindness is an important principle that guides my decisions in life. My mother always taught me to use the Golden Rule in all situations. She is such an influential person in my life. She also taught me to be well-mannered and to respect others. It’s not easy to show kindness to someone who may not deserve it in some instances, but you can catch more flies with honey! My mother is a dental hygienist, and I have witnessed her dealing with difficult patients and coworkers.
Her attitude and reactions are always professional and kind. She does not judge anyone and treats everyone the same with a smile on her face. This has made a big impact on me because it takes kindness to be a nurse. Nurses will most certainly have to deal with problematic patients. Reacting to situations professionally and with kindness will help ease difficulties. I am grateful for the lessons taught to me by my parents, these will definitely benefit me in the nursing profession.
Nursing is mainly a learned practice, learning diseases, patient care, etc. However, most components of nursing can’t be taught, they are characteristics someone possesses. It is imperative to know what principles you possess and how to use them to your benefit. I am proud to have learned these traits and use them as my guidelines to life. “Have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tires, a touch that never hurts.” -Charles Dickens
