Given the different other fields and professions that an individual can practice today, many people wonder why I still continue my profession as a registered nurse and labor the long hours for the relatively reasonable salary that I receive. I have always held that my continued dedication to this line of work is based on my passion for caring and helping other people. I believe that nursing is one of the ways by which I am able to do something that I really want to do in my life and that is to care and help other people.
I have had plenty of experience dealing with patients and their families and as such I feel that in line with my goal of being able to help other people in life I must become a better teacher and instructor so that I can pass on my the knowledge that I have gained through my experiences to others. I also firmly believe that obtaining a masters degree will be beneficial to me in that it will open new doors to more opportunities in the field of nursing.
In my 19 years of critical care experience I have learned a number of valuable lessons. One of the more important things that I have learned is how one can become a better registered nurse. My years of experience at Jacobi Medical Center in New York have exposed me to all sorts of situations which call for different types of approaches. During this time I realized that the most important characteristic that a good registered nurse must have is in being able to be able to show the patient that you have their best interests at heart but at the same time conduct yourself in a very professional manner.
These are but a few of the lessons that I have learned in my years of experience and I have come to understand that mentoring has become an important aspect of the nursing practice. Mentoring is very important because it teaches the new nurses (or old nurses for that matter) the finer points of the profession. As I mentioned earlier, there is a special type of manner by which a nurse must conduct herself in order to be effective in performing her task. The bedside manners are very important and it is something that just cannot be taught in classrooms. Students however can be guided and instructed so as to understand how to be able to develop that kind of professional approach.
There is much more to the nursing practice than what is contained in the manuals and handbooks and I believe that I have learned so much through my years of experience. The fact that I have mentored over 75 registered nurses is a testament to not only my dedication to this line of work but also of my ability as an instructor. My current position as adjunct clinical Instructor at the Beth Israel School of nursing has allowed me to continue my passion for nursing and teaching. It has enabled me to instruct more nurses to become more than just machines that come in and punch in their time cards but rather professional registered nurses who show their passion and dedication to the profession through their approach and practice.
My excellent professional, technical and leadership skills, which I have gained throughout my practice as a registered nurse, will surely be very helpful in mentoring the new nurses that come on board. More importantly, my dedication to nursing and teaching, as well as my personal goal of being in a position to help those in need, is perhaps the reason why I am still in this profession.
This wonderful opportunity is a chance for me to teach and instruct nurses and at the same time enable me to still be at the bedside of patients where I feel comfortable. In fact I personally feel that I will never leave the bedside because it makes me a better instructor and a better registered nurse as well.
