Reflective Essay: A Nurse In Progress

A Nurse in Progress
I remember when I began my practice as a nurse at the main hospital in my hometown, I was only fifteen years old. By then I had a nerve wracking experience; at first I thought that it would be anything but easy which turned out to be true. I was not aware of the great commitment of the health staff at the time of treating patients, but as weeks passed by I got more familiar with each of the procedures to perform there. I had the opportunity of working directly with individuals suffering from various diseases both physiological and psychological, but the place did not meet the necessary conditions to provide good service. The patients were crammed into one common room, transmitted odors that were not very pleasant to the smell, they had sores in their skins and it was depressing to see their situations as many suffered from not having good health and not knowing what to do.
Lucky for me, I kept all the time running like a squirrel behind the veteran nurses in search of something new to learn, even when their humor seemed to be heavier than an anchor. I had to stay with them and do everything they asked me to perform, especially when my colleagues played like fools doing nothing. Between gauze and sterile material I had the duty to heal the wounds of the patients, to receive them when they arrived from the operating room, bathe them if needed, and sometimes stopping to listen to some of their personal stories which were generally very sad. Of all the areas in which I worked, I preferred the maternity area where I assisted in childbirths, helped receiving newborns, recorded their data and put them in their mothers’ arms. I felt important! One occasion I arrived at the emergency department and checked in an injured man who had been hit by a driver while crossing the street and unfortunately did not survive, that was a very sensitive moment but I told myself that the time had come to be strong. The doctor on duty contacted his family and gave them the news that their relative died, and after a few minutes his wife and children arrived and of all of them their youngest daughter appeared to be the most desperate one, crying without consolation. I approached her and began to comfort and give her encouragement. I saw this scene as a moment of courage, I realized that despite the hospital conditions it was not an impediment to give my best and serve the needy. Some days later, when analyzing things well I remembered that those emotionally-shocking situations would not make me give up on my dream of becoming a nurse. …show more content…
At the end I can say I had very pleasant experiences, such as seeing improving a patient or the patient 's family thanking me for my work; it feels really good and is the best motivation someone can give you in this type of job. I experienced that listening to patients is crucial to determine the best way to care for them. Perhaps many of them do not remember your name but what they will remember is how you made them feel during their time of grief. Nursing is very self-sacrificing, but working with kindness and patience, responsibility, honesty, empathy, respect and unconditional dedication those sacrifices let me know that it is worth the effort. I realized that nursing care is