Critical Analysis of Nursing Identity, HEAL811, Wintec, Semester 1

This essay presents a critical analysis of the author's nursing identity, exploring their social, cultural, and professional history. It delves into the qualities, skills, and knowledge the author brings to nursing, including attention to detail, communication skills, critical thinking, and cultural awareness. The essay also examines the author's aspirations and vision for their cultural and professional identity, including a desire to work in remote areas and serve marginalized populations. Furthermore, the essay includes a critical review of the literature on Sister Maude, a historical New Zealand nurse, and considers how her history relates to the author's aspirations. The author reflects on their experiences in homeopathy, mental health, and community health, highlighting the importance of cultural safety, teamwork, and addressing social determinants of health. The essay emphasizes the author's commitment to providing holistic care and improving health outcomes for underserved communities.

Running head: CRITICAL ANALYSIS 1
Critical Analysis
Institution
Student
Date

CRITICAL ANALYSIS 2
Critical Analysis
Introduction
This essay serves several purposes. It explains who I am as a nurse, what I bring to nursing as
well as my professional vision and aspirations for cultural and professional identity. It contains a
reflection on my social, cultural, and professional history. In order to bring out this reflection
clearly, this essay also examines my qualities, skills, knowledge, and other capabilities I bring to
the field of nursing. In the second section, this essay attempts to do a critical review of the
literature of Sister Maude, a historical New Zealand Nurse whose services still exist in New
Zealand. In order to integrate this with the first section, this article puts into consideration how
her history relates to my own aspirations and vision for personal, cultural and professional
growth in the nursing profession. As (Bulman, Lathlean, & Gobbi, 2011, p. 1) state reflection in
nursing relates to a professional motivation to ‘move on' and ‘do better' within the practice to
learn from experience and exposure. Thus, while as I conduct this critical reflection I expect to
face incongruity, uncertainty and uncomfortable facts about myself, health services, and nursing
profession as a whole.
Critical Reflection on my Social, Cultural and Professional History
Social History
I was born and raised in a South Indian family enriched with culture of Hinduism. My catholic
faith was an added benefit from the school. When I thought about a career, I was sure about the
healthcare sector, but I was not sure about the role. Influence of a male dominant society and the
social structure made me force my thoughts to be an independent practitioner as a Homeopath.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS 3
Autonomy of decision making attracted me to the career along with the holistic approach to care.
The disparities in health care, unfair fees, and unnecessary tests gave many people a financial
burden which in turn made health care unaffordable and inaccessible to many people. I wanted
my patients to come to me without the fear of losing money, without the fear of overloading with
tests and medications. I made every case file on the platform of social determinants of health
(Reddy, Rao, Vijeepallam, & Pandy, 2017, p. 3). I could not only offer those poor, a free
consultation or charged half the usual fees but also run the camps with the Kerala Government
health department in Dengue Fever and Chikungunya outbreaks in Kerala, India (Wahid, Amjad,
Shazia, & Idress , 2017, p. 5). The general health issues were not treated in the same way. But I
wanted it to happen and once in a while I was a part of the team responsible for giving people
general health checks and identifying illness in the rural and disadvantaged tribal population.
Cultural History
Respecting elders, caring for people, offering food for the needy, sharing the feelings,
celebrating success, supporting in falls are all part of the culture. Also, the spiritualistic
dimension of health can understand how much religious believes can affect people. The
importance of job and value of education was fed into me from childhood. From the convent
school run by nuns, I learned the importance of charity, self-discipline, considering the neighbor,
supporting people, determination and to be responsible for my actions. Even living in the society
was well defined as a woman, as a wife and as a mother. I can critically reflect on this point as I
was raised by parents who gave me freedom of choice, but it was not the case with several
others. I can say like the freedom to think and thinking outside the box helped me a lot to move
ahead in life by becoming a homeopath, practicing (autonomy), confident to take decisions and

CRITICAL ANALYSIS 4
made me work for people who are in need. I can also say that my mum and aunts are nurses and I
could see their attitude towards life as well as discipline in their life and in everything they did.
Dad had political affiliations with left democratic front and was very much opinionated. We had
heated conversations in our house, and I got a bit into my blood too. It influenced me when I
worked for the people. My dad loved Lenin and Karl Marx. I always wanted to work for those
who are in real need which can be considered to encourage me to study more about public health
and work for the primary care in future.
Professional History
I have worked in medical camps in Kerala after the epidemic outbreak and after Tsunami hit
Kerala, India as a homeopath. Supplying prophylactic medicines, health promotion and
evaluation of the efficacy of medicine afterwards. Worked along with other medical professional
to assess and identify any communicable disease outbreak in the camps and isolated the cases to
prevent further spread. So I have the attitude towards working as a team, for a community and
even from a social work perspective. (Barnard, 2017, p. 93)
I have worked in mental health and addictions and attended trainings on Cultural safety. The
working experience has helped me to see how the (participation, protection and partnership)
principles of Treaty can be applied in work. The Tikanga Maori is the best practice we can
follow in caring and supporting Maori clients (McLachlan, Hungerford, Schroder, & Adamson,
2012). The rapport can be created, and the recovery can be more effective when staffs are
working culturally appropriate. Just like any other homeopath, I face opposition about the
efficacy of the medicines (Med, 2010, par. 15). I was also in doubt but as I started practicing, I
could see the effectiveness of homeopathic medicine in most of the ailments. When I worked in

CRITICAL ANALYSIS 5
Mental Health in a Non-Government Organisation in New Zealand, safety was lacking because
of various issues such as staff shortage and mismanagement. This in turn caused huge staff
turnover rates in the organisation. District health board manages tried to better the situation by
using casual employees, but NGO did not do it. After observing many unsafe practices at work I
took initiative and questioned the mistakes. I was astonished to figure out that management
always comes up with lame excuses to gag up employees like me who raises concerns about the
situation in the organisation.
Critical Examination of the Qualities, Skills, Knowledge, and other Capabilities I bring to
nursing
Qualities and Skills
Some of my key qualities that are essential vital in the nursing profession include attention to
detail, communication skills, critical thinking, problem solving skills, and cultural awareness.
Attention to detail: From my studies to work, I aim at achieving accuracy and thoroughness
when undertaking any given task. I can attribute properly mastery of this skill to my splendid
performance in class. Also, when reading a patient’s chart, I do it correctly in order to avoid the
nuances of delicate cases while in my line of duty. In short, when it comes to studies and work, I
leave nothing to chance. I am aware a simple error and carelessness can spell tragedy for another
person’s life (Higgs, Jones, Loftus, & Christensen, 2018, p. 53).
Communication skills: Outstanding communication skills are a fundamental cornerstone for my
nursing career. I have excellent communication skills in both speaking and listening aspects. I
am able to communicate efficiently with patients and their families (Higgs, & Jensen, 2019).

CRITICAL ANALYSIS 6
Critical thinking: Throughout my course studies, I have developed critical thinking skills that
often help solve both academic and work-related problems and make the right decisions (Higgs,
2019). I am able to make examine something (say patient data), analyze, interpret, evaluate it and
thereafter make proper decisions regarding the issue at hand.
Cultural awareness: My life experiences, practical contacts, participations, involvements, and
observations have equipped with relevant knowledge and skills applicable in the nursing field.
Besides, my work knowledge has also enhanced my inherent skills and aptitudes looked for in
the nursing profession (Kuiper, & Pesut, 2004).
Knowledge
Nursing information, facts, skills, theoretical and practical understandings I have acquired in the
past enable me to be a specific fit in the nursing field. These include medical knowledge, cultural
awareness, and working knowledge that involve proper understandings of social determinants of
health and mental health issues prevalent in New Zealand. New Zealand’s social determinants of
health are special circumstances wherein natives are born, live, grow, work and even age. Such
circumstances are formed by the country’s distribution of resources, power, money, and power at
its local level. One in every six adults in New Zealand had been diagnosed with a common
psychological condition at some time in their lives. This includes, anxiety disorders, bipolar
disorders, depression. Nearly 8% of adults had undergone mental distress in the past four weeks
(Community & Public Health, 2019).
Medical knowledge: I have acquired a deep understanding of all evolving and established social-
behavioral, epidemiological, clinical, and biomedical sciences and I have the capability to apply

CRITICAL ANALYSIS 7
them to patient healthcare and enthusiastically and appropriately transfer that knowledge to other
people in the nursing profession (Carper, 1999).
Cultural awareness: I am fully aware of our cultural perceptions, beliefs, and values. This helps
me to increase the chances of me making more intuitive and informed decisions and also lessen
chances of making inappropriate decisions in my nursing practices (Higgs, 2019). For instance, I
am well versed with the three Ps contained in the Treaty of Waitangi namely partnership,
participation and protection. Partnership calls upon nurses and other medical practitioners to
work together with Māori, whānau, hapū, and iwi communities to develop proper medication
strategies. The second P requires nurses to actively protect Māori values, interests, and
knowledge in their day to day professional operations. Participation emphasizes on positive
engagement of Māori at every level of their nursing practices through initiatives and education
(Eshun, & Gurung, (Eds.).2009).
Working knowledge: I am well versed with various social determinants of health and mental
health issues prevalent in New Zealand. This implies that I will be in a position to apply my
theoretical and practical knowledge to provide suitable solutions to these issues.
Critical Review of my Own Aspirations and Vision for Cultural and Professional Identity
My aspirations are to be able to do the best prognosis and diagnosis for a patient and do the best
care planning. Identifying what is the underlying issue both from a medical point of view and
from the environment the person lives. I want to recognize the arrhythmia on the monitor and
intervene before the heart flies off into useless flutter.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS 8
I would like to work in the remote and rural areas of New Zealand and help the people with their
health awareness improve accessibility and mobile clinics. As I progress in my career, I will be
thinking to become a nurse practitioner who can work with anyone any time, unprejudiced for
the needy, for single mums with disadvantaged back grounds, for those aged patients who do not
have anyone to take them to a health center, and to those kids who are deprived of food and
education and happiness due to circumstances.
I see myself working for the marginalized people who are discriminated and see every day as a
day of a hope. Those old generation, who knows each and every weather and every season and
every movements happened in New Zealand, who are living by their own in their beautiful
houses in the farms looking for a health professional to get a medical check-up done, but still do
not ask for help. I will be thinking of finding a group of similar minded people to offer voluntary
medical treatment for those we have identified as needy based on social determinants of health
by New Zealand government (Higgs, & Jensen, 2019). Focusing on a community and a group of
health professionals working together for improving the residents’ health outcomes, especially in
children and young mothers, is an important factor. Especially it will be a good idea to encourage
young nurses to work in the remote areas to give them a chance to understand the life in remote
areas.
The collaboration of many systems of medicine and research on each medicine in India shows
enough evidence of complementary medicine (Paranjape, M. R. (Ed) 2015). From the working
experience I can accommodate the traditional medical practices followed by the Maori. The
concept of Te Whare Tapa Wha by Durie, M. H, 1984 gives a good understanding of the Maori

CRITICAL ANALYSIS 9
view of Health and I found it is acceptable to most of the people when looking at through the big
lens of public health (Pitama, Robertson, Cram, Gillies, Huria, & Dallas-Katoa, 2007).
One New Zealand Nurse
Nurse chosen is Nurse Maude. Sibylla Emily Maude OBE (11 August 1862 – 12 July 1935),
known as Nurse Maude, was the founder of district nursing in New Zealand. She was loved for
her selfless work for the poor, walking many miles each day in every kind of weather to treat
those who could afford no medical help. Nurse Maude is notable for her work completely
practical in outlook; she understood the importance of preventing illness if possible and of
treating it in the early stages. The works of Sister Maude about prevention of ailment and her
contribution to the disadvantaged, which was more than a nurse’s job open anyone’s conscious
to become a public health nurse. She worked as a matron for the Christchurch hospital where
she faced controversies for the reformations she made and decided to serve as a nurse. Nurse
Maude becomes a legacy in Public Health nursing when we investigate her work in health
promotion, health education (Christchurch City Council, 2019). Her works during the influenza
epidemic gave her the title ‘the hardest worked woman of the epidemic’. She opened a soup-
kitchen for malnourished children during the difficult economic conditions of the 1920s
(Hughes, 2018).
How Nurse Maude’s history relates to my own aspirations and vision for personal, cultural
and professional growth in the nursing profession
Sister Maude could not handle management and was more interested in more nursing. I can
relate myself to this because I also aspire to focus entirely on my roles as a nurse. I anticipate

CRITICAL ANALYSIS 10
working in outpatient facilities or hospitals where I can offer pro-active healthcare patients by
communicating with doctors, maintaining records, observing and monitoring patients’
conditions, managing intravenous lines, and administering medications. Maude was multiskilled,
and self-motivated. Just like her, I envision a career path where I will be in a position to go
beyond the patients’ physical care and support and provide them with emotional support to them
and their families. I would like to develop my professional knowledge so that I can educate the
general public on disease management, provide them with information on homecare, medical
conditions, special diet plans, and how they can self-administer medications ( Ironside, 2015).
She got the title of the hardest working nurse of Epidemics which remind me of the epidemic
outbreak happened in Kerala, India where I selflessly provided healthcare services to the
afflicted. I was a member of the multi-disciplinary team that was led by the Indian Government’s
National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) whose main responsibility was to respond to the
Nipah virus disease outbreak.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS 11
References
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(Eds.). Perspectives on philosophy of science in nursing: An historical and contemporary
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District Nursing. Retrieved from https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/sibylla-emily-
maude/
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Higgs, J., & Jensen, G. M. (2019). Re-interpreting clinical reasoning: A model of encultured
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