Reflective Essay: Nursing Philosophy and Career - NURS 4516

This reflective essay, written by a nursing student, explores their journey into the profession, reflecting on their initial aspirations, challenges faced, and the evolution of their nursing philosophy. The essay discusses communication barriers with patients from diverse cultural backgrounds and strategies to overcome them, such as non-verbal and written communication. It also addresses the importance of building trust with patients, providing timely medication, and maintaining accurate health records. Furthermore, the essay emphasizes the holistic approach to nursing, including mental and emotional well-being, teamwork, and patient-centered care, highlighting the significance of empathy, respect for patient values, and informed consent. The author concludes by outlining their commitment to providing a safe and supportive environment for patient recovery. The bibliography includes relevant research articles supporting the concepts discussed in the essay.

Running head: REFLECTIVE ESSAY IN NURSING
Reflective Essay In Nursing
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

REFLECTIVE ESSAY IN NURSING 2
From a very early age, I aspired to be a nurse. To me, nursing is one of the most respectful
and noble profession in the world, as it related to well-being of the people. From the very
childhood I always wanted to help the people in need, support and care for them. So I chose
nursing as my career option. But it was not at all a smooth journey, I faced lots of issues and
challenges. However, my self determination and dedication towards this profession helped
me to focus on my goals and overcome those challenges.
One of the major challenges associated with nursing is communication barrier with the
patients belonging to different cultural background. To resolve this, nurses seek the help of
non-verbal or written communication which improved my communication with the patients.
And sometimes, the patients who got admitted to the hospital seems very afraid, confused and
in a state of shock, even they refused to share their information with the nurses due to trust
issue. So, it is the responsibility of a nurse to assure the patient and make their comfortable
and relaxed, prescribe them medication on a timely basis at the correct dose, maintain the
patient reports and health records.
I also learnt that nursing is not about taking care of the patient’s physical health, but there are
vast number of other roles that a nurse needs to perform within a healthcare organization,
such as ensuring good mental and emotional state of the patient by building a strong
therapeutic relationship with them, providing a safe, hygienic and secured environment for
their fast recovery and healing, also advocating for their health and wellbeing. I also learnt
the importance of teamwork and collaborative approach to deliver enhanced and improved
healthcare service to the patients, it also improved by relationship with the fellow nurses and
clinical staffs.
As a nurse, my first priority will be to provide patient centered care keeping their issues and
concern in mind. I will also respect their values and opinions, show empathy and compassion

REFLECTIVE ESSAY IN NURSING 3
towards them, listen to their queries carefully and plan the treatment actions accordingly. I
will also take their consent before starting with any treatment procedures, and if the patient
refuses, I will consider it as the final decision and not try to persuade their decision. Overall, I
will provide them a healthy and safe environment which will facilitate their quick recovery
and well-being.

REFLECTIVE ESSAY IN NURSING 4
BIBLIOGRAPHY
D'Agostino, F., Pancani, L., Romero‐Sánchez, J. M., Lumillo‐Gutierrez, I., Paloma‐Castro,
O., Vellone, E., & Alvaro, R. (2018). Nurses' beliefs about nursing diagnosis: A study
with cluster analysis. Journal of advanced nursing, 74(6), 1359-1370.
Kaya, H., Işik, B., Şenyuva, E., & Kaya, N. (2017). Personal and professional values held by
baccalaureate nursing students. Nursing Ethics, 24(6), 716-731.