Running Header: NURSING IN THE REAL WORLD 1

Nursing In The Real World

Danielle Bular
ENGL-321
Ferris State University






















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Abstract

This paper is to explain the profession of nursing. After the reader is finished this paper
they will have a better understanding of what nurses do on a daily basis and what is
expected from the standards of care. It also explains educational requirement that nurses
must complete on a yearly basis and degree wise. You will be able to see the different
ethical aspects along with how a nurse of 20 years views the career.


































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Nursing in the real world

I had the great pleasure to interview a nurse that has been in the field for over
twenty years. While interviewing Bill, we were able to talk about the different types of
communication he uses on a daily basis. He talked about using writing progress notes,
which stay in the patients chart, everyday. These are short paragraphs describing what is
happening with the patients care. Sometimes he writes one progress note to many if
something acute is happening with the patient. Bill also talked about working with
different occupations everyday. He works with Doctors, other nurses, physical therapy,
and occupational therapy, Managers. I do speak to outside personal also, including
paramedics, family members of patients and other hospital when transferring patients to
other facilities. (Bill D )

Bill talked about going to conferences a few times a year and then having to write
a paper about the experience. He uses APA format when he writes his reports on his
trips. He has been closely working with his management to put information in the hands
of the other nurses on the floor. It is important that nurses stay up to date on the
standards of care. We are require to take classes every year that ensure that us as nurses
are at our best potential.

After getting through the fluff of what Bill does on an everyday basis, we started
talking about what nursing means to him. Nursing is a interesting career. I have seen a
lot over twenty years in this field. I try to stay current on all of the latest updates in
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nursing. My work sends me to conferences a few times a year. I know that what I do
makes a difference in peoples lives. I get the incredible opportunity to take care of a
person when they are at there worst and hopefully watch them get healthier. () Nursing
is a up and coming career where a person can have a science basis but unlike doctors you
get to spend quality time with your patients.(Bill D) While I was interviewing Bill I
could see the passion he had for nursing. It is amazing to see someone so passionate
about this career after twenty years. I think it would be hard to stay hopeful and
passionate after that long. I should have asked him what his secret is.

Some of the skills and qualifications that nurses are required to have at Bills
hospital are as a nurse you have to have your degree along with passing your NCLEX.
My job requires continuing education that has to be done every year. (Bill D) Some of
the classes I take are pain management; dysrhythmia and wound care but those are only a
few. We have the opportunities to get certified in chemotherapy, inserting PICC lines
and a number of other things. (Bill D) The skill we need for this job are hospice care,
pain management, starting IVs, understanding the needs of our patients, wound care, and
working as a team.(Bill D)

While we were talking I asked Bill about the things that surprise him in his career
and he said, I guess just everything I see from a day-to-day basis. Nothing is cookie
cutter. I never thought I would deal with so many different families, cultures and
attitudes of my patients.(Bill D) I can not even imagine all of the things Bill has seen,
felt and experienced during his twenty years.
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After interview Bill, I have a better understanding of all the work and love that
goes into being a nurse. Getting to experience a person at their sickest and watching
them getting better it has to be very rewarding. I found that everything can change in a
moment in nursing for the good of the bad and as a nurse you have to have extensive
training and a resilient personality to excel at this career.

Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities,
prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and
treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families,
communities, and populations. (ANA)

People view professionalism in many different ways. For people who do not work
in the health care field, they may view professionalism as more of a hierarchy than a
person centered. In nursing we must deal with all kind of patients, illnesses and death.
When dealing with patients you must educate on the new medications, the disease
process of your patient and the latest updates in professional nursing. One of the few
aspects of this profession is demeanor and maintaining your poise and being
knowledgeable about what is currently going on with patient. (Pender)

Another part of professionalism is ethics. As a nurse there is a very fine line
between ethical and unethical. Bill talked about cases that he saw where the patients
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family wanted extorinary measures taken to keep the patient alive but in reality you as a
nurse have to take into consideration the quality of life that your patient has currently. If
the nurse thinks what the family is asking is causing more harm then good you must
address the issues with the doctor and care managers on the case who will look over the
case and determines if it is unethical. (Bill D)

Nursing has many different aspects it includes confidentiality, patient privacy,
professional boundaries, being an avocet for the patient, direct patient care, collaboration
with other health care workers. The profession of nursing is reserved for a person, who is
willing to throw him or herself into ongoing ever-changing studying of diseases, scope of
practice and medications. They must be willing to work in collaborations with a system
of multi-disciplinary team who support and participate in the healing of the patient.
(Nursingworld)

Nursing is a profession that brings joy, pain, tears and every emotion that one can
feel. A person who deiced to go into this field needs to be able to handle bodily fluids,
understanding end of life care and charting. A person can decide to go into nursing and
work with direct patient care or work be hide a deck. Nursing is the only career that I
have found that a person can change what they are doing at any point. They can go from
a nurse at the hospital to a school nurse to a case manager.

If a nurse does not stay up to date with continuing education, competences and
standards of care they will not be able to practice in the field again without retaking the
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N-CLEX. Which is the test to licenses a nurse in the United States. While nurses have
yearly competencies they also are encouraged to further their education outside of work.
The company many pay for a higher degree but they will ask for the nurse to stay at the
company for a previously agreed amount of time. Sometimes that can be up to two years
after the nurse completes their degree. Completely a bachelor degree can let one become
a manager of a floor and it helps them get hired into a magnet hospital. When a nurse
decides to complete their masters degree it is what is called a terminal degree. With a
bachelors degree a nurse can smoothly move from job to job doing many different things.
If they receive a masters degree they must choice one out of the five specialties. After
the research nurses so work in the field for a few years before they choose a terminal
degree. (Black)
Reflection
Nursing is an ever-changing beautiful profession. A person who chooses this for a life
career needs to understand what goes into everyday practice of a nurse. They need to be
aware of the emotional maturity that this career demands. Nursing is a beautiful
profession. It encompasses patient care, teamwork and compassion. As a nurse you get to
be there at the first cry of a newborn to a persons last breath. You heal with attitude,
empathy and love.





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References
ANA, (2012). Code of Ethics. American Nurses Association. (), pp.

ANA, (2011). Professional Standards. ANA. (), pp.

Black, (2011). 'Conceptual and Philosophical Bases of Nursing'. In: Elsevier Saunders
(ed), Professional Nursing. 6th ed. St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Saunders.

Bill D. Interview. Nursing. Sept 10th, 2013 .

Pender, (2011). Health Promotion in Nursing Practice . 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River,
New Jersey : Pearson.

Nursing world (2005). What is Nursing?. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.nursingworld.org/EspeciallyForYou/What-is-Nursing. [Last Accessed
Sept 15th, 2013].

The American Nurse (Sept 3rd, 2013). Nurses explore trends,take action and
celebrate. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.theamericannurse.org/index.php/2013/09/03/nurses-explore-trends-take-
action-celebrate/. [Last Accessed Sept 15th, 2013 ].


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Interview Notes:

I am interviewing Bill who has been a nurse for over 20 years.

Questions asked

Bill as a nurse who has been working in the field for over 20 years can you give me
an overview of what kinds of communications do you see on the job?

Well I dont write papers on the job but I do communicate with Doctors on a daily
basis when I have to write progress notes and such

Who else do you communicate with while youre on the job?

I talk to Doctors, other nurses, physical therapy, and occupational therapy,
Managers. I do speak to outside personal also including paramedics, family
members of patients and other hospital when transferring patients to other
facilities.

How does nursing define itself?

Nursing is a interesting career. I have seen a lot over twenty years in this field. I try
to stay current on all of the latest updates in nursing. My work sends me to
conferees a few times a year. I know that what I do makes a difference in peoples
lives. I get the incredible opportunity to take care of a person when they are at there
worst and hopefully watch them get healthier.

Nursing is a up and coming career where a person can have a science basis but
unlike doctors you get to spend quality time with your patients.

What kind of qualifications and skills does your job require?

As a nurse you have to have your degree along with passing your nclex. My job
requires continuing education that has to be done every year.

What are kind of continuing education do you take?

Well some of the classes I take are pain management; dysrhythmia and wound care
but those are only a few. We have the opportunities to get certified in
chemotherapy, inserting picc lines and a number of other things.

Some of the skill we need for this job are hospice care, pain management, starting
IVs, understanding the needs of our patients, wound care, and working as a team.

What surprised you the most when you started nursing?
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I guess just everything I see from a day-to-day basis. Nothing is cookie cut. I never
thought I would deal with so many different families, cultures and attuides of my
patients.