After reviewing the film, “NURSES: If Florence Could See Us Now,” I recognized how nurses have a very diverse skill set that includes strong communication and interpersonal and critical thinking skills, resiliency, adaptability, and time management.  Nurses are adaptable to each patient situation and cater their care according to the patient’s needs.  While I have strengthened my interpersonal and critical thinking skills thus far in the nursing program through clinical and didactic experiences, I need to improve my resiliency, time management, and communication skills with the patient’s family members. Jason Vargas, a pediatric nurse from the film, highlighted how he wears a Superman shirt, a tiger covering over his stethoscope, and a Lego themed pen light in order to help patients “feel more at ease” during their care (Douglas, 2014, 00:07:18).  This level of care and dedication not only helps facilitate a strong relationship with the patient, but also shows the family that the nurse truly cares about their loved one and wants them to feel as comfortable as possible throughout their plan of care.  In the beginning of the film, another pediatric nurses, Kathleen Ring, talked about how she is not only caring for the patient, but the family and their support systems, as well (Douglas, 2014).  This aspect of nursing is vital no matter what area of nursing I plan to pursue.  In pediatrics, the ability to communicate well and develop a trusting relationship with not only the patient, but also the family members are critical in the care of the patient.  While I have not started my pediatric rotation, I plan on practicing my communication skills with family members and ensuring that I practice developing a good rapport with my patient prior to initiating taking their vitals or doing a thorough assessment.  I also recognize that I need to improve upon my ability to process a difficult prognosis of a patient and help navigate that circumstance with the patient’s family members.  As a nurse, it is important to use therapeutic communication with the patient and family members when grieving and help support them through the plan of care.

            Some of the barriers of care that nurses face can be the physical barriers between patients and healthcare facilities (Douglas, 2014).  At times, nurses must travel great distances to patient’s homes to provide care (Douglas, 2014).  There are also technological barriers including lack of cell phone service in areas where patients reside; this can cause delays in care due to the lack of communication resources available between patients and their care team (Douglas, 2014).  There are also cultural barriers that can cause apprehension to Western medicine (Douglas, 2014).  It is important for the nurse to be respectful of patient’s beliefs and cultural influences.  The nurse must treat the patient holistically and educate them on the resources available while being respectful of their decision for their care.  By being empathetic and meeting patients where they are will help support a trusting relationship between the healthcare team and patients and allow for better communication regarding how the team can best support them in their healthcare goals.  As a future nurse, I will devote some time to researching the communities I will be working in, understanding the health goals of those communities, and being open to learning from community members how I can support their health goals using open communication.  It is important as a nurse to be aware of my own implicit bias’, and to be open to learning about the patient, their needs, their culture, and background, as well as their goals in order to provide holistic, empathetic care.

            As I start my job search, I consider my values, strengths, and career goals to determine what positions and organizations align best with these factors.  From the meeting with Jane Farr, I learned why it is important to understand my brand as an individual, what strengths I can offer, and what long term goals I aspire to.  Finding an organization that will support my strengths and help me work through my challenges as a new grad will equate to a beneficially reciprocal employee/employer relationship.  By researching organizations that share similar values with mine, I will be confident in applying to a new grad nurse positions.  I will prepare an “elevator speech” about myself for the interview in order to highlight who I am, what my goals are, and why I am a beneficial candidate for the position; the interviewer will then have a better understanding of why I am applying for the position.  I will ask what the team says about the organization and what are the challenges that most new grad nurses face and how does the organization support them through these challenges.  I know that I want to be a part of an organization that is interested in cultivating a strong team, rather than focusing on short term staffing levels.  By understanding the organization and its values, I will be able to speak to how I can contribute to the team and the organization’s mission. 

If asked about my strengths, I would describe a clinical situation I experienced when I was working with a patient who was withdrawing from alcohol use, clearly uncomfortable and very agitated.  When we had utilized the ordered therapeutic medication and it was not due again until a later time, I asked him what his favorite music was, and he said Gospel.  I pulled up YouTube on the computer and played soothing Gospel music which calmed him.  I was then able to have a therapeutic conversation with him and he appeared more at ease.  Nursing is about compassion and connection.  In that clinical moment, I knew that I couldn’t take away all his pain, but I could be there to support him, and we could work through the tough moments together. 

I would address my challenges that I am currently working on by explaining my plan to make them strengths.   One of my biggest current challenges is time management; to address this, I have learned to create a timetable on my shift report which designates tasks that need to be completed by a certain time, medications that need to be given during a certain time interval, and any procedures that are scheduled for that patient during the shift.  This way, I can be proactive in planning my day and adjust other non-emergent tasks depending on how the shift progresses.  While there are plenty of challenges, I know that I will face as a new nurse, I feel more prepared to grow through them, and I look forward to starting that journey.

Douglas, K. (Director). (2014, November 1). NURSES if Florence could see us now – wise women circles

[Video]. Wise Women Circles. Retrieved September 15, 2022, from http://www.wisewomencircles.com/?

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