Career Development

Evan Carrell

2/6/2022

Career Development

The nurses and other speakers in the video demonstrated so much compassion for their patients and are clearly very devoted to excellent patient care. Their commitment allowed me to realize that I need to develop the ability to leave work at the door, learn how to avoid compassion fatigue, and be truly invested in a patient’s emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing. It’s also important to understand the privilege we as nurses have of being a part of the end or beginning of someone’s life. I can imagine that it’s a very humbling feeling and I hope to carry that humility with me for the entirety of my career.

Over the course of the video, I saw a few different patient populations that I have not yet had a chance to serve, including indigenous communities and pediatrics. What was far more striking was the home health nurse discussing her experiences in rural areas serving Native Americans. Home health nurses see a wide variety of clients, many of which have no access to healthcare. Their clients may be of any age, stage of life or background and may suffer from any kind of illness.

Many barriers to patient care are seen in the film. This is especially true during the discussion about home health care. Barriers mentioned include; geographical location of the patient, weather, language differences, lack of cell service, difficult road conditions for EMS, religious or traditional beliefs, education, and health literacy.  

The practice of cultural humility also applies to this scenario. In order to successfully care for diverse populations, healthcare workers must leave the concept of western medicine superiority at the door. Nurses should not force anyone to believe that western medication is ‘better’ than the healing process that the individual believes in or practices. You must leave their decisions and ideologies up to them. Of course, the process of patient education is still very important and cannot be left out of a conversation, but it is important to validate traditional medicine practices, if that is what the patient feels comfortable with.

On a similar note, in my own practice I plan on working toward a communicative relationship between my patients and myself, so that I am able to meet their needs as best I can. I think it’s very important to meet a patient where they’re at, rather than expect them to change their ideologies and opinions to suit the rest of the world. The best way to ensure equity is to create a learning environment for both you and the patient.

Reflecting on the guest speakers and recorded Career Services presentation:

In order to set myself apart from other applicants, I will be sure to practice answering difficult questions, be confident, but show that I am adaptable and willing to learn. I will talk about my experiences and how they have given me a unique set of skills to be able to excel in a nursing position.

My strengths include my experience as a phlebotomist over the past 3 years, as I have had the opportunity to work at a level 1 trauma center on every unit. I am trained to be able to draw blood from anyone that walks in the door, from newborns to the elderly. I have also always worked at least two jobs, and my resumé shows that I am capable of keeping a job, but also successfully managing my time well enough to work while being a full-time student.

My challenges include my tendency to expect excellence from myself. I find that I get very frustrated when I can’t do something well right away, but I plan on working toward being patient and kind to myself.