Course Reflection
Name of Student
Name of Institution
Course Reflection
NU 300 has been a course of a kind. Nursing is very interesting, but involving at the same time. Because this is an integral course to the achievement of the main goal of becoming a competent nurse, I believe I have achieved most of the course objectives in a significant way. The unit is well organized with manageable content. Additionally, the flow of topics is aligned to each objective to suit the needs and expectations of students. Precisely, the course has student-centered objectives.
The course materials are easily accessible. The only book recommended for the course, Professional Nursing Practice: Concepts and Perspectives(6th ed.), is authored by individuals of standing academic and professional qualifications and experience. The availability of this book in digital form enhanced my study experience. In addition, the Manual by the American Psychological Association offered a standard guide to the course contents.
I believe I achieved the first goal of analyzing the role of the nursing professional in today’s global society. I have been able to put myself in the place of a nurse out there to know exactly what is expected of me. I have realized that nurses are the difference between life and death. Spending most of the time with the patient, a nurse knows more than the patient or doctor does. To improve healthcare delivery, it is essential for nurses to adhere to the code of practice and sound medical requirements.
I was also able to determine the skills necessary for professional nursing leadership. Discipline, dedication, and confidentiality are among the core skills required of nurses. The course taught me all these, thanks to the instructor who revered commitment and discipline. Right from executing assignments faithfully to delivering the same on time, my study pattern instilled in me the core skills of nursing. Experience at the clinic is not the beginning of developing these skills; the skills commence with self-actualization at the initial stages of study.
Through the abundant seminars I attended as part of course requirements; I developed greater insight into the influence of culture and values on community care. The experience at my community serve too enhanced the achievement of this objective. Community values and culture affect healthcare in negative ways. The use of herbal treatment, witchcraft, and religious beliefs that only God is the healer has caused serious medical consequences for adherents.
The role of research and technology, in improving patient outcomes, could be the greatest course objective I have achieved so far. Research was at the core of studying this course. Technology came in handy to facilitate all research activities. These included mostly the use of the internet. Evidence-based nursing has been advocated of late. This type of nursing relies more on research endeavors to get the right information on medical actions and consequences.
In light of evaluating my professional values, goals, and abilities in planning for professional development, I have equally achieved much. My goal in taking this course was to be a “modern” nurse. By this I meant a nurse who is all-round in terms of professional practice, skills, and experience. With my study abilities, I think I gave this course the best. My performance in assignments is a good indicator. I strove to lessen mistakes in problem-solving to keep to terms with the value of upholding accuracy in all practical and theoretical matters. These are essential elements in the nursing practice, and I think I am good to go based on personal evaluation.
I must acknowledge that the course content and organization had much to do with my achievement of the course objectives. With a uniform pattern of readings, videos, tutorials, discussions and seminars, each topic of the course was easier to understand in theory and practically. The videos helped visualize how things are in reality. The discussions and seminars were a platform for exchanging views and listening to diverse and contradicting opinions. We would come to common conclusions with everyone concurred.
The APA practice exercise taught me organization in work presentation. The knowledge of presenting points in written form and referencing the same appropriately not only enhanced formal communication but also boosted my writing skills. As a nurse, writing will form part of my daily routine. This ranges from updating records to writing clinical reports. These cannot be done from scratch; the APA writing format is an approved way of presenting information more so medical ones.
The Professional Development Plan assignment done in phases was a means of assessing me professionally. As the course progressed, I could easily gauge my development from one stage to the next. This came after a series of seminars and outdoor endeavors. In addition, the evidence-based practice content highly facilitated my goal to become a “modern” nurse. Above all, the general education outcomes formed the path to achieving these objectives. The ability to reason in a sound way and communicate in Standard American English were essential tips to solving the wide range of problems I encountered through the course.
References
American Psychological Association.Publication Manual, 6th Edition. Retrieved 20 January
2015 from HYPERLINK “http://www.apastyle.org/manual/”http://www.apastyle.org/manual/
Blaise, K. K. and Hayes, J. S. (2010).Professional Nursing Practice: Concepts and
Perspectives, 6th Edition. London: Pearson
