Nursing Self-Assessment Essay

This essay gives me an opportunity to understand the skills, knowledge and competencies required of a professional nurse as wells as, help me to do a self-assessment of my strengths and weaknesses and how to build on it . It will also help me plan my career as a professional nurse The essay will expose me to a wide range of career of opportunities within the nursing profession so that I can develop plans and scenarios in order to fit an ever changing world.

Nursing is a rewarding and fulfilling career and a profession which is broad. Nurses collaborate with doctors and other multidisciplinary team to restore, bring back to life and alleviate pain of a patient. Nurses play a wide of range of roles in the health delivery system. These roles include health promotion, providing dignity and privacy, enforcing confidentiality, respecting patients’ views and beliefs. By acting as teachers, a nurse promotes self-care, good exercise and healthy life among others. Nurses are good communicators, listeners, and maintains good moral and rapport at all times. As advocates for patients, nurses are with people during critical times of their lives, birth, injury, illness or death. Having shared their most intimate detailed of their lives, nurses become advocates through supporting the patients, speaking on their behalf and interceding when necessary.

Nursing requires certain core knowledge and skills. These skills and knowledge are central to the performance of my duty as a professional nurse. As a professional nurse, I’m expected to demonstrate a good patient observation and care skills, professional skills, awareness and practice of health and safety standard, infections prevention and control, communication skills, medical administration, protection of the vulnerable individuals among others.

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As part of patience observation and care, I’m expected demonstrate and undertake skills which include plan and record care, prepare for patient discharge chronic and acute pain assessment; measuring pulse, recognising rate, rhythm and strength, assisting with bath/shower, oral hygiene and toilet needs among others.

Among the professional skills as I’m expected to demonstrate and practice are the following: evaluate care, time management, solve problems prepare self and other for emotionally challenging situations as well as preparing individual emotionally for procedures. I am expected to promote the independence, the human rights and maintain privacy and dignity of the individual.

As a professional nurse I’m expected to provide care in a warm, sensitive and compassionate manner. Break bad news to a patient/carer, act professionally and appropriately in situation where there are limits to confidentiality, and use appropriate strategies to enable patients to understand treatments and other interventions in order to give informed consent were applicable.

I have worked in a nursing home and as a result, I have acquired care skills such as assisting patients with shower, oral hygiene needs, use of hoist, infection and prevention control, health and safety, and communication. I have the ability to work as a team player.

Caring for the elderly in the past made me develop an interest in adult nursing. I have developed empathy and sympathy towards patients and my entire family as a whole. I have understood and respect other people views, values and beliefs. The holistic care and NMC code of conduct lays a framework of attitudes and behaviour, in which a nurse must be at all, times and I strongly believe I fall into that category.

My other strengths are the eagerness to learn as well as being a fast learner. I am therefore more than prepared to pursue the course of actions which will help me address my weaknesses. I have the emotional and physical strengths to endure the demands of a professional nurse

My strengths, notwithstanding, there is a need not only to improve my current skills but also to learn new ones. I need fresh skills as such as professional, patient observation and care, medical administration including identification and therapeutic uses of commonly administered drugs, their normal dosage, actions and effects, side effects, precautions and contra-indications. There is need to improve my oral and written communications, negotiating and presentation skills in order to work in a multi-disciplinary work environment,

The next three years of my studies will be used to close my current skill gap and polish up those that I have. Attending lectures, workshops, focus group discussions and projects will help me acquire fresh skills and knowledge. Roles plays and placements will help me learn from direct observation and partication. The mentoring aspect of the ongoing placement will give me opportunity of learning from senior and experienced nurses through doing , feedback and corrective actions, if need be.

On completion of my three years course I will like to join and work with NHS professionals for a year to be acquainted and acquire more experience. My aspiration thereafter is pursue a specialisation in midwifery

In summary, the current multi-disciplinary approach to health delivery requires the professional nurse play a pivotal role. These roles require skills in patients observation and care management, professional competencies in communications with patients and among health professions and other stakeholders, medical administration, health and safety, and prevention and control of infection.