10 Papers to Help You Survive Nursing School

By Pepin Briar

This book contains 10 professional papers that I wrote throughout my time in nursing school. These papers will be a valuable resource to any nursing student who is struggling with a similar assignment. These professional papers address the following subjects: philosophy of nursing, health assessment, patient safety, medical-surgical nursing, pediatrics, management, community, and capstone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Mar 27, 2014
• ISBN: 9781304951106

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10 Papers to Help You Survive Nursing School

10 Papers to Help You Survive Nursing School

By Pepin Briar

Copyright © 2014, Pepin Briar

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-304-95110-6

Cover designer: Konstantinos Karentzos

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons

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Chapter 1: Introduction to Professional Nursing

So you just started nursing school and need some help with your first paper.  This paper addresses the big question: why do you want to be a nurse?

Philosophy in Nursing

Every nurse has a philosophy regarding their work, whether they realize it or not.  The core components of what values should be included in a nurse’s personal philosophy vary slightly depending on the source.  In Jane Smalley’s (2005) article about finding one’s philosophy in nursing, she includes the following as key components for every nurse: educational background, community service, adherence to the code of ethics, and participation in professional organizations, among a few others (p.60).  According to Smalley, these concepts are crucial to a nurse’s effectiveness and seeking the skills to do this encourages personal and professional growth (p. 61).  The concepts listed in Smalley’s article correlate well with the key concepts identified in the Cox College Nursing Philosophy.  These concepts include: human beings, society, health, nursing, learning, and nursing education (p. 1).  It is apparent from these lists that nurses have a great responsibility not only to their patients and coworkers, but to themselves as well.  The essential message from these philosophies is that internal motivation is crucial for nurses to become the most competent and inspiring versions of themselves, so that they may make the greatest impact possible through their work.

The primary reasons I chose to pursue a career in nursing are in all likelihood very similar to many other students.  I want to help restore people’s health and get them back to life as they knew it before.   In cases where this is not an option, I would like to alleviate as much pain as possible and do my best to make people comfortable.  Getting more information to people about healthy lifestyles and preventing many health problems would be ideal.  While these are the reasons I ultimately chose the nursing field, the reason my curiosity was peaked may be a little different than most students.  When I was nine years old my mom, brother and I were all involved in a very serious car accident.  My mom and I were both relatively unharmed, but the same was not true for my older brother.  He was ejected from the vehicle and had to be revived on the scene of the accident by an off-duty respiratory therapist.  Even after this, the internal injuries were tremendous and as a third grader, I watched as my brother’s life was placed in the hands of many qualified healthcare professionals.  I know that each one of their efforts made it possible for him to be alive today and I would love to be a part of this system that gives hope to families in similar situations.

I believe that being a nurse is more than just showing up to work and putting in hours.  It should be a passionate dedication of one’s time to making a positive difference in people’s lives when they need it most.  Being successful in this career requires self-motivation and discipline to keep doing good work, even when it is tempting to mentally check-out.  This is a job that requires sensitivity and genuine care for patients along with respect and concern for coworkers.

The central focus of nursing revolves around human beings.  This idea is well accepted as can be seen in Steven D. Edward’s (1997) article What is philosophy of nursing?  He says, …the ontological component of a philosophy of nursing must include human beings, or persons (p. 1092).  Each person has a unique background and set of experiences, shaped both by internal and external factors.  The main idea is to value each person and to treat them in a respectful way.

The goal of any person working in the healthcare industry should be to promote healthfulness.  This idea, however, could have a variety of meanings.  It may mean helping a patient heal after surgery, talking with students about preventing future health problems, or promoting good nutrition, among many other possibilities.  Good health is not something that can be accomplished; rather it is a constant journey in which each choice brings a person closer to, or further away from optimum health.

Education is the foundation for nurses to learn practical skills and build confidence in their critical thinking and problem solving skills.  According to Smalley (2005), Competency and autonomy increase job satisfaction (p.60).  Nurses at every level need to feel comfortable with their learned skills, but more critical thinking skills are expected as the level of education increases (Nursing Philosophy p.1-2).

The environment that is provided in a healthcare setting can have significant effects on both the patients and the nurses within that specific setting.  For example, a shortage of nurses would not only cause the patients to receive less individual attention, but would also cause stress to the nurses, which could result in inferior work.  A successful environment should also be one in which the team of healthcare providers functions well together.  This includes relationships among nurses, as well as with doctors.  If disagreements occur, they should be handled in a professional and timely manner.

I believe that as a registered nurse, I will have the responsibility of providing patients with high quality care.  This may include monitoring vital signs, tracking the general progress of a patient’s health, or administering medications, among many other duties

Reviews for 10 Papers to Help You Survive Nursing School

[Pamela Duren-Browne · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent resource book based on true nurse experiences that kept me engaged.