I was interested in the various nursing experiences and stories throughout the movie. I found it helpful to watch as it provides insight into lessons that other people learned so I can not make the same mistakes, or so I can follow the good things in my practice. I noticed several aspects of accountability, empathy, and compassion within the stories and it certainly keeps the watching parties intrigued throughout.
As a student here, I felt a specific draw towards the story about the clinical instructor and her nursing student. As the student was providing patient care, the instructor noticed that the student was not showing signs of empathy or compassion. So, the nurse asked the student, if that patient was the student’s mother, how would the treatment change? Watching the student’s response was interesting as well, as the student become highly emotional it was a reminder to always stay humble, empathetic, and compassionate with all patients no matter the context.
Sometimes, the impact of care does not click right away. I think being a student provides this time to recognize key nursing practice concepts that come with becoming and practicing as a nurse. One of the first times I experienced this kind of epiphany was with a patient who was very sick on my R1 rotation for Adult Health II. Though he was sick, he had a great sense of humor and was a highly respectable person. I realized not only the impact my care had on this gentleman but the impact of his kindness and humor on me. The openness we shared allowed us to form rapport and an established nurse-patient relationship. I think this was a growing moment for me, as I had become more aware of my patients and surroundings.
I understand that more nursing skills will come with time. The years you spend in nursing school are a gross introduction and you begin to practice those skills. However, becoming a nurse is a different learning curve. Developing my role as a nurse will take time. However, I know I can use my communication and empathy skills to help a patient heal and feel better prior to discharge. However, I do not think I am advanced enough nor do I have the clinical nursing experience to be as mature as some of the nurses in the documentary.
The population in the documentary that stood out to me most was the Native American population. They seemed to suffer the most from low income and inadequate healthcare coverage. There were things they experienced that I never considered. This population does not have a well-established healthcare system; there are often nurses that travel to the reservations for treatment. The movie talked about how nurses often have to act like emergency medical support services as there is not a lot of EMS support. The nurse is expected to provide care that is culturally appropriate. There are several cultural considerations a nurse must consider when providing care for this population. The nurse must keep an open mind when caring for this population and ensure that personal considerations are made. This is an important skill for a nursing student when transitioning to clinical nursing practice, as nurses see diverse populations often in the healthcare setting. I think it is a good idea for nurses to immerse themselves in cultural diversities in order to understand different populations. It is important to learn about people to the nurse can perform appropriately.
To stand out in nursing interviews, I want to be authentic. Authenticity is unique and stands out to interviewers and helps to set you apart from others. I think expressing passion for nursing and being genuine during an interview is super important. I also think it is important to do your research about the company you are applying to is important so you can ask the right questions.
Additionally, during an interview, it is important to show your strengths. I think one of my strengths is my communication skills. I can show that during an interview by using the skill during the interview! The teamwork and clinical experience I have gained from the school have helped my communication skills. I also think that understanding weaknesses is an important part of the interviewing process; when asked, I think honesty is the best policy. Or, to make yourself sound better, make a strength into a weakness. For example, my weakness is being too meticulous about tasks getting done. This way, the strength is turned into weakness and allows you to present strongly to the interviewer.
Thank you, Jo, for sharing how the nurses in the movie have inspired you to reflect on our own practice and identify areas in which you already demonstrate strength as well as those where there is room for improvement – which is to be expected at this point in your career! Of course it’s difficult to gain skills & confidence in caring for particular populations if you haven’t had the exposure. That will come with time, and then the important thing becomes being comfortable with discomfort, because that means you’re growing & learning. As we’ve discussed in class, you don’t need to know the ins and outs of all cultural practices outside of your own; the most important things is that you maintain an openness to & curiosity of different cultural practices, and allow your patients to educate you on what they would like incorporated into their care and how. It sounds like you have a solid plan for “selling” yourself in your upcoming interviews – and you are going to blow them away! Great work!