Final Analysis

Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing has done an exceptional job preparing as a

professional registered nurse. From the very beginning of the program they have reiterated the

importance of concepts such as servant leadership, holistic care, and evidence-based practice.

This has helped me to grow into a wholesome nurse who recognizes the importance of mental,

physical, and spiritual health. Throughout my clinicals I have utilized evidence based practice in

real situations to guide my clinical judgment and nursing interventions. I have had plenty of

experience creating concept maps for my patients to draw out their nursing diagnoses, connect

other health related factors, brainstorm ideas, and analyze a visual map of my patients overall

health statuses.

Another amazing advantage this program has given me is an abundance of hands on

clinical hours in a wide variety of healthcare settings. Ive had the pleasure of working with

cancer patients at the St. Francis Infusion Center where I administered blood transfusions and

chemotherapy drugs to some of the friendliest and most thankful people I have ever seen. I

worked with dialysis patients at DaVitas Dialysis Center where I got to go behind the scenes to

see how they operate and maintain all the equipment needed to run a dialysis center. Ive also

been fortunate to have a clinical rotation in Cumberland where I gained experience working with

a pediatric mental health population. In this setting, I worked with adolescents battling with

eating disorders so bad that the conditions left them unable to walk and on the verge of death.

This program has also provided me with opportunities to give back to the community and help

out vulnerable populations. I have helped with a dedicated and innovative food pantry. In

addition, I worked with an amazing community agency who provides a wide array of volunteer

services ranging from hot meals to free health care services. Reflecting on the wide array of
experiences exclusive to my education at Bon Secours has opened my eyes to the unique training

and exposure I gained throughout this program.

As a Bachelors prepared registered nurse, I have grown a lot through writing scholarly

APA papers, conducting research, and writing my very own extensive integrative review. The

integrative review really tested my research ability and pushed my college level writing to the

limit. I conducted mines on the literature regarding the occurrence of diabetic related adverse

events associated with the use of different antipsychotic medications. Through this project, I was

able to practically dissect multiple published articles conducted by highly educated researchers

and identify limitations, themes, conclusions, and other factors regarding the elements of the

existing literature. Assignments like this distinguishes my college preparation here compared to

that at the associates level. This broadens my understanding of research and fosters an enduring

insight as I further my education in the future to become a more wholesome practicing nurse.

At this point in my nursing college career I believe I have developed into well rounded

advanced beginning nurse generalist. I can still recall my novice level skill acquisition in which I

was uncomfortable entering patients rooms, hesitant to exercise independent nursing judgment,

and knowledge deficient on common medications and diseases. The 1,000 plus hours I have

undertaken throughout my college education have pushed me to be a more confident and

knowledgeable nurse. Confidence and knowledge comes from raw experience. As each clinical

would pass, I would become more competent along the way. My assessment skills have

sharpened; my attention to detail is better; my charting has improved; and I have great time

management. A lot of these skills have transcended in great response to my clinical immersion

experience. This was the first time I was really exercising a great deal of clinical judgement,

autonomy, and application. When I was already at a point of feeling great about my skill
acquisition level, immersion helped me to focus in on things I needed to improve on while also

helping me to recognize things I excel in. I learned that I have great communication skills and do

exceptionally well with building patient rapport. I have very thorough assessment skills and

display confidence, in the words of my preceptor. Two things I was told to work on from the

beginning was time management and charting. Clinical immersion provided me with a unique

opportunity to juggle care for 3, 4, and eventually 5 patients independently. I had never been

pushed to that level prior to immersion. When I learned the challenge of tending to a multiple

patient load, I pushed myself to become more organized, delegate tasks as appropriate, chart

quicker, and overall manage patient care more effectively. My preceptor recognized my

determination to adjust to the true role of a professional practicing nurse and reported great

feedback regarding my improvement and overall drive.

The one thing I will always understand as I enter into professional nursing, is that

learning is an evolving and everchanging process in this field. Continuing education is essential

for success. My attitude toward nursing has evolved to appreciate this necessity for continuing

education, as it promotes ensuring optimal health for the patients. If it werent for the innovative

nurses who dedicated their lives to improving patient health and ensuring optimal patient

outcomes, nursing wouldnt be the multi-faceted career that it is today. This challenging and

rewarding career requires pioneers who are willing to make sacrifices to help the sick. In the

beginning of my college nursing journey, the focus was mainly on keeping up with this fast

paced comprehensive field. Now that I have grown into the nurse I have become, I am able to

shift focus toward recognizing the art of nursing. I will remain a dedicated and compassionate

nurse who focuses on innovation, evidence-based practice, holistic care, and continuing

education.