SPRING REFLECTION

Within the Discipline

Being a Residential Leader relates very closely to becoming a Registered Nurse. My

Nursing Concepts class teaches me how to properly handle a persons emotions, often in the one

of the worst conditions of their life. This applies to being a Residential Leader because residents

will be transitioning to a brand-new environment. They will be emotionally tender, and possibly

even lost. This is very similar to the way a patient would feel in the hospital. In my Nursing

Pathophysiology class, I am learning how an environment can affect the well-being of a person.

This is an obvious connection to being a Residential Leader. Promoting a comfortable, safe

environment is a key to success for residents. Lastly, my Nursing Pharmacology class teaches me

why certain medications are taken to assist with a specific medical disorder. Knowing how these

drugs work helps me understand how these medical disorders work. This is a special relation to

being a Residential Leader. Residents will inevitably come from all different walks of life. This

will include different ethnicities, cultures, financial statuses, and medical disabilities. Being able

to have a better understanding of my residents and what they go through from medical standpoint

can really help me relate to them.

Beyond the Discipline

The general education classes I have taken have provided me with many leadership skills.

My Honors History course provided me with the ability to challenge the status quo. Many times,

history is taught in a very cut and dry manor. This is what happened, and this is the reason it

happened. Dr. Hickman (my professor) challenged his students to not just accept what you see as

it is, but to dig deeper and ask themselves why an event happened. This relates to my role as a

Residential Leader because I am able to utilize this same idea in interacting with residents. I use
this skill in handling crisis management and just day to day conversations. Also, being able to

deeply investigate the reasons behind an action is something I will encounter every day as a

Registered Nurse. Assessing a patients condition, medical history, and lifestyle can all lead to a

patients current condition. My communications course has given me the confidence to speak in

front of a large group of people. This is something I have begun doing regularly since I became a

Residential Leader. Talking in front of a group will also happen frequently as a Registered Nurse.

I will be talking to families, other nurses, and medical professionals daily.

Beyond Academics

I am currently a PADI Advanced Open Water Scuba and Emergency First Response

Rescue Diver. This pastime is a very leadership oriented field. I am accountable for my own

gear, assuring that I am safe and ready for my dive. I am also accountable for assuring my dive

team is suited up and all their gear is in order. Everyone being accountable for themselves as well

as others provides a potentially life or death check and balances system.

I am also a member of Tarleton State Universitys Residence Hall Association. This

organization provides me the ability to work alongside many other student leaders from across

campus. With many different group oriented decisions and planning, RHA has provided me with

many team building skills, especially in handling a group of other leaders.

Interconnectedness

My major specific classes are preparing me to be a leader in my field a Registered Nurse.

I am fortunate to get to practice what I am taught in my nursing classes as a Residential Leader.

Some of the ideas that I get to practice are things like utilizing a positive environment and

relating to my residents based on emotions and medical disabilities. My general education

classes are preparing me to be a leader amongst the general population of the surrounding world.
Being able to speak in front of a large group of people and utilizing my deductive reasoning

skills will benefit me as a civilian and professional health care provider. My outside activities

and extracurriculars have provided me the opportunity to be an accountable leader in different

ways. The challenge of being leader in a new environment has been a great way to sharpen and

hone my skills as a developing leader.

Global Awareness

Being a Residential Leader has opened my eyes to the many different worlds everyone

comes from. Tarleton is a melting-pot of diversity. My favorite thing about it, however, is that no

matter our background, we are all here to attain the same goal- to graduate. Being exposed to

different cultures has made me more understanding and respectful of our differences. It has also

taught me that I have a passion for learning about the differences between us. After all, we have

all had our battles to get here. Yet, here we all are, at the same place, at the same time. It is

utterly amazing.

Broader Implications

The role of Residential Leader has provided the opportunity to strengthen my leadership

skills, and develop new ones. I have become more aware of my own strengths and weaknesses,

and how to utilize them to be a better leader. One of the best skills I have learned that will

directly affect my future career is empathy. I am becoming capable of feeling what others feel.

Not only do I listen to what they say and see what they feel; I can feel for them. This attribute

will be a necessity for helping nurse my many future patients back to health. I cant wait to see

what other skills my role as a Residential Leader will provide me.