Reflection on a Professional Nursing Career

Najah Musa

Methodist College

Dimensions of Professional Nursing

Dr. Lori Wagner

February 10, 2023

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I’ve always wanted to be in the medical field. I think early on in my life being part of the

field has given me peace. I remember seeing my brothers and uncles go through medical school

and turn into their roles as physicians, which has been so fascinating to me. Their dedication and

passion for medicine has grown on me. I want to be there to help heal the sick because this is

where humanity is at its realist. Being on the bedside reminds you that humanity is one race and

caring for people during their vulnerable times is humbling. Every health care provider has an

obligation despite cultural and racial barriers to treat every person with integrity and respect.

Despite our backgrounds, we are all each other's loved ones and treating our own patients as such

is no different.

I am leaning towards labor and delivery. I think that transition to being a mom is an

incredibly beautiful one. Seeing a woman transform into her new role may seem easy to many

but on a deeper level, it comes with a great day of change that many women struggle with. I want

to be able to provide attentive care that is focused on a mom’s emotional and psychological well-

being. I hope, with the right skills and knowledge, I can provide that kind of care to new

mothers.

In the MSN-PL program at Methodist, I have learned the true meaning of nurse

leadership and how that can influence an entire community. I have learned that my practice

should be evidence-based, focused on the patient's health, spiritual connection to a higher power,

family orientation, integrity, and especially one that is focused on autonomy. As defined by

Hemberg, integrity encompasses basic values (honesty, trust, responsibility, respect, and

fairness), ethical principles (autonomy, fidelity, and privacy), good governance (Cleary, Walter,
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Horsfall & Jackson, 2013), acting with personal integrity and professional ethical values, and

communicating effectively (Hargett, Doty, Hauck, Webb, Cook, Tsipi, Neumann, Andolsek &

Taylor, 2017). I have learned to be more resilient in this program. I have grown as a human

being— someone without a greater sense to self and meaning to the world around me that is

constantly changing. I have also learned that I can be the change. It doesn’t have to be

community-level; if I can change the life of one person, then I have made all the difference. I

learned to lean on God more. Nursing school is no joke. It was one of the most difficult things

I’ve ever had to go through in my life, especially because I have small children. I can now tell

any woman that, she too, can do it if she sets her mind to it.

Finally, I have learned it is incredibly important to be around the people who will

empower you and help you grow. I think as younger children, we are told that repeatedly but

never can we really grasp that concept until we go through something as challenging as nursing

school. Being around the right people will help keep you focused on what’s important. Also, it

will help you realize not to compromise who you are for the sake of not being alone. As cliche as

it sounds, sometimes you need to be alone to discover who you are and what you’re capable of.

Being far from my family and commuting far distances to pursue my dream of becoming a nurse

has taught me more about myself.

I want to be a midwife at some point. I want to provide one and one help to new moms

and be there in their firsts of everything. I also want to help women with their infertility issues

specifically because I have family members who struggle with this. I want to also go further at
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some point and teach as well. Teaching is still part of me and teaching something I love will be

incredibly rewarding. I hope that with my knowledge, I can train new nurses.

When I get hired, I will bring resilience and the willingness to learn. I will carry with me

Methodist College’s mission and will carry their values within me. I will constantly be evolving.

Nurses are always learning. It is one of those things where you’ll never really stop being the

student. I have great love and passion for education, and therefore I am always evolving and

reflecting on my practices. So often I hear that I am hard on myself, I think that is because I was

given an opportunity to pursue this again while many did not, and I want to give it my all. I feel

quite fortunate to be given this responsibility and I don’t carry it lightly. Having to care for

someone’s loved one comes with a great deal of responsibility and taking on such a role means

that I have committed myself to their service and wellbeing.

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References

Alligood, M. R. (2017). Introduction to Nursing Theory: Its History, Significance, and Analysis.

In M. R. Alligood (Ed.), Nursing Theorists and Their Work-E-Book (8 ed. ed., pp. 2-13). United

States of America: Elsevier Health Sciences.

Hemberg, J., & Salmela, S. (2021). Integrity and Efficiency in Nursing Leadership: An

Integrative Review. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 14(2), 1496.