Career Development

Watching the movie NURSES: If Florence Could See Us Now, has opened my eyes to how all nursing specialties have the same foundational values. For example, there was a nurse who would travel to indigenous people’s villages and care for them based on what the “Medicine Man” may have diagnosed them with. This is very similar to what we do as nurses in mainstream hospitals. She explained how even though we may not agree with what the “Medicine Man” says we have to respect the patient’s beliefs and create a plan of care that aligns with their ideas. I believe that all nurses are flexible and adaptive. We find problems and learn how to fix them regardless of the circumstances. This is one of the skills that I need to improve on as a nurse. I am used to the set instructions and guidelines that are given to me in nursing school. Once I get into practice I will have to make adjustments according to the patient’s needs, resources, and overall situation. A few barriers within nursing in general is the cost of resources. For example, the Native American people mentioned in the video live in rural areas that have no roads or signage. The nurse was describing days when she would go to their town in different weather extremes with ample amounts of supplies to help with anything they may need. This can be time-consuming and expensive. I hope to be able to improve my knowledge of different cultures and ethnicities by asking questions. I will not make assumptions and that is what can harm the relationship between the nurse and the patient. 

This may be a question that could be asked during the interview process. Many employers like to know how you would respond in situations that may not be comfortable. The best thing I can do is ask questions to help better understand and care for the patient. I hope to re-use the materials that were provided before the Mock Interview to help prepare for future interviews. I will also do some research about the goals of the floor/unit and how I can be a valuable member of their team. I will be able to describe my strengths by providing real-life examples such as my experience studying abroad in Morocco had helped me overcome language barriers and biases. After the Mock Interview, the people in my group thought I should mention my experience at my preceptorship. I briefly mentioned my time in the operating room at the Scarborough Surgical Center.  This experience taught me a lot about interprofessional collaboration which is valuable to have a new graduate nurse. I hope to tie this experience into my answers during an actual interview to make them seem personal.