Running head: PERSONAL REFLECTION

Nursing Career Path: A Personal Reflection

Erica D. White
Old Dominion University

PERSONAL REFLECTION

At a very early age I developed an idea of what it meant to be a patient. Unfortunately I

learned it at the expense of my maternal grandmother who struggled with a plethora of health
problems. Her health issues included diabetes, congestive heart failure, and kidney disease. I
witnessed her many doctors appointments, hospital admissions, home health visits, insulin
injections, hypo/hyperglycemic episodes, amputations, rehabilitation, and dialysis treatment.
This exposure led to my contact with several people who worked in the medical field. Doctors
always delivered the news, but the nurses added a special touch to her situation. The home
health nurses were among my favorite nurses. They came into my grandmothers home and
rehabilitated her after long hospital admissions and countless surgeries. So for me nurses did
more than take a temperature or bandage a boo-boo. They healed, inspired, and rehabilitated
lives. I would love to say that I found nursing, but in a sense nursing actually found me.
Goals, ideas, and Interest
I am one month shy of completing my first year as a registered nurse. As a cardiac nurse I
am always reading and researching the literature to stay informed on the latest and greatest
treatment and best practice for my patients. In addition to obtaining my Bachelor of Science in
Nursing I want to become PCCN certified. I hope to obtain this goa by my second year as a
nurse. This certification is important to me because I believe that it shows how important my
career, patients, and the profession are to me. Education is a powerful tool and can help affect
change.
With only one year under my belt I understand that there is still much to learn as a nurse.
I am very interested in studying conductivity and electrophysiological issues of the heart.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Educational Experiences
Describe your education experiences (formal and informal pivotal points)
Work Experiences
Work experiences are described and include a summary of learning that occurred with each
position.
o Describe your work experiences. Your length of time in the profession will dictate whether
you recount every position held since graduation from your initial education program, or
highlight only those key positions held throughout your career.
o Describe the position(s) and your responsibilities, as well as the learning that occurred with
each experience.
o If you have attained specialty area certification or other recognition, be sure to mention that
too.
In other words, show us your stuff what type of experiences are you bringing into this
program?
Self-Assessment
Self-assessment includes an analysis of values, interests, strengths and weaknesses.
o Assess yourself. What are your values and interests? What are your strengths and
weaknesses? Stop and think very carefully about this. We are asking you to reflect on what
are your core values in the profession. We are also asking about the strengths and weakness
you bring to the profession of nursing.
Involvement with professional or community activities or groups is described and includes a
summary of learning that occurred. Describe any professional or community activities or groups
with which you are involved? In what capacity have you been involved? What did you learn
from these experiences? Again, this is not a simple narrative. The most important part is the
reflection on what you have learned from your experiences.

Path is identified
o Any educational endeavor is only as strong/good as the resources the individual brings to the
experience and the desire the individual has to learn. Since you have started an
approximately two-year commitment of your life, what do you hope to gain, personally and

PERSONAL REFLECTION

professionally, by earning a BSN in nursing? The things you identify should be a realistic
signpost or directional post for you.
o

Specific educational and professional goals are identified

Engage in goal setting.
o Identify at least 2 educational goals you hope to achieve while enrolled in the BSN
program. Educational goals should be very broad and relate to basic academic skills
and/or university requirements (e.g. enhancing writing skills). The goals should be
specific enough to measure your success at program completion. (5%)
o Identify at least 2 professional goals you hope to achieve while enrolled or after
completion of the BSN program. Professional goals could involve aspiring to a higherlevel position within your current practice area, or aspiring to transition into a different
practice area. For example, you might identify a clinical focus such as critical care,
pediatrics or gerontology. Or, you might identify a particular setting such as home health,
ambulatory surgery, or public health. Or, you might identify a role such as education or
administration. Be specific, the goals should be specific enough to measure your success
at program completion. (5%)
A plan for achieving stated goals, as well as exploring and evaluating educational and
educational goals while enrolled in this BSN program is developed.
o Develop a brief plan for how you will achieve your stated goals (educational &
professional), as well as explore and evaluate the professional practice alternatives while
enrolled in this BSN program.
The plan should identify what you need to change for the next two years to enable you to
pursue your educational commitments [e.g. work schedule, home responsibilities, family roles,
etc.]. (Remember a 4-credit course should involve 16 hours of study a week.) Be very specific.
Conclusion includes an analysis of what was gained by completing the assignment.
What did you gain from the introspection and self-reflection required for this assignment?
Please be specific.