Professional Development for Nurses Essay

Academic Experiences

The experiences gained in and outside class have shaped my interpersonal thinking, and I aim to improve my service quality at work. During my first year, I was introduced to nursing ethics and values essential for quality service delivery. I was motivated by an article on professional values and career choice among nursing students (Alkaya et al., 2018). The article sheds light on human dignity, autonomy in decision-making, privacy, and professional competency. Upon reading the article, I started exercising the values personally and made them part of routine practices.

Furthermore, interacting with the nursing stakeholders was worth my time since I learned much about the different nursing associations fundamental for my career development. The information sessions organized by the college and partner organizations were fascinating and provided networking platforms. My academic experiences involved learning and applying my knowledge in real-life situations and networking with different professions. I created my career development plan that would allow me gain more knowledge and become a competent nurse.

Professional Development Plan

Pursue Advanced Certifications

College education can be insufficient in promoting an influential nursing profession. Therefore, advanced nursing certifications help one gain knowledge not taught in class. Furthermore, the certifications play a significant role in explaining concepts that nursing students fail to understand in classes (Beebee et al., 2018). I intend to pursue certifications in informatics and psychiatry to expand my knowledge in the two study areas. The accreditation in informatics will shape my technological skills, while the certification in psychiatry will facilitate enough information on mental health issues medication. The certificates will also add to my career portfolio, opening the door for advanced opportunities.

Lead Patient Safety Initiative

Nursing education emphasizes patient safety practices and conducive working environment creation. Most of the readings I came across at college discussed the various patient safety initiatives. Due to technological advancements, the nurses should be conversant with multiple mechanisms adopted to enhance patient safety. For instance, the Smart Intravenous Pumps and Barcode Medication Administration help administer the correct dosage (Bodine, 2019). I intend to understand the different patient safety initiatives that enhance my relationship with patients. Pursuing certifications, involvement in the nursing associations, and in-depth research will help me understand the industries.

Conclusion

The nursing profession has involved fascinating experiences and insights from the reading materials. Professional ethics is significant since it enhances interpersonal growth and nursing values. The nursing associations are persuaded by unity as manifested through my interactions during different occasions organized by the university. The knowledge gained in class has convinced me to research on diverse topics and participate in various nursing students’ associations. Furthermore, I have developed a career progression path that involves pursuing advanced certifications and understanding lead patient initiatives. In my view, nursing is the most fascinating and demanding profession.

References

Alkaya, S. A., Yaman, Ş., & Simones, J. (2018). Professional values and career choice of nursing students. Nursing Ethics, 25(2), 243-252.

Beebe, L. H., Roman, M., Raynor, H., Thompson, D., & Ray, S. (2018). Transforming health care through interprofessional graduate education. Perspectives in psychiatric care, 54(1), 19-24.

Bodine, J. L. (2019). Preparing nurse leaders in nursing professional development: Association for Nursing Professional Development Leadership Academy. Journal for nurses in professional development, 35(6), 351-353.