Nursing Self-Esteem

This assignment aims to identify self-awareness as an important attribute for nurses. I aim to achieve this by exploring why self-awareness is important and the impact it can have on nursing professionals. Finally there will be a conclusion with a thorough justification on why self-awareness is an important life skill for nurses.

The concept of self esteem is widespread in life. When it comes to academics and extracurricular actives people associate high self esteem is necessary for success. Society makes promoting self esteem an important goal. With that in mind, it is surprising that only recently scientific literature began providing insight into the nature of development of self esteem.

Conducting an interview with someone makes you see things in many different perspectives and in a new light. The person I interviewed saw nursing as a broader term that saw things in a different way even though she has just started. She knows that special people need to take roles in being a nurse. I interviewed my aunt, Ann Juknevicius. She is 30 years old and she has been a nurse for 2 years in Illinois now. Relatively she is a new nurse. One of the main reasons why I started the nursing program is because I look up to Annie a lot and she showed me so many different perspectives on how to look at people, different situations, and the way you handle things. I thought that it would be a great interview session to see if Annie’s expectations were the same as the nursing reality.

The profession of nursing requires a capacity and joy for caring and healing others both mentally and physically. Nurses spend their careers caring for patients and their families often in the worst and most frightening periods of their lives. Nursing responsibilities can be lengthy, stressful and physically and emotionally demanding. The demands of the nursing profession coupled with the nursing shortage and longer work hours put even more stress on nurses. Despite these extreme demands, many nurses do not fully appreciate the importance self-care. Yet without proper care for themselves, nurses are not able to provide the best care for their patients.

A person with a strong sense of self esteem will have a more positive outlook on life and will be strong enough to handle difficult situations through life.

A nursing philosophy coincides with self-awareness. Nursing philosophies are developed by each individual nurse regarding the nursing practice and are important in understanding what is fundamentally important to each nurse, along with their values and beliefs. Self-awareness, in short, is knowledge of one 's self, feelings, motives, and desires. In order for nurses to develop their own nursing philosophy they must first have a good sense of self-awareness. As a future nurse it is important that I recognize my own self-awareness so I can continue to build onto my beliefs and values of the nursing profession and gain a better understanding of what is fundamentally important to me as a nurse. In this paper I will discuss why I chose the nursing profession, my beliefs and values, and what I feel is fundamentally important in the nursing profession.

Shearer (2011) utilizes a Mandala to assist in the discovery of personal nursing worldviews, underscoring that philosophy permeates practice and research. Understanding that all beginnings start with a thought, Shearer (2011) asked advanced practice and doctoral prepared nursing students to reflect on their underlying worldview and beliefs that influence their philosophical views regarding the practice of nursing. In effect, the Mandala being circular in design provides a visual focal point to guide and articulate the world and philosophical views of the nurse. Keeping with all journeys start with a beginning, Shearer (2011) while retracing the steps of the previous nursing scholars’ worldviews, reflects on the relationship between the abstract

Self care is essential to the nursing profession because it is a reflection on the quality of health care nurses provide to their patients, it portrays an image to the patients on what’s necessary towards healthy living and can help nurses battle with stress and personal health. Self care can be expressed as taking care of ones self’s health and overall wellbeing. This can be shown through eating healthy, exercising daily, getting enough sleep and completing weekly activities to reduce stress. Improving your overall health can benefit nurses from overworking themselves and help minimize the affects certain stressors can have on them. By doing so, the overall atmosphere in the workplace and the quality of healthcare provided to the patients will be greatly improved.

This paper will explore the impact confidence has on a new graduate nurse (NGN)’s practice. It will start by exploring personal reflection focusing on the importance and impact confidence has had on my practice. It will also discuss professional reflection touching on: my Nursing 495 learning plan, my clinical experience, connecting it to literature. This paper will conclude with the impact confidence will have on my future practice. In this paper, self-confidence is defined “as the belief of a person in her or his own abilities to achieve goals and perform tasks and practices in an effective and efficient manner”.

As I near the finish with my journey with Aspen, I realize what I have achieved. I have improved my decision-making skills, attained knowledge in leadership and managerial skills. Also, I have improved my communication skills for leadership positions, increased knowledge in the organizations functioning, and increased knowledge in quality. Therefore, we will review some of the areas, which my goals were achieved.

Jack, Kristen, & Smith, & Anne, (2007, April). Promoting self-awareness in nurses to improve nursing practice. Nursing Standard, 21(32), 47-52. University Library.

Sue Fitzsimons, Ph.D., RN, senior vice president of patient services and CNO at Yale-New Haven Hospital during the Yale School of Nursing 2013 commencement address, said: "Rejoice in your work; never lose sight of the nursing leader you are now and the nursing leader you will become."

Dorthea E. Orem is a well recognized and a very well educated nursing theorist. She had a lot of experience as a nurse, and this greatly helped her provide insight into her views of nursing practice, education, and science. “The question that directed Orem’s thinking was, “What condition exists in a person when judgments are made that a nurse(s) should be brought into the situation?”” (Berbiglia & Banfield, 2014) Her biggest focus was the Self- Care Deficit Nursing Theory.

As nurses, we need to have confidence, good viewpoints, strong beliefs spiritual understandings and moral values in developing a powerful image. “I have always believed you are what you think you are.” (Coelho, n.d). If you’re honest, have self-confidence, reliable, sound principles, and respect; you can acquire the capability to be successful. (Posner, n.d.).

Like any scientific discipline, the nursing profession has evolved over time. Nurses, once regarded as housemaids and lower class citizens, now hold positions of authority and stature in our modern society. These changes in the profession are attributed to the many nurse theorists who devoted their lives to the improvement of patient care. Through their theoretical advancements, the public perception of nursing has gone from dismissive to reverential. Today, our culture considers the nursing profession to be one of the most rewarding and respected career paths an individual can pursue. Through a review of one such patient theorist, Dorothea Orem, one can witness this change in the perception of the nursing profession. As a first semester student in a professional nursing course of study, Orem has already influenced my personal nursing philosophy.