Nursing History, Conversation with seasoned RN

Reflection Paper should be a typed paper in APA format including:
Double-spaced, font and type size consistent with APA manual
Title Page adheres to Chamberlain and APA standards.
Content and headings as below and on the rubric:
Introduction (include Introduction content, but no heading)
Reflection on Learning from Nurse’s Answers
Insight Gained from Conversation Regarding Leadership, Provision of Care, and/or Evidence-Based Practice
Analysis of the Impact of Nursing History on Professional Practice Today and in the Future
Conclusion
Length: Approximately 3 double-spaced pages excluding Title Page; 800-1000 words required in the body of the paper.
No outside sources will be used. No citations or references. No Reference page needed.
Excellent mechanics of scholarly writing including spelling, grammar, structure, paragraphing, and punctuation.

ANSWER

NR393 Course Project Phase 3: Reflection Paper

Reflection Paper

The interview gave me a unique insight into nursing practice corridors and what goes on in nurses’ daily practice. I learned various issues that I had no previous knowledge of while also refreshing my memory on the ones I already knew. The conversation strengthened my understanding of the evidence-based practice, healthcare provision, and the leadership role that nurses play. The discussion also raised my awareness of the history of nursing and its influence in nursing practice today. This essay is a reflection of my conversation with the nurse.

Reflection on Learning from Nurse’s Answers

Nurse Jane agreed to this interview after asking for her help, explaining that this was a requirement for fulfilling my nursing history course. Jane has been a nurse for a period spanning across three decades. She fondly remembers her days in the nursing school and her excitement at putting on her lab coat and cap for the first time. As it is today, Jane remembers that nursing was one of the most important courses at her university and that it was a privilege to study nursing. She fondly reflects on her OB rotations and her excitement at assisting in deliveries. Her excitement shows the joy and dedication with which nurses approach their duties.

Nursing is very different now compared to what it was back then. Today nurses can compare notes with attending physicians and even propose counter-arguments when they feel the need to. When Jane began her practice in the formative years, doctors had the final say on medical decisions. Jane recalls that all a nurse could do was following the instructions provided by the doctors. This change in methods of practice is good news for patients because it improves healthcare delivery. Doctors and nurses can compare notes and advice where possible, which ensures the well-being of the patient.

Nursing has evolved so much over the years. Jane points out that some practices were considered regular in those days but are no longer used today. She gives the example of functional nursing, a method of practice that is intended to accomplish many tasks quickly. She reflects that they usually had a medication nurse, a charge nurse, and a treatment nurse, all on the same floor. Today almost all of those services are performed by the primary nurse. This is a good thing because it helps the nurse develop a therapeutic relationship with their patient, improving healthcare delivery.

Insight Gained from Conversation Regarding Leadership, Provision of Care, or Evidence-Based Practice

Nursing clinical leadership is an essential aspect of nursing practice. This is the kind of leadership that is found in regular bedside and clinic nurses. For a long time, people have thought that leadership in hospitals is only associated with top-level nursing managers and executives. However, as Jane shows, leadership at the care level can also be important in improving healthcare delivery. She mentors new nurses by giving them guidance on how to stay on their feet. This helps them be at their near best and encourages them to give their best, leading to quality healthcare services.

She also stepped up to a charge nurse’s position and was in charge of mediating between nurses who have issues, which creates a positive environment in which nurses can practice. Under her new role, she also took the lead of learning new equipment and teaching other nurses how to use them. This helps to reduce cases of error, which are always dangerous. Leadership roles at the clinical and bedside level are, therefore, crucial in improving health care delivery.

Analysis of Impact of Nursing History on Professional Practice Today and in the Future

Nursing history enables nurses to fully understand challenges such as low pay, understaffing, and autonomy. With the foundational knowledge of these subjects, nurses are fully equipped and can address issues that affect them at their workplaces. They can address these issues based on how their predecessors handled them. The study of nursing history also helps nurses fully understand and appreciate their place in healthcare delivery. It is also essential to learn that in the past, there have been nursing theorists such as Florence Nightingale and Joanne Duffy, whose theories have been the bedrock of nursing practice. Nursing practice today continues to rely on their works heavily. The future of nursing will also be dependent on models of practices proposed in the past. Since current practice is based on nursing history, future nursing practice will also be reliant on today’s theories.

Jane gives an example of reducing the patient-nurse ratio to improve nursing today and in the future. Understaffing of nurses usually causes several effects as nurses tend to get fatigued from the rigorous shifts of handling several patients simultaneously. This can lead to burnout and even cause errors that can be costly, as has been witnessed in the past. Reducing the number of patients to the Nurse ratio improves the delivery of health care. Therefore, nursing history plays a vital role in the future of nursing practice and even nursing practice right now.

Conclusion

The paper has drawn a full reflection of my conversation with Nurse Jane and how her past experiences represent nursing practice in general. The essay establishes that leadership among clinical and bedside nurses are useful in improving healthcare delivery. That nursing history has an important role to play in nursing practice today and the future of nursing. Nursing is, therefore, an essential field in the provision of healthcare in general, and as such, nurses should aim to learn from those that have been there before them to improve on their delivery of services.