Throughout this video there were so many different stories from nurses about experiences that they have had that have left an impact on their lives. As a nursing student who will be entering the work force soon there are still skills that I haven’t mastered yet. I have lost family members and that takes a toll on a person, but I never experienced losing a patient. In the video some nurses explained how they have lost patients and the impact that the experience left on them. A skill I want to develop is providing comfort to a patient and family members when they are going through the dying process. I want the develop a trusting relationship so that they know they can come to me with any problems or concerns during the process. Another skill I want to further develop is advocating for my patients. One part that stuck out to me from the movie was two nurses advocating for their patient to get a surgery, so he would be able to return to athletics. I think advocating for patients is a skill that I will develop throughout my career. The skill of advocating for a patient continues to develop because there are always new situations that a nurse is put in and needs to be that voice for their patient. Advocating is definitely a skill I want to strengthen, but I know I will have to continue to master this skill throughout my career. Another skill I would like to develop would be adaptability and having a get it done attitude. I think that I can adjust well to certain situations, but I think being able to adapt to situations as a nurse is different. I think that is a skill that I will develop when I get into practice. It’s important to be flexible and understand that tasks need to be done in an efficient manner.

As I was watching the video a population that I haven’t taken care of yet is the Native American community. As I watched this section in the video the nurse who was traveling to see this community explained that there are some barriers to providing care. A barrier that she expressed is the language because many of Native Americans in this community still use their native tone and don’t speak English fluently. This can make it difficult when it comes to explaining procedures and medications that patient will receive. Another barrier to providing care is that most of these Native American communities are in remote areas and the drive is about 2 hours. If a patient is in an emergency situation nobody can get to this area for 2 hours, so it puts the patient in a tough spot. The nurse also explained that the cell phone reception is patchy and that makes it hard to get in touch with patients. In this community the elders who believe in their traditions don’t really accept Western medicine. The elders believe in herbal remedies and traditions that they have been taught to heal themselves. The nurse expressed humility by explaining how much she enjoys caring for this population because she is a part of this population. She can relate to their needs, traditions, and struggles. I think that throughout my career as a nurse I will see many different populations. I think that for me it is most important to understand their beliefs in Western medicine and how they view the healthcare system. I would want to be able to create connections with those patients to understand their traditions and beliefs to be able to provide care to their standard.

As I listened to the guest speakers, there was a lot I learned about how to prepare for an interview. I have had interviews before but never to the extent of what I was told from the guest speakers. The most important things that I took away from the guest speakers is researching the organization’s mission statement, coming with my own questions, and expressing my career goals. I think it’s important to understand what the organization is trying to achieve and if I can see myself fitting in at that organization. I would want to know their standards of care, how they treat their employees, and what kind of environment the organization provides. After researching the organization, I would be able to come up with questions. I understand that I am being interviewed for the job, but I would also want to interview the organization to see if I can fit in there and if it meets my standards. I think it is important to express career goals and explain the skills that I want to develop. In my resume it would show skills that I have obtained from clinical hours and leadership positions that I have held. I would then further explain certain situations where those skills have come up in my education at UNE and how they have benefitted. I think I would be up front about my weaknesses, but I would make sure to explain to the organization on how I think I could improve them and then maybe get their feedback. I would also explain steps that I have taken in the past that have helped me improve my weaknesses.