My Initial Nursing School Day

Clinical Skills Laboratory No. 1
On the day of my very first clinical skills lab, I awoke at six in the morning feeling nervous and, strangely enough, a bit excited. I may not have been able to tell in the early going, but I was aware that my first day would be significant. I was able to wake up and function after the first two hours and was anxious to hear what our teacher had to say during our conversations. As I listened to the other participants’ opinions and shared my own, the anxiety started to fade. The more we spoke, the more my anxieties of coming out as stupid or inferior faded away, and I realized that everyone else in the group felt the same way about the next two years. I was relieved to have company, and I’m sure they felt the same way. I felt myself learning so much, from the patient situations to our first check-off, and I knew this was what I had been anticipating since I was twelve. I was finally able to actively use critical thinking both now, in the skills lab, and in the near future. I was sure I wanted to accomplish this.

Personal Power
I’m happy that, despite having just recently met, my clinical group got along so well. I’ve only been with them for a few days, yet I already know something about each and every one of them. I realized that I was evaluating my members in a manner similar to how I would evaluate a patient. I would attempt to softly reassure anybody who seemed hesitant or uneasy with a smile or a nod. If someone shared their concerns, I would make an effort to show empathy and provide words of encouragement. I believe that my spirit, if not humor, is what makes me strong. People may be shocked by how lighthearted and laid-back I can be considering my poker face. I’m hoping that this will help my clinical group. While I am aware of when to take things seriously, I believe that taking things lightly and maintaining a cheerful attitude are the best approaches. I will undoubtedly have difficult days, but I never let that stop me from supporting others. The nursing program won’t be simple, and I’m sure there will be plenty of stressful and self-conscious times, but I believe my spirit will uplift my members and encourage them to take each step as it comes. And if that’s not enough, I’ll throw in a few jokes. I’ve heard that laughter is the best medicine. I want my group to recognize me as a serious, trustworthy, and supporting somebody that they can count on in a crowd and know will be there for them. It doesn’t have to be difficult since we’re all in this together. I really think we can succeed if we go ahead as a unit with the confidence that we can.

Medical Practice
I learnt to have confidence in myself after reflecting on my first day in the clinical skills lab. More scientific information was acquired, but I was mostly developing the confidence I didn’t realize I possessed, which is essential to my nursing work. I say this because it’s important to have faith in oneself, one’s actions, one’s decisions, etc. It wouldn’t be beneficial for myself or the patient if I were a nurse who wasn’t confident in herself. As the hours passed, I came to the conclusion that I needed to stand out and express my ideas in order to be successful. I still gained knowledge from it, even though what I first believed was incorrect. When they were accurate, I felt happy that I could infer and use critical thinking like a nurse, and I knew that this was only the start. Being able to express oneself clearly is essential in a career where I’ll be working with so many diverse individuals. Both nurses and nursing teachers have a responsibility to provide an example of professionalism and effective communication (Taylor & University of New Hampshire, 2017). I was determined to learn about this from my teacher and to add to it with my hands-on experience in the lab, as well as the practical applications. In the end, I think that learning to trust myself enabled me to speak out with responses and questions on subjects I was interested in learning more about. No matter how long they’ve been in the profession, nurses still don’t know everything, and that’s alright since they learn something new every day. If you’re unsure about anything, do some research. You may still utilize the people around you as a resource even if you are unable to search it up. Knowing this helped me relax since I had been so concerned before starting the program and had assumed that I needed to be an expert on nursing when in reality, I didn’t. For the rest of my life, I’ll keep learning new things every day. I’ll concentrate on increasing my self-assurance and trust for the time being in order to one day excel as a nurse.