Student Name Project: Writing in My Career Linville December 8, 2016 Introduction I am interested in majoring in nursing. I want to become a nurse because I want to make a difference in the lives of people. Along with providing emotional benefits, nursing also provides a median pay of $67, 490 per year (Occupational). Robin Mitchell, a retired nurse, stated that nursing is a career plentiful in jobs; you are guaranteed employment upon graduation. Growing up with a father who is a Clinical Lab Scientist, I ve been exposed to the medical field all my life. Being the first generation of my family to grow up in the United States, I have seen the struggles and difficulties my family has been through in order to give me the best opportunities to succeed. I understand it will take a lot of hard work to become a nurse. I ve conducted interviews and background research to discover more about this potential major and career. The Major In many colleges, nursing is an impacted major. This means that there are far more students who apply to the major than there are open spots. The nursing program at California State University, Sacramento is an impacted program. In order to apply to Sac State s nursing program, a student must complete a series of prerequisite classes. Those fortunate students accepted into the program have to successfully complete rigorous classes and job training. In all nursing programs, students are required to take courses in Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, Nutrition, and Psychology (Black and Kittrell). In theory, it takes about four years to complete a Bachelor s degree in nursing, but often it takes longer. According to the University Catalog, California State University, Sacramento requires nursing program applicants to have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and have completed 60 units of undergraduate coursework. Before applying for the nursing program, applicants are required to pass the TEAS test with at least 75%. The TEAS test is the Test for Essential Academic Skills and is composed of basic algebra and writing. In addition, bilingual skills and work experience in the health field give applicants an edge on admission to this major. According to the University Catalog, students will complete another 60 units of upperdivision course work in order to earn a Bachelor of Science degree. Requirements for 1
the Bachelor of Science Nursing-Registered Nurse (BSN-RN) program are even more rigorous. All nursing students must pass background checks, health checks, show CPR certification and technology competence, carry auto and liability insurance, and have reliable transportation. Alyssa Sikkema is a nursing student who is minoring in Biomedical Science. According to Sikkema, nursing classes require daily reading and analysis of textbooks and professional journal articles. Shelby Stutzman, who is in her third semester in a nursing program, agrees with Sikkema: It isn t uncommon to have 6-10 chapters of reading in one week. Reading is essential in the nursing major and plays an important role in each class. Writing is also a critical skill in the nursing major. On a weekly basis, nursing students have to write a care-plan (Sikkema). Care-planning is crucial in nursing because it is the nurse s responsibility to give the best possible care to each individual patient. In the professional field, much of the writing involved is through charting (Information About Writing). Charting ensures continuity of care, minimizes risks, and provides legal guidelines (Information About Writing). The nursing major is writing-intensive. Students are regularly required to write 5-7 page papers and often are assigned shorter pieces of writing as well (Stutzman). Writing in the major is a beneficial skill that will carry over into the profession. In addition, students are required to give multiple presentations while in the nursing program. Generally [there is] about one group project per semester. Typically, you re presenting in a group (Stutzman). According to Professor Robin Mitchell, some tests are done as demonstrations. Each student must be able to perform each procedure correctly during simulations. Once mastered in a controlled environment, students are then required to perform the procedure in an actual hospital setting where students are expected to make no mistakes, because mistakes can harm real patients. Similar to tests, some demonstrations are clinical. Sikkema has had to present all the medications [she was] going to give to the patient. Nursing students are required to show, in a form of a minor presentation, which medications a hypothetical patient needs to take and how that patient should take them, to ensure safety. One difficulty students in the nursing program face is the amount of information given at a single time. Heavy memorization is required; however, analysis on tests is also difficult. Instead of involving direct memorization, [questions] often consist of making the best choice (Stutzman). During a test, students are often given questions with multiple correct answers, but students are required to select the solution that would give the most benefit for a patient. Even when homework isn t assigned, it is important to study for upcoming exams and tests (Sikkema). 2
Alyssa Sikkema and Shelby Stutzman agree that it is important to work hard. Make sure you re putting your all into studying, Stutzman recommends. She also recommends that if you need help studying, watching related YouTube videos and exploring other websites with the same information can be beneficial. Lastly, Stutzman advises that volunteering at a hospital can greatly help nursing students to gain experience. Class work for nursing majors is constant and rigorous. Reading, writing, and giving presentations or demonstrations are a core part of the curriculum of which students have to display mastery. While in the nursing program, each student is working toward a common goal: to become a nurse and make a difference. The Career Today, nursing is a fast-growing profession. In 2004, registered nurses (RNs) represented the largest group of health care providers in the United states with 2.9 million individuals (Black and Kittrell). About 61% for all jobs within nursing are within state, local, and private hospitals, and the demand for health services is increasing due to the aging population and increased health insurance (Occupational). The employment for registered nurses is projected to grow 16 percent from 2014 to 2024 (Occupational). This indicates more job opportunities in the near future. RNs need good communication skills because many of their responsibilities include communicating with patients, families, employers, pharmacists, and hospital admitting clerks (Black and Kittrell). Any Information a nurse gathers must be clearly communicated to other health officials because each fact can greatly affect the overall well-being of the patient. Any miscommunication made by a nurse can endanger the life of the individual. Rose Ogues is an RN who works at Sutter Memorial Hospital in Sacramento. On a dayto-day basis, she works with various doctors, specialists, and nurses to treat patients. During an interview, she indicated that writing is one of the major forms of communication. Every nurse has to be able to properly complete reports and charts in order to fully assess a patient s health. Charts allow a nurse to keep track of which exams, tests, and medications an individual patient has received. A well-written report for each patient ensures that the right medication and treatment is being prescribed to the patient. A nurse without the ability to properly complete charts and reports will substantially endanger a patient s life. 3
Robin Mitchell, a retired nurse and current nursing professor, notes that nurses also need the ability to properly read and understand charts and email communication with coworkers and (in some cases) patients. Nurses must also read to keep current with new information in their areas of specialization and must continue to take courses in the field. In California, RNs are required by law to complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years... to maintain an active license ( Continuing Education ). Mitchell notes that nurses must be able to read numbers as well as words, for example, numbers from equipment such as blood pressure and the cardiac monitors. If a nurse is unable to fully understand either written material or numeric read-outs, a patient s life is at risk. Presentations are a big part of nursing, but they usually aren t formal speeches. The ability to tell a patient what medications to take and how to take them is a small form of a presentation. Also a nurse can sometimes tell a patient and their families the current health and status of the individual (Mitchell). Some presentations are to wider audiences. Sometimes, nurses give presentations to other nurses in the hospitals to update them on current hospital requirements (Mitchell). Nurses can also give presentations about their career to students or other individuals interested in joining the profession. RN Rose Ogues advises future nurses to continuously volunteer. Volunteering in hospitals is a great way to better understand the profession and to become familiar with the environment nurses work in on a daily basis. Such volunteer experiences can improve communication skills and provide connections that can pay off in the future. Before majoring in nursing, students need to be sure they have the passion and desire required. They need understand that nursing isn t going to be easy. Conclusion After investigating the career of nursing, I am motivated to work harder in order to enter the profession. I plan to do more volunteering, as suggested, and to get extra help in becoming a better reader, writer, and presenter. As I mentioned at the beginning of this paper, my family has made many sacrifices so that I can succeed in my studies and in my future career. Nursing appeals to me because nurses make a difference in the lives of people every day. One experienced nurse says: I feel so good inside when I see improvement in my patients and also when giving emotional support by holding hands of family members who have just experienced tragedy. Actually, it gives me inner peace that I was able to help somebody (Baksh qtd. in Wojciechowski). Word Count: 1,639 4
Works Cited Black, Beth Perry, and Kay Chitty Kittrell. Nursing Today. Professional Nursing: Concepts and Challenges. Elsevier, 2014, pp. 1-25. Continuing Education for License Renewal. California Board of Registered Nursing, 2016. www.rn.ca.gov/licensees/ce-renewal.shtml. Information About Writing Expectations In Nursing. California State University. www.csus.edu/wac/wac/students/major%20sites/nursing_expectations.html. Accessed 14 Nov. 2016. Mitchell, Robin. Personal Interview. 8 Nov. 2016. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics: United States Department of Labor, 17 Dec. 2016. www.bls.gov/ooh. Ogues, Rose. Interview. Received by Student Name, 12 Nov. 2016. Sikkema, Alyssa. Interview. Received by Student Name, 14 Nov.2016. Stutzman, Shelby. Interview. Received by Student Name, 14 Nov. 2016. University Catalog. Sacramento State University, 2014, catalog. csus.edu/14-16/first%20100%20pages/uoffer.html. Wojciechowski, Michele. Why I Love Being a Nurse. DailyNurse, 9 May 2016. dailynurse.com/why-i-love-being-a-nurse/. 5