Why I Want to Become a Trauma Nurse Essay Example

📌Category: HealthCare, Profession
📌Words: 1595
📌Pages: 6
📌Published: 29 May 2021

Education is the key to everything in life.  To be able to perform tasks one has to be well educated on that certain subject.  Being in the medical field, one’s knowledge is always expanding because medicine is always advancing.  Nursing is a very challenging and demanding career.  It requires strong work ethics, teamwork skills, and initiative. 

For my future, I plan to become a trauma nurse.  After high school I plan to attend Southeastern Louisiana University and major in nursing.  Southeastern’s nu,rsing program is one of the top twenty programs in the country.  Nursing school is very crucial, it requires four years of schooling, many rigorous courses, and a substantial amount of studying and dedication.  Becoming a nurse is something I have always wanted to pursue.  I feel this is the best career for me because of the fascination I have for medicine and helping people. 

The role of a trauma nurse comes with an enormous amount of stress.  A nurse has to be able to think quickly on his or her feet and be prepared for the worst.  For my senior project, I plan to shadow Traci Magee.  Traci is the head of the emergency room at St.Tammany Hospital and has been a nurse for 26 years.  I am choosing to shadow her because she has had a lot of experience in the medical field.  Traci deals with a lot of trauma working in the emergency room, this is why I feel she is most resourceful. Also, she can show me what day-to-day life is like being a nurse. 

To medically heal someone so he or she could live a more robust life is my ultimate goal.  Once graduated from nursing school, I will hopefully succeed in finding a hospital that will be enjoyable for the next 35 years.  Supporting my family and having a job that I love is another serious goal of mine. 

For my senior project, I wish people are able to see my compassion about working in the medical field through my tri-fold display.  I hope my factual statements, my hard work, and dedication contributed to this project represents my plans for my future.  Presenting my project in the high school gym can benefit me by meeting other medical affiliated workers. My project should cost no more than $30.  I plan to present a well-organized project that gives a clear detail of my future job. 

Plagiarism is the process of copying another person’s idea or written work and claiming it as original or the unauthorized use of or close imitation of someone else's work or thoughts.  I understand the consequences of plagiarism, and I will not duplicate any information without proper citations nor attempt to turn in work that is not my own I understand the consequences if I engage in Academic Dishonesty while completing any English IV assignment. 

II. Research

According to Google  Registered Nurse is defined as “a nurse who has graduated from a college's nursing program or from a school of nursing and has passed a national licensing exam.” According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook a day to day routine for a Registered Nurse “Assess patients’ conditions, record patients’ medical history, observe patients and record the observations, administer patients ‘medicine and treatments, set up plans for patients’ 

care or contribute information to existing plans, consult and collaborate with doctors and other healthcare professionals, operate and monitor medical equipment, help perform diagnostic tests and analyze the results, teach patients and their families how to manage illnesses or injuries, explain what to do at home after treatment” (Registered). 

Nursing has always been an interest of mine. This job provides many different opportunities as well as many different types of branches for nursing; “surgery, endoscopy, cancer treatments, infusions, ER, radiology, interventions, cardiac interventions” (Magee). The different branches of nursing has to offer will allow me to expand my experience in different fields.

Nursing interest me because it brings a different challenge every day, also it makes a difference in someone’s life every day. According to the article Florence Nightingale: Founder of Modern Nursing and Hospital Epidemiology, written by Warren Jr Wilkenstein, Florence Nightingale was the founder of modern nursing (Winkelstein). During Britain's Crimean War, in November 1854 when the military hospital conditions became hellish, the secretary of the war reached out to Nightingale based on acquaintanceship (Winkelstein). At age 40, Nightingale developed a chronic fatigue syndrome, she carried on with her influence of nursing through letters, books, conference presentations, and personal persuasions (Winkelstein). In the article, “You Should Know These 10 Remarkable Facts About Nursing,” written by Mackenzie Thompson, the first nursing school in the United States was established in 1862. Eight years after Nurse Nightingale serviced the wounded Britain soldier, The New England Hospital For Women and Children was established (Winkelstein).

The education requirements for Registered Nursing include challenging courses. According to Southeastern.edu, the undergraduate degree offers a “four-year program leading to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The program includes approximately 60 hours of pre-requisites prior to entering clinical nursing courses” (Undergraduate). The four-year program will develop one into a qualified nurse, ready to help save lives. After clinicals, one must submit an application to Southeastern’s Nursing program and will only be accepted by “Obtain[ing] a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.7 on 4.0 scale for all undergraduate work including courses repeated and all courses counted toward the student's baccalaureate degree, as indicated by a transcript” (Undergraduate).  This GPA criterion ensures nursing majors strive to be fully committed to their schooling. Also getting accepted into SLU School of Nursing is difficult, “Undergraduate program boasts more than 1,400 majors and graduates approximately 150 students annually” (Undergraduate). SLU School of Nursing only welcomes elite students into their nursing program. Not being accepted should only strive to work harder. 

Education has an influential impact on the salary of a nurse. Also where he or she works impacts their annual salary. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects in May of 

2017 Registered Nurses earned $70,000. Health Diagnostic and Treating Practitioners earn $79,480” (Registered).  Having a Doctorate degree or a Practitioner license allows your wages to increase. In this matter, getting one’s Doctorate takes four years of undergraduate school, four years in medical school, and three or more years in residency (Undergraduate). 

A very beneficial aspect of nursing is the need for nurses never end. Medicine is always changing and the need for nurses will always be expanding.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics explains, “Employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 15 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations” (Registered). Nurses can be beneficial in Hospitals, Home Health, Schools, Army, and many other places. This is why the urgency for nurses will always accumulate. In a personal interview with Traci Magee, head nurse of the Emergency Room at St. Tammany Parish Hospital, informed me that St. Tammany Parish Hospital offers, medical and life insurance. Also, STPH offers investments, short and long term disability, and retirement (Magee). Benefits of being a nurse not only comes from insurance but it comes from getting a ‘Thank you’ from patients. Also seeing how one has positively affected a patients life. Also having more experience can be beneficial in raises (Magee). 

Being a nurse includes long hours, missed family gatherings, and working through the Holidays. Spending time with your family may come second when working a busy Holiday. Though once he or she has experience you can choose which days he or she wants to work. Working the Holidays or long night shifts can be the difference in someone’s life. Sacrificing for one can be benefiting for another. 

III. Mentor 

Shadowing Traci Magee for my senior project presented me with a concrete perspective of what it is like to be a nurse. Traci has been a registered nurse at St. Tammany Parish Hospital for 26 years. Nurse Magee was hired at STPH at age 20 as a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Assistant as a weekend job while attending college.  While working in the ICU she fell in love with nursing and then changed her major from Physical Therapy to a Registered Nurse. After completing four years at William Carey College, Mrs. Magee graduated with her Bachelors of Science in Nursing. In a personal interview with Nurse Traci, she explained to me her daily routine, “I get to work at 6:45 am. I then assign nurses to rooms, conduct the flow of patients from triage to doctor, testing to admit or discharge.” 

Traci also expressed how the Emergency Department is very stressful, mentally and physically. When I asked Traci if her work schedule interferes with her home life she replied, “Yes, there is always work schedule conflict with family time, working weekends I have missed many of my boy’s games. Working holidays, I have missed many family gatherings.”  When asked what are the positives and negatives about Traci’s job she responded, “Positives in nursing include getting a ‘Thank you’ from patients you help or save. Also, nursing has various options; surgery, endoscopy, cancer treatments, infusions, ER, radiology interventions, cardiac interventions. Negatives include people are angry when they feel bad or have to wait due to the ER being extremely busy. Another negative is telling families that their loved one has died or told a patient [he or she has] cancer or something life threatening especially children.” Though nursing has a few deprivations, Traci finds her job rewarding and pleasant due to the passion she has about caring for others (Magee). 

IV. Conclusion 

Overall, being a nurse comes with pros and cons. Being a nurse allows one to save lives but also costs them family time. I feel my characteristics match perfectly with the job description of being a nurse. I am always ready to lend a hand and I am very determined. I plan to take nursing school very seriously with the mindset of excelling for my future family. In order to excel in the medical field, in college I must focus and strive to be the top student in my class. Southeastern only accepts the best in nursing school. Also, I will have to eliminate interruptions by arranging time for studying.  If I fail at becoming a nurse my second option is teaching. Hopefully, I will do my utmost in excelling in my passion.

 

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