Tori Gwilt Nursing Journal #1 This weeks assignment covered chapter six and seven in the book by Kay

Kittrell Chitty and Beth Perry Black. After reading the assigned chapters and participating in the discussion questions, I began to realize just how important it is to understand the history of nursing. I have never been a history buff I have always been under the assumption that history was part of the past and it does not apply to the future. After all, why should I care what happened over 100 years ago? But as I was reading through the different definitions of nursing throughout the ages as well as how the different nursing programs have been developed, I began to comprehend and appreciate the metamorphosis of the profession. I now see that nursing is continually changing and even transforming in todays world. It was fascinating and thought-provoking as I read through Benners Stages of Nursing Proficiency as well as Cohens Model of Basic Student Socialization. I was able to pick out the stage of nursing at which I believe I am currently practicing and see how far I have come since being a graduate nurse. I was also able to determine that there is more I can do to advance in my nursing career and become a better, more skilled nurse. Reading and responding to the discussion questions this week enabled me to reflect back to when I was a new nurse and remember how insecure and unskilled I felt when I first began this career. It humbled me, and reminded me that I need to continue to be patient when teaching new staff in order to help them become skilled, confident nurses. As I focus on the metacognition portion of this journal, I believe that I am most affected when I can apply a theory or model to a real life situation. For example, when I looked at Benners Stages of Nursing Proficiency and the Cohens Model of Basic Student Socialization, I was able to relate the stages in each model to my nursing career the place where I started, where I am now, and where I hope to be in the future. It made the theories interactive, and therefore more memorable. I also realized that reliving memories of the past help me to become more aware of my current attitude and actions. A great illustration is when I participated in the weekly discussion and it reminded me to be more patient when teaching new operating room staff. Nursing Journal #2 As I read through chapter eight in the text for this course, I was able to review the nursing process, critical thinking, and clinical judgment. Although I use both critical thinking and clinical judgment on a daily basis in the operating room, it was enlightening to read the basic definition of both terms (which I have not seen since the last time I was in nursing school), and review the process of learning how to think critically and use clinical judgment. Upon finishing the reading, I discovered that the nursing process is not a framework that I utilize very often in my job as a circulating nurse in the operating room. I regularly use the first two steps of the nursing process. I use assessment when I interview the patient prior to surgery as well as post-operatively before I transfer the patient to the post-anesthesia care unit. I also use the second step of analysis and identification of the problem when I am troubleshooting (which happens to be a large part of my job). However, I do not believe that I use the last three phases of the nursing process on a regular basis planning, implementation of planned

interventions, and evaluation. I found the discussion boards to be a very great entity in helping to improve my own critical thinking skills and nursing judgment. Reading other nurses posts with their tidbits of wisdom aided me in discovering how I currently think and process information. As I analyze my thought process, I realize the place that I am currently at in regards to my own nursing skills, critical thinking, and clinical judgment. I believe that I will be able to improve my skills through learning and applying the learned information to my current practice. For example, I know that I need to practice more steps of the nursing process. I found the discussion board to be enlightening as it helped me to compare and contrast my own practice with that of others. I also believe that it was helpful to read about the mishaps of others. I truly believe that it will aid me in expanding my practice. Nursing Journal #3 As I was reading the text for this week (Chapters 12 and 13) covering different nursing theorists, theories of practice, and conceptual models, I was astounded to learn of the impact that so many different people have had on the nursing profession. It was interesting and intriguing to learn of the dozens of different theories and models that have been developed and studied in the field of nursing. When I was in college for my Associates degree in nursing, I strongly remember studying both Florence Nightingale and Jean Watsons theory and practice. However, I do no recall being educated on any of the different theorists and their models or concepts of nursing. As for my nursing practice, I believe that I most follow Jean Watsons model with the carative factors - possibly, because she is one of the theorists learned about while working toward my ADN. I find that Watsons model works extremely well within my specialty (the operating room). But I have also discovered that I have taken Watsons model and tweaked it in the fact that I have added aspects of other nurses theories and practices to my own in an effort to create the best possible outcomes and experiences for the patient. The discussion boards were interesting to read and reply to because of the variety of different models that each person chose as their mentor and guide. It was interesting to read why one person chose one theorist as opposed to another person who works in the same specialty who chose an entirely different model to follow. When I examine my thought process, I find that my disinterest in historical information, again, proves to be a hindrance to my learning. I suppose that I need to embrace the fact that history does play a vital factor to the future and that I can learn a great deal of helpful information if I take the time to learn how others in the past have approached nursing. With this approach, I would also be able to learn about the mistakes of other nurses, which I believe would aid in preventing me from making the same errors. Another valid point I now recognize about the way I think is that I am most likely to follow the example set forth before me. For example, in nursing school, I learned about Jean Watsons theory therefore I followed her example of nursing practice. Perhaps, if I had learned of more theories, I would have chosen to initially follow one of them as the basis of developing my nursing practice.