Answer

Career Planning

Once I graduate from the nursing school, I plan to seek for employment in the state of Texas. Essentially, this state has unique procedure that one must fulfil for him or her to become a Registered Nurse license. Intuitively, a prospective registered nurse must successfully graduate from a certified school of nursing, submit their applications three months prior to graduation at the board of nursing website, successfully finish Nursing Jurisprudence Examination and be a member of Pearson. Moreover, a person must undergo a criminal background assessment and successfully fill a state of residence declaration form. Once the person has received authorization to sit the test, the candidate would then be qualified to undertake the NCLEX-RN examination (Hofler & Thomas, 2017).

            Given that I seek to be employed at the Houston, Texas area, I conducted job search for new graduate nurses within Houston and its neighborhoods. Houston Methodist Hospital locations was the first healthcare center where I performed a job search for a BSN graduate. Principally, the requirement for the Nurse Residency Program were adhered to strictly. In particular, successful completion of a qualified BSN program, eligible for RN licensure in Texas, and GN permit, suggested Nursing GPA of 3.2, as well as, letters of recommendations (Houston Methodist Nurse Residency Program, 2017). If all the stated qualifications are fulfilled, a candidate is required to submit his or her application online through the hospital’s website (Houston Methodist Hospital).

            Memorial Hermann Hospital Medical center location is the next location I performed a job search. For a candidate to qualify to apply for the Nurse Residence Program, a candidate must fulfil the following requirements; must have completed a nursing degree (BSN or ADN) from accredited program, has a GPA of 3.0 and above, has a recent Texas RN license, and BLS certification (Houston Methodist Nurse Residency Program, 2017). Once the person is qualified to apply, he or she can apply online through the hospital’s website by attaching copies of his or her resume.

Holistic Life Balance

             Within the nursing care, the holistic life balance considers spiritual wellbeing, emotional and various dimensions of a person to be critical element of physical wellness. The holistic health life balance within nursing creates situations that foster better health. Healthcare professionals, especially nurses use holistic life balance to identify the natural healing capabilities of the body and integrate alternative and complementary interventions such as relaxation therapy, music therapy, therapeutic touch, reminiscence therapy, as well as guided imagery since they are economic, noninvasive, effective, and non-pharmacological complements to the traditional medical care.

            In the first year, I intend to maintain my holistic life balance by encouraging nurses to incorporate self-responsibility, self-care, spirituality and reflection. Moreover, I intend to gain understanding that every patient is quite different and has varied needs spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. However, within the first five years, I intend to maintain holistic life balance by incorporating various aspects of patients together with their treatments by taking into account patient’s emotions, thoughts, views, cultures, as well as attitudes towards happiness, recovery, and satisfaction. Similarly, I intend to take into account the views and thoughts of patients regarding their assessment, recovery and provide them with correct anatomy. I also hope to maintain holistic balance by upholding a healthy lifestyle through keeping fit and eating healthily.

            In the first year, I intend to maintain the role of professional nurse by increasing self-confident and self-awareness in patients and for healthcare professionals, particularly nurses to understand the impacts on a disease of a patients’ whole life and patients’ needs. On the same note, I intend to learn various methods of therapeutic communication when handling persons with various disorders and how to boost their self-confidence by offering understanding and autonomy. However, in the next five years, I intend to maintain the role of professional nurses by respecting the role that patients play in their treatment, involve them in the treatment process and encourage self-care that consequently can result in therapeutic consultation, dignity, hope, social growth, self-discipline, and a sense of autonomy (Laschinger, 2012). As a nurse, I intend to maintain the role of professional nurses by continuing my education, particularly by researching holistic practices that could assist to ensure that my patients are in good progress towards achieving better recovery while maintaining offering balance.

Stressors and Challenges

             Studies have indicated that new graduate nurses experience myriad of challenges that affect their positive transition to practice. Therefore, healthcare organizations should understand how various changes within the healthcare settings affect new graduate nurses who are moving gradually into the practice environment. Essentially, the switching alone from graduating nursing, revising and excelling NCLEX on the first attempt to assuming the first official job as a licensed Registered Nurse are all considered challenges and stressor to nurses. Other stressors and challenges that I am likely to experience within the first five years include applying the skills and knowledge gained over the years in the nursing practice. It is not anything to doubt that nurses feel fatigue and stress as they transit from graduate nursing school to nursing practice. Therefore, nurses must manage relationships with families and providers, manage with patients and lead interdisciplinary team. Hofler (2017) reported that when novice Registered nurses are who take for complicated patients are not given necessary support, they usually feel exhausted and overwhelmed, and are likely to suffer from considerable anxiety and these can result in lead attrition.

            In addition to stress, various people joining the nursing profession already has a past profession before deciding to work in the nursing field. A good number of these people also have a growing family and possibly kids. As such, within this new profession, nurses and other healthcare professionals must get used to their new working timetable that at times entails working 3-4 days a week. Further, the nurses often work for long hours and this is a challenge to newly practicing nurses. Therefore, appropriate orientation of nursing life will assist me to understand and adapt to the new profession. However, after adapting to the long working hours and tight schedule, the new challenge that am likely to experience is to gain confidence and use evidence to make nursing judgments using evidence based practice. To ease the stated challenges and stress, essential suggestions have been postulated such as participating in nurse mentoring program to increase the intention of new nurses to stay in the profession.

             To reduce the stress of starting a new profession within the first year, I will have a mentor. Price and Reichert (2017) suggested that from the time new graduates start their residency, they need to be linked to a mentor who best fits their personality and has wide clinical experience. Intuitively, this linkage foster friendship, thereby reducing another unhealthy added stress and at the same time makes the new nurse to formulate effective ways of adapting to the nursing environment and practice.  Within five years, I would have gained experience in the workplace and therefore, I am likely to release stress by attending necessary vacations as required and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Lifelong Learning

             The nursing profession is a calling and among the most lucrative professions in the world. Education is a critical tool that can enable one to achieve his or her growth and goal within the profession. In the first and at first years of my nursing profession, I plan to acquire certification in pediatrics that entails caring for children, adolescents, and infants. Essentially, a critical care must be handled by taking into account in their immature system development, particularly in children. Completing this task will be my best accomplishment. Pediatrics Nursing Certification Board is the agency tasked with the certification. Essentially, PNCB-Pediatrics clinical nurse certification is a well-organized examination that offers a reliable and valid evaluation of the entry level-clinical skills and knowledge of clinical nurse professionals. Reportedly, this credential remains valid for the five years and one is required to renew so that he or she can remain active.

            Pursing a formal education is my next lifelong learning plan, which I intend to achieve within the next five years. In particular, I plan to attain a master’s degree in nursing education to assist me fulfil my growing desire of being a competent and renowned nurse across the world. Zamanzadeh et al. (2015) argued that nursing profession does not only entails bed side care but entails researching, lobbying for improvement, and advocating for the masses. Effective leadership is important if nurses and other stakeholders intend to change the healthcare system. As such, within the first year and five years, I plan to partner with other nursing professionals and bodies to enhance the health of soldiers through proper nursing care. However, this can only be realized if the voices of nurses and patients are heard at the local levels and professional nursing lobbyist are involved to advocate for the rights of patients and nurses.

Professional Contributions

            In the next one year and five years respectively, I plan to work as a volunteer at hospices and continue to volunteer at hospice and relate with patients during their trying moments. I similarly, I plan to assist them deal with their underlying issues before attaining my certification in pediatrician. In the first one year, I plan to volunteer at memory centers. However, within five years, I plan to continue to expand my skills and knowledge on how to assist patients suffering from memory loss and how to enhance their lifestyle. Moreover, within the first one year, I plan to contribute to the learners’ general community within the healthcare. I equally plan to work as a volunteer at the American Red Cross and disaster planning within the first year. Nonetheless, within five years, I plan to work with and mentor learners from different learning institutions. I also plan to volunteer as a nurse preceptor and provide clinical instructions to students perusing health related courses.