The Professional Role
Reflection Assignment 1 for the Concept of Professionalism
Purpose:
Reflection is an active process whereby the professional can gain an understanding of how historical, social, cultural and personal experiences have contributed to professional knowledge and practice. Learning is derived from experience but it doesn’t just happen. For it to take place you not only need to engage in reflection you must also record it.
Thinking about what you are doing and why you are doing it is what turns your experiences into meaningful learning. If you are to become a reflective practitioner you have to use that learning to increase your professional knowledge and skills to the benefit of not only yourself but also to your patients.
Reflection then, is really a process that begins with looking back on a situation, pondering over it, learning from it and then using the new knowledge to help you in future similar situations. [SLO: III, IV] (Competencies: 9)
Background: In an article entitled, What Do Nurses Really Do?, author Suzanne Gordon (2006) wrote:
“Several weeks ago, I was invited to speak to a group of undergraduate students who had been asked to read my new book, Nursing Against the Odds, for their history of science class at Harvard University.
During the hour-and-a-half discussion, one question that kept popping up was: “What do nurses really do?” As I left the room, I pondered, as I often do, why the public has so little under-standing of the consequential nature of nursing practice. Clearly, it’s because of traditional stereotypes about nursing.
But it’s also because nurses have been socialized to be silent about their work or to talk about it in ways that fail to reverse these traditional stereotypes.” Gordon, S. (2006). What do nurses really do? Topics in Advanced Practice Nursing eJournal, 6(1).
Directions:
Locate (using the library databases) and review a full-text, scholarly U.S. nursing journal article published within the last 5 years that relates to the topic of Professionalism in Nursing. Reflect on the concept of Professionalism as discussed in class and in your assigned readings.
In a typed, double spaced, 2-3 page maximum (excluding title page and reference page) reflection paper (using correct APA format with reference list that includes at a minimum your nursing journal article and your two N129 course textbooks) be sure to address the following points:
Write an introductory paragraph where you introduce the topic of Professionalism and how it relates to modern day nursing (you may wish define Professionalism citing your article or texts here) and conclude with informing your reader what your paper will be about (write in 3rd person)
Write a paragraph (or two) where you briefly summarize the main ideas from your chosen article and then discuss how it relates to Professionalism in nursing.
(be sure to correctly cite the author’s ideas using APA format). (write in 3rd person)
Write a paragraph describing how your personal perceptions of the role of the nurse have changed since beginning nursing school; include in your discussion at least one thing (cite something from your text(s) here) you have you learned so far that has most surprised you about the role of the nurse and how you now feel about your career choice? (write in 1st person)
Write a paragraph discussing how learning about Professionalism in nursing will affect your future actions as both,
1) a nursing student now and
2) as a practicing nurse in the future; finally be sure to include in your discussion what aspects of your own Professionalism you plan to further develop.
(write in 1st person)
Write a thorough concluding paragraph that clearly summarizes the major points of your paper and leaves the reader with a clear idea of how the concept of Professionalism relates to nursing;
briefly summarize points from both sources you have read and leave the reader with an overall conclusion about the significance of Professionalism to nursing.
(3rd person)
