Before RN-BSN Program
When I came to United States thirteen years ago, I never thought I was going to do so much and get so far. My initial dream was to become a nurse with the vocation of serving others and to become a part of the team that would save lives. The transition of this dream has been made in several steps beginning by graduating as a LVN, obtaining an associate degree and currently to finish my Bachelor’s Degree. Many aspects of my life have been influenced including my self-image, short and long terms goals, philosophies, attitudes, actions, experiences, interests, and more importantly my professional role in nursing and in society.
As a new graduate with my Associate Degree in Nursing, the first feeling I experienced was fear and uncertainty about my future as a nurse. This feeling was due to my observing of how demanding this profession was during my clinical rotations. I had this strong sensation that nursing was my niche but I was afraid of failure. My perception was limited with what was expected in this profession that I considered as being primarily to care for the sick and to provide for them by learning about the diagnosis and medications. I visualized myself only passing my internship and being a “safe nurse” on the hall. At the time, I just had a subtle idea, only in theory, that nursing was a dimensional profession. My goals working in the hospital were very elementary goals. First, I needed to pass the Performance Test (PBDS) given by the hospital in order to continue working in the acute care field. Second, I wanted to be a leader on my floor so my immediate goals were to acquire the experience, the skills, and professionalism necessary to demonstrate my leadership. Also, I did not know what field in nursing was the best for me, so I focused only in acquiring any and all practical knowledge. My brain was working as a sponge