i just need a quick response to the posting below:Nursing is one of the most critical careers in healthcare. We are one of the first people a patient sees whether they are coming for a follow-up, or when they are ill. “Effective nursing care is critical in preventing readmissions and ensuring that patients successfully navigate the many hand-offs that occur during their stay”. If the patient is in the hospital, nurses are the ones taking care of them, making sure they are not only compliant with what the practitioner has prescribed, but checking vitals, blood work, medications, testing, consults with specialists, and much more. We are the patient’s advocate. “The nurse creates and nurtures an intimate bond with the patient and family through a constant presence and hands-on care. Who better than the nurse to coordinate the many disciplines involved in a patient’s care?” (2010). As a new nurse, I quickly realized that we are much more than just the person taking “care” of the patient. “Nurses are, and always have been, the patient’s first and last line of defense” (2010). In the emergency room, there were many times that my critical thinking or quick decision-making skills had to come into play to save a patient’s life; whether that meant speaking up for your patient to an intensivist or other practitioner. The emergency room keeps me busy. I wo
uld have to run into one room where a patient was in severe DKA, then into another new admit for bleeding and blood pressure of 88/43, then jumping to another patient that maybe had a little too much to drink. Knowing how to assess the patients and prioritize their care, and maintaining patient safety is a key element of nursing and nursing practice. “Keeping the patient safe from preventable adverse events—such as falls, pressure ulcers, infections, and immobility complications—are high on nurses’ priority list as they manage and coordinate the patient’s care to ensure safe passage through the care-delivery system: (2010). As healthcare evolves and grows so should the nursing standards to make the patient experience more memorable. “The art of nursing must coexist with today’s technology-driven, evidence-based science of nursing. To ensure such coexistence, nurses must manifest the essence of nursing in every patient and family encounter” (2010). I have been involved with helping to create policies and procedures and standing orders so that patient care flows in a conducive and safe manner. I love what I do, and I think that nursing has given me a new appreciation for patient care which has helped me want to further my career so that when I become a practitioner myself I will continue to provide my patient a safe and compassionate higher level of care.