Submitted 2024-01-28
As I pursue a career in nursing there are many things that I will be faced with. These things may be physically and mentally draining. In the healthcare field, I have learned some ways to handle the physical and mentally demanding aspects of healthcare in regards to emergency care. Emergency care is a vital aspect of healthcare and one needs to be prepared to provide it. In order to provide the best care to my patients I plan to focus on education, self-care, teamwork, and maintaining a healthy diet.
In my career, I will be presented with situations that will require emergency care. Emergency care is one of the most essential parts to saving lives. With the knowledge of that, it can be a very heavy burden to bear. As mental health is becoming a very important topic in the modern world, it is important to discuss it in relation to having to provide emergency care, such as CPR to patients. Performing life saving techniques, such as CPR can be mentally tiring to an individual because of the burden of weather not one’s patient will live or die. With that being said, I am preparing mentally for the burden in my personal life for this by prioritizing the thoughts that if I do all that I can for a patient then I have done my part to save their life. Telling this to myself over and over again is a self motivator and a reminder to the mind that I am doing what I am supposed to do and I am helping them. I also am choosing to share humor with co-workers and friends in the same field. Humor is an outlet to reset the mind and to process the mentally tiring events that occur in healthcare. In addition to that, I am planning to not work more than three shifts in a row to reduce the mental fatigue of giving of myself to others. Working many days in a row takes a toll on an individual and I would like to prevent burnout. Burnout is affecting many healthcare workers due to many factors, and I would like to prevent that in my life. I also choose to pray to my God for the strength to carry on. Pray and time off for myself is a way to provide self-care to myself. Without preparing mentally to provide emergency care, one cannot expect to sustain a healthy work life balance.
Caring for individuals requiring emergency care can be physically tiring as well. In preparation for that, I plan on ensuring that I bring nutritious snacks and lunch, attempting to maintain hydration, and to accept help when needed. I believe it is important to feed the body the necessary requirements to perform well physically in my career as well as knowing one’s own limitations. If everyone works together to perform as a team then it can benefit the patients. Teamwork is the center of healthcare. It takes an interdisciplinary approach to it, to provide optimized care for a patient. Maintaining a balanced diet and knowing my own limitations is important because it is a part of self care as well. Emergency care also requires one to have the physical knowledge to perform it. I am working towards having that knowledge by pursuing every opportunity I have to learn more. Education is very important, and one always needs to be learning in order to improve the care that one provides. I also am taking the opportunity to become Basic Life Support Certified CPR, and to further my education upon graduation by obtaining my Advanced Cardiac Life Support certification and Pediatric Advanced Life Support certification. In addition I plan to further my education to a bachelor of science’s degree in nursing.
In order to provide superb emergency care it starts with taking care of oneself. This means to have outlets such as humor, forming a group of friends and co-workers that are supportive. It also means self motivation that one is helping a patient by utilizing all their knowledge and know how to save a life. Providing excellent emergency care also entails taking time outside of work to rest to help prevent burnout. To be physically prepared to provide emergency care one has a self care routine by staying hydrated, eating a balanced diet. It also means staying up to date on the latest evidence based practices and continuing to learn. Most of all it also means preparing with teamwork and not being afraid to ask for help. Without these aspects of mental and physical preparation, providing emergency care to patients may bring mental and physical exhaustion to myself.