Running head: PROFESSIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL GOALS

My Nursing Profession Goals

Teresia Isiaho
Old Dominion University

Profession goals

PROFESSIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL GOALS

I was born and raised in a third world country where attaining good healthcare was and
remains an immense challenge for the sick. While growing up, I loved caring for the sick also
admired my late father, who delivered holistic care with a caring heart and compassion in a
remote village in Kenya; his patients' needs and care came first. He never cared much about
money but instead about providing the best quality care to the sick. My grandmother and my
father succumbed to lung and liver cancer, and their deaths pushed away my fears about
becoming a registered nurse. I saw the benefits of changing my career and furthering my
education in the nursing field. The passing of the most influential individuals in my life opened
the door to enroll in a nursing school and achieve my dream. Wanting to give freely to my
society back home, just as my father did, has been a great motivator for me to remain in school
and get my doctorate.
Influencing Forces towards Accomplishing my Bachelor's in Nursing
Nursing is a profession, and like any other career, nurses are required to be competent in
both knowledge and skills. I believe that improved critical thinking and judgment improves the
quality of care. Professional role transitions are expected. All these possibilities have ignited my
desire to increase my knowledge at a higher education institution. A two-year nursing degree is
not sufficient because of the new challenges faced by health care systems every day. As a novice
nurse, I started working on a medsurge/diabetic floor, and some of the problems I encountered
and the new roles led me to want to return to school. Also, when my father was hospitalized in
the Sentara oncology unit, the nurses gave my dad the best care, and they supported him and our
family dearly as he was dying. These qualities of being caring, compassionate, knowledgeable,
and competent influenced my decision to work as an oncologist certified nurse and attain my

PROFESSIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL GOALS

BSN in Nursing is evolving, and for nurses to remain successful in their field, continuing
education is important.
Educational goals
I would like to create a powerful nurse image and change the stereotyped image of our
profession. I would like to see other students select nursing as a career and not be deterred from
choosing to be nurses based on what they hear from us, media, and society. Most nurses are
stereotyped as not educated and lacking knowledge in different areas. As an international student,
I would like to achieve my educational goal of enhancing my writing and technology skills. My
culture has hindered my writing skills since English is neither my first nor my second language,
but this barrier cannot hold me back from striving for more education. I have considered taking
my BSN and later getting my master's online, which will help me acquire some excellent writing
skills. I would like to portray the image of a nurse skilled in writing. My writing skills have been
a roadblock to me since I wanted to join medicine and study cancer, but I will gain more
confidence after I finish my master's in ODU and be able to write like an expert. Another added
goal to achieve is to be proficient in technology skills. During my community college years, I
had less connection with the use of a computer. Being an RN enrolled in online classes will
increase my electronic knowledge since the courses and clinical skills are all in computer
settings. Writing assessments are required to follow particular writing styles, which should be
researched through credible sources, and the right APA style will be a great achievement towards
my educational goals.
Professional goals

PROFESSIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL GOALS

As a novice nurse, my goal is to work in focused patient care with individuals who have
cancer and those who need geriatric care. I started my nursing journey as a certified nursing
assistant (CNA) in home health care. My hope is to continue with the same care as a part-time
registered nurse. Next year, I will enroll classes after my graduation to earn my Masters in
geriatric care. Getting my Masters in ODU will build my confidence in technology skills and
writing hence making my dreams real by enrolling to medical school. My soul desires to join
medicine school and be an oncologist doctor because we have all been affected, a family member
or friend.
Strengths and weaknesses
New challenges push my ego to want to learn more. The patients need education on many
ways to promote their health through nurse teaching. Learning that I'm capable has newly
awakened my desire to earn both my BSN and Masters in nursing to help me become a better
teacher. I am a go-getter; this is why I want to move from being a novice to an expert in my
career. I don't like settling for less when it comes to my education, and this has prompted me to
work harder, even despite language barriers. Self-motivation is another core; nursing is not
comfortable, and there were times in nursing school when I felt like quitting. However, I
motivated myself that I needed to extra work harder to change someone's life by providing them
genuine care when they need help to gain their independence. Nobody is perfect in this world,
and we all have some hidden weaknesses inside us. As a new nurse, I have faced low usage of
my time. Time management is needed to be successful.The power of procrastinating towards my
homework up to the last-minute can be overwhelming and tedious. When I started working back
in the states, documenting and chatting was time-consuming because of lack of enough

PROFESSIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL GOALS

technology skills. Nursing can be stressful, and stress drains away my energy and motivation at
times.
Learning is an everyday process, which will help me achieve the best .Learning will help
my reasoning and judgment as changes emerge and to respond suitably to a patient's declining
state. A nurse now and then may suffer low esteem due to an overwhelming job and long-hour
shifts. However, a self-motivated nurse can motivate other nurses through teamwork and
collaboration. An urge of aiming higher and not settling for less will see me become an
oncologist in future.
Self-examination and Conclusion
The nursing profession is challenging and aspiring to higher education is important. The
nursing profession is also changing its trends now and then. There is a need for nurses with an
associate's degree in nursing to further their education. Fear due to lack of writing skills and
computer literacy will decrease to a minimal level. Gaining competence in both knowledge and
expertise through an online class will motivate me to study harder to remain successful.
Watching cancer patient smile by brightening their day through compassionate care and a caring
heart is all that I want to do. Creating an effective nurse image within my world inside and
outside the workplace will change the stereotypical image of nurses.

PROFESSIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL GOALS

I Teresia Isiaho pledge to support the Honor System of Old Dominion University. I will
refrain from any form of academic dishonesty or deception, such as cheating or plagiarism. I
am aware that as a member of the academic community it is responsibility to turn in all
suspected violators of the Honor Code. I will report to a hearing if summoned.

PROFESSIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL GOALS

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