Nursing Critical Biography: Professional Timeline

CRITICAL PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
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Professional Biography
Osborne (2005) defines the term autobiography as an engaged record of one's life told from the personal perspective. Forde (2009) also supports the importance of autobiography in teaching, enlivening and showing life accounts that someone has gone from education to the onset of a career. Thus, the autobiography explores the accounts of life’s activities, challenges, activities and give a projection of the future endeavors. As contended by Webb (1992), my biography will feature those factors that influenced my decision to choose to nurse as a career, my studying experience, my foundational achievements, the general experience after my graduation and ultimately, how it has affected my life.
The biography is written in first-person as supported by Webb (1992) that a memoir or an autobiography signify a narration from a character thus it must be written in first-person narration. Webb (1992) further contends that since the narrator is the author, first-person writing should be used in addressing external and internal experiences of the narrator. Also a few significant issues regarding the effect of the Arabic Islamic culture on some Saudi nursing practices. There are certain tools that aid in structuring an autobiography as suggested by Forde (2009) main tools that will aid in structuring the autobiography and personal portfolios. The techniques for that I will use include Johari window, the VARK questionnaire and a SWOT and SMART tools. I will be applying the concept of SWOT tool and SMART goals drawing clarification form Rubin (2002) to set my future goals. According to Luft (2012), Johari window is a technique that denotes the pioneers of the concept and stand for Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham. The technique was initially used for the heuristic purpose in 1955 for the corporate purpose of promoting interaction and communication (Luft 2012). The purpose of the Johari window in composing an autobiography is to promote understanding oneself and others. VARK is a scholarly and a psychological tool that helps in identifying the techniques and preferences used by one person in learning. The concept denotes visual, auditory, reading and writing and kinesthetic preferences of learning suggested by Fleming (VARK 2011). The tool will aid composing my autobiography through identification of the learning preferences I used such as experiments, reading and writing, hands-on experience, auditory and visual techniques.
Why I chose to nurse
At my early age, I had been sufficiently fortunate to have had the delight of meeting some nursing experts who encouraged me to take after them. Among them are my father and friends, the majority of whom were medical personnel. After their expiration, I planned to one day measure up to their expertise, industriousness, and energy. From my identity perspective, nursing suit me. I can portray my identity as a kind and understanding personality. I can recall, when I was 13 years of age, my grandfather was booked in Wadi al-Dawassir hospital. I had the chance to watch while the medical attendants dealt with him. I was awed by astuteness, generosity and minding that the medical attendants showed while performing their obligations. According to Lawless et al. (2007), psychological and emotional aspects influence what a person chooses to do in daily life. In most cases, people chose to do what peers and relatives suggest to them. I would not have been an exception as not to obey what my grandfather said. I am additionally a man who flourishes with being tested, working in a challenging environment and I made new objectives to accomplish. Furthermore, before starting to build my career in nursing, I craved to ease the pain and suffering of people during critical phases of their health. Empathy and compassion were ingrained in me from an early age through my father, and I knew my career would have a humanitarian rather than a financial focus. Almalki M (2011) contends that it is under the influence of parents, family members and other nurses that students choose nursing as an occupation.
When I anticipated pursuing nursing, I read through writings about nursing in Saudi Arabia, and I discovered the numerous authors revealed that nursing is not a favored course by the Saudi Nationals. Gazzaz (2009), distinguished that the low picture and status of nursing is a noteworthy restraining element for understudies' hesitance to select nursing. In fact, starting 2011, Saudi local people made up just 29.1% of the nursing masses, as referred to by Almalki et al., (2011). However, the figures did not prevent me from seeking after my endeavors as I likewise needed to contribute in enhancing the nursing calling to give better and quality medical services in the nation. Consequently, I saw a brighter future for myself in the nursing calling with the blossoming heath care framework in Saudi Arabia, steady with the report of Aboshaiqah (2012) that the interest on the nursing organizations and schools is expanding, which implies that the new era had started to understand the significance of this profession. It likewise implies that society's disposition toward the nursing had started to change. After the introduction of the Saudi’s Ministry of Health in 1954, the nursing field has developed tremendously. However, it was earlier perceived as a women’s role (Almalki M 2011, p. 308). The entrance requirements for most nursing courses was limited to female students as Bryant (2006) contends.
Professional Timeline
Nursing Diploma in Saudi Arabia
It is my first course that signified the commencement of my career as a nurse in 2000. I had just completed my high school certificate in science in 1999 and joined Wadi Al-Dawassir Health Institute in 2000 for a three year diploma course in nursing. I only knew nursing as a profession that entail caring patients. Joining Wadi Al-Dawassir Health Institute to study nursing was a dream come true as I had earlier been inspired by my father, friends and my dire psyche to study nursing so as to bring changes in the society by feeling the existing loopholes in nearby nursing facilities. My diploma was a yardstick to learning the ethics, nursing code of conduct and values. According to Aldossary (2008), nursing is more than the demonstration of compassion as it comprises of being in charge of and worried with those in need, specifically the frail, the affliction and the pariahs of society. The demonstration of caring is further separated into three standards, namely action, thought, and goal. Intention and thought allude to the person, the reason for care, place, time and way to mind the person in need.
During my diploma study, I have obtained sufficient learning, aptitudes and states of mind, as set out in the degree-level competency structure of Nursing and Midwifery Council (2010) composed in four areas, expert qualities, correspondence and interpersonal abilities, nursing practice and choice making and administration. I comprehended that I have to create proficient connections, rehearse with sympathy, and appreciation the nobility, uniqueness and worth of all people without a thought for nature of therapeutic issues, individual properties, monetary or societal position. Essentially, I introspect utilizing Johari Window, a device for collaboration, correspondence, and understanding the relationship of oneself and other people (Luft& Ingham, 2012), to expand mindfulness about myself and in this way encourage exact investigation into the persistent concerns.
Working as an Enrolled Nurse in Wadi Al-Dawassir Hospital
Immediately after the completion of my diploma course in nursing in 2003, I was employed in Wadi Al-Dawassir as an enrolled nurse for five years. During the five-year period as an enrolled nurse, I worked in a series of hospital sections from Geriatric care, Surgical department and finally Emergency Department. It was my first employment in the field of nursing. It was not even a chance for financial growth, but, more importantly, to convert my theoretical knowledge into practice. It was an opportunity to build on my skills, competence, and convert theoretical knowledge into practice. It was also an opportunity for me to explore my limitations and pay back to the community.
The main part that my knowledge while in Surgical Department that was put to the test was on pain management and end of life care. I realized the challenges facing nurses as they try to perform pain management. I realized that there were key aspects that determine the relationship with a patient that include the nursing condition, relationship with patients, feelings of neglect and misconceptions, having to face hostile family members, and the desire for change. The aspects happen to the five themes depicted by Jordanian surgical nurses while exploring the theme of post-operative pain (Abdalrahim et al. 2008). Wadi Al-Dawassir was a challenging environment for me, especially when dealing with end-of-life care and helping patients and their relatives on resuscitation decisions. In Emergency and Geriatric departments, I was promoted as the charge nurse. The position opened me to more challenges as I was slowly turning from a mere nurse to a leader in charge of a couple of other nurses. The position forced me to develop leadership skills that include decision-making, communication, planning, coordination with senior management and attending to issues. Communication was a problem between patients and nurses and between nurses and doctors. It was not a problem in Wadi Al-Dawassir only, but, in Saudi Arabian health institutions. The main cause of the problem was the fact that approximately 76% of nurses in Saudi Arabia are foreigners (WHO 2012).
As a leader, I had to fill the gap that existed between the Saudis and Non-Saudis as the racial prejudice dominated the hospital. The challenging environment revealed my limitation and weakness that included the ability to deal with emerging issues and roles. Alasmari and Douglas (2012) noted about the advancing roles of nurses with the advancement in technology. They noted that technological advancement presented the new role of nursing such as the need to conduct telehealth, nursing informatics, case managing and transitional care nursing. The limitation and challenges prompted me to desire for the advancement of my studies as Luna (1998) put across about the challenges of nurses in Saudi Arabia. It was the time t...