As someone from humble beginnings, I doubted I’d be able to attend college. However, I was determined to make it happen. Through hard work and dedication, I obtained a scholarship to support my attendance as a first-generation college student. After securing my college admission, I faced the next challenge: deciding what to study. I knew I needed a strong education to ensure a stable job and escape poverty. Through reflection, I realized that I was moving toward a future of helping people. During my college education, I followed my heart into nursing with hopes for a successful future. Starting my initial steps as a licensed practical nurse and advancing to a registered nurse, I recognized my calling in nursing. I began my career in oncology nursing, but I felt unprepared when my first patient died on the oncology unit. Despite knowing this would happen, I was overwhelmed with emotion. From that early clinical nursing experience, I understood I had much to learn about being a nurse to feel confident and maintain my well-being.
Over the past 35 years working in nursing, I have observed significant changes in the profession, driven by advances in medicine and technology. There is now a greater emphasis on interprofessional collaboration to achieve patient outcomes. A collaborative approach, where nurses work with professionals from various disciplines, is essential for providing patients with comprehensive and holistic care. This teamwork fosters a more supportive environment that helps nursing graduates succeed. In addition to being part of a team, nursing graduates benefit from residencies and preceptorships. Successful transition programs provide guidance and support. These structured transition programs are essential for onboarding new graduates, helping them build confidence and competence by supporting skills acquisition. I only wish I had these supportive programs when I became a nurse. Although I didn’t have a structured transition program as a novice nurse, I instinctively began journaling as an outlet to manage my thoughts and feelings about my dying patients. However, if I had more support, it would have made my transition to practice smoother and provided the guidance I needed to cope with that first patient death.
These changes in the nursing profession have been positive, making me even more grateful to be a nurse. Over the years, I have expanded my experience in many other areas of nursing. I loved being a nurse so much that I wanted to share my passion with future nurses, which led me to become a nurse educator. I pursued additional layers of nursing education to achieve my terminal doctoral degree. This was an interesting achievement since my designated support system consisted of people who scoffed at me for attending college. Although they didn’t believe in me, I believed in myself. As a nurse educator, my goal is to teach nursing students to believe in themselves and make a meaningful difference for their patients. I want them to be grateful for the profession they have chosen, and to feel confident in their knowledge and skills. To achieve this, I implemented strategies to build their confidence, including skill development and practice, mentorship and support, self-reflection, and preparation in organizational and communication skills. Students need to learn to take accountability and use purposeful ongoing feedback and self-assessment to identify their strengths and recognize areas for growth. These strategies are valuable throughout their nursing education and transfer into their nursing careers to help them care for patients effectively. Most importantly, I encourage students to cultivate a positive mindset, practice kindness and self-compassion, acknowledge successes, and prioritize self-care and stress management. Students seem to learn more when they feel like they belong, have less stress, and become more empathetic toward others.
As a more seasoned educator, I understand the importance of students having adequate resources to meet their basic needs. Students need to know their resources and tap into them when needed. I will never forget what it is like to be a nursing student struggling to have enough finances for necessities such as food and gas money to get to clinical experiences. Although I received a scholarship, it didn’t cover those essentials. I truly understand the importance of students having the resources to meet their basic physiological needs. Therefore, I strive to ensure students are aware of the available resources to sustain their success. Besides necessities, some students may struggle to maintain a work-life balance, while others may face various life stressors. No matter what the student is going through, I must meet them where they are to support their success and commitment to becoming a nurse.
Despite the changes in the nursing profession and in myself, my experience has taught me the importance of believing in and respecting human dignity and individuality. We may never fully know the struggles others have faced to reach where they are. Having overcome my own barriers, I have become the nurse I was meant to be. As I teach future nurses, I am especially mindful of what they need to build confidence. I am hopeful they too, will become the nurses they are destined to be. Just as providing safe, quality care for patients requires a team, so does helping nurses succeed.
Karen Aul, PhD, RN, CNE, CHSE, is an associate professor at the University of South Florida College of Nursing. She is a member of Sigma’s Delta Beta at-Large Chapter.