Month: January 2022

One nursing specialty I am currently interested is the emergency department. I would like to learn more about the organization system of the ED as it a very fast paced environment. I would also like to learn more about how nurses figure out how to prioritize their patients in the ED. Another specialty I am currently interested in is Orthopedics as I have had a few orthopedic surgeries and I want to be able to help patients in their recovery. I’d like to learn more about what the nurse’s job is throughout the whole surgery process.

            One assumption I have about evidence-based practice is that it is used to improve the quality and delivery of patient care. I have briefly learned about evidence-based practice in a few classes previously and have assumed it is a way to provide good and safe patient care. Another assumption I have about evidence-based practice in nursing is that it is based upon research, as thorough research can help find new and safe methods for improving patient care. The next assumption I have about evidence practice is that nurses can use their experience and ideas that have previously been successful to work on solving patient care problems, as I have seen a little bit of this in clinical.

            I believe that I will apply what I learn in this course to my nursing career and use that knowledge frequently. In the classroom I think that using my knowledge about evidence-based practice will help me on tests and case studies, as I will keep patient safety and the best way to deliver care in mind. In clinical and in the future when I will be working as a nurse I will use evidence based practice by using previous experience, ideas, and research from other nurses to provide good quality care to my patient and help solve problems on the unit. 

I think that there is so much stigma surrounding mental illness as there is a lack of understanding from many regarding mental health and mental illness. Mental illness is also stigmatized because you cannot physically “see it” like you could with someone who has a cast for a broken leg. People with a mental illness are often regarded as “crazy” or “insane” due to the stigma surrounding it. Many people don’t want to learn about mental illness or don’t believe mental health is equally as important as physical health, which further contributes to this stigma. People who are experiencing mental illness may be reluctant to get treatment or tell people about their mental illness as they may be labeled as “dangerous” or “unpredictable” if they are open about it with others.  Stigma surrounding mental illness is one of the biggest roadblocks to recovery for those experiencing mental illness.

            How people respond to mental illness can also be affected by their culture and religion. In certain cultures, mental illness is seen as a sign of weakness, so it is less common for people to get treatment. For example, Asian cultures traditionally do not acknowledge mental illness and it is seen as “unnatural” so treatment may not even be accessible. In Native American culture people may try herbal medicine first before seeking professional help or taking medication. Religion also plays a factor in the stigma surrounding mental illness. For example, some religions may view mental illness as the fault of the person experiencing it or as a sign of weakness. Some may try to use prayer to treat their mental illness as well. Cultural and religious stigma surrounding mental illness makes it much harder for people to understand and appropriately treat it. Continuing to not acknowledge mental illness can make people feel very isolated and discouraged when trying to seek help.