I have been a nurse for nearly four years. That means that it has been nearly four years since I’ve studied, written a paper, taken an exam, and been otherwise academically engaged. Additionally, working with pediatric patients requires me to modify my vernacular and speech patterns. Over time, this can lead a person to become “rusty” academically.
One major reason why I appreciated this course was that it gave me the opportunity to refresh on numerous academic skills, such as writing, reading comprehension, and critical thinking. While my other courses, pathophysiology and pharmacology, were primarily content and memorization based, I found this foundational course to be uniquely incredibly rewarding. Thinking theoretically, and recognizing the philosophy and ethics behind my current practice, really helped me to reengage in my career and remind me why I chose to become a nurse in the first place. This course has also taught me a great deal about what it means to be an advanced-practice nurse, and has initiated the cognitive shift from my current RN role into thinking more as an APRN.
I appreciate that this course allowed me the opportunity to display my writing abilities, as I find writing to be one of my personal strengths. That being said, there is still significant improvement that I hope to make before graduation. My time management skills need to be improved, especially as I continue to work while I am in school. I would also like to improve my attention to detail, specifically when it comes to writing with APA style and format.