My high school experience was educative, exciting, fun, and life changing. During my primary school years, my ability to grasp new concepts and my understanding of life in general was limited and strongly influenced by my parents and teachers. High school marked a departure from this overreliance. Needless to say, there were tumultuous periods as well. The challenges were related to the learning process as well as to my social life. The social challenges emanated from the adolescent physical and psychological changes I was going through at the time. The most significant of these was my rebellious attitude which one day contributed to a life defining moment that is the subject of this paper.
One Friday evening, my classmates were holding a party that I was determined to attend. My parents being staunch Christians were strongly against such events. After my request to be allowed to go was rejected, I came up with what I thought was an innovative plan at the time. I would sneak from home late at night and since the event was being held some miles away from home, my friends would pick me up in their parent’s car. The initial part of the plan went without a glitch. We arrived at the party slightly late but we did not miss out on the fun. We got to drink a few beers for the first time and we danced till the wee hours. The mishap happened on our way back home. Driving under the influence, the driver veered off the road and we hit a tree. I woke up in a hospital with my leg in a cast.
The events that followed the accident were traumatizing. One of my friends almost lost his life while another lost his leg. I broke my tibia and was hospitalized for some time. My parents were angered with my actions and they did not want to talk to me, my siblings could only visit me sometimes because they were away at school. The one month I spent in the hospital was the most lonesome period of my life. I experienced feelings of guilt at having disobeyed my parents who had always being supportive and at the tragic impact the accident had on my other friends and their families. The fact that I escaped only with a broken bone and a few bruises did nothing to ease my guilt. I veered at the edge of depression and often cried alone at night.
The turning point came when the nurses attending to me noted that I was depressed and they organized counseling lessons for me. I attended the sessions on my own initially but later my parents were also invited to attend and eventually my friends. The group counseling sessions proved to be helpful, we were all able to air our feelings. The sharing helped us to realize that we were not alone in this. We were also taught healthy ways of coping with stressors. Eventually I was discharged from hospital and I went home a transformed person, I was more responsible and my whole perspective towards life was altered. My parents were very grateful.
Based on my experience, I plan to become a nurse in the future. My interactions with the nurses enabled me to realize that nursing is an interesting profession as opposed to the boring profession it is often depicted to be. I talked at length to the nurses about their educational background, work, and why they chose nursing. Most of the nurses I talked to said they chose the profession because they wanted to help others, motivation from parents and siblings who are also nurses, and a few felt they had a calling to do nursing. I made several observations of my own that also inspired me to join the profession. They include the fact that physicians are seldom at the patient’s side and nurses have a great degree of autonomy in regards to decision making on patient care. For instance, nurses can make nursing diagnoses which are strikingly different from medical diagnoses and prescribe remedial actions. In addition, they play an oversight role by ensuring that physicians prescribe appropriate drugs in the correct dosages and frequencies.
Therefore, my hospitalization helped to nurture and shape my future career direction. I plan to study nursing at the baccalaureate level after which I will practice for a few years. I will then further my education by specializing in pediatrics. The latter decision is influenced by the prominent view that advanced practice nurses will have a stronger role to play in future health care due to an increased demand for health care and limited number of physicians (Ridge). Policies to increase the scope of practice and remuneration of these nurses are currently being enacted hence it holds great future promise (Delamare & Lafortune; Buppert ; DiCenso).
In summary, my high school experience was eye opening and life changing. The accident I was involved in was humbling and it changed my whole world view. In future, I plan to become a nurse so that I can give back to the society.
Works Cited
Buppert, Carolyne. Nurse Practitioner’s Business Practice and Legal Guide. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Barlett Publishers, 2008. Web. 8 October 2013.
Delamaire, Marie-Laure and Gaetan Lafortune. “Nurses in Advanced Roles: A Description and Evaluation of Experiences in 12 Developed Countries.” OECD Health Working Papers, 54 (2011). 8 October 2013.
DiCenso, Alba., Denise Bryant-Lukois, Gina Browne, and Janet Pinelli. “Advanced Practice Nursing Roles: Development, Implementation and Evaluation.” Journal of Advanced Nursing, 48.5 (2004): n. pag. 8 October 2013.
Richard Ridge. “Future of Nursing Special: Practicing to Potential.” Nursing Management, 42.6(2011): n. pag. Web. 8 October 2013.
