For centuries, the distinguishing feature of higher education has been nurturing in students the capacity to develop, evaluate, and communicate their comprehension of the world in which they live. Thus, a good nurse should be well-rounded, culturally competent, and critically thoughtful. The General Education course is a necessary step for becoming an open-minded person capable of ethical and productive communication and interaction with colleagues and patients in the future.
The key takeaways from the class that should be mentioned are written and oral communication skills. It appears that the English class can give a valuable opportunity to learn to structure and organize thoughts correctly. The combination of written and oral assignments and activities during the class helped to bring the paper and the presentation together. Also, this experience has been useful for shaping the professional outlook.
In the nursing field, excellent writing skills are vital during the clinical experience, from documenting a patient’s outcomes and communicating with other healthcare professionals to cataloging data for accreditation and detailing information to meet legal and regulatory standards. Therefore, proper writing demonstrates professional communicative skills and can also be used to start a nursing blog, apply for a promotion, or write academic papers.
Another valuable takeaway is the concept of emotional intelligence. This term refers to a person’s ability to distinguish, assess, and control one’s own emotions. Since nurses always interact with many patients and colleagues, emotional intelligence is essential for them. This profession is focused on providing quality medical care as well as looking after patients’ psychological, emotional, and social needs.
According to researchers, emotional intelligence is fundamental for a favorable patient experience. It helps nurses to have a positive attitude, improve relationships, and increase the adaptability of patients. Researchers note that “healthy assertive communication means a nurse can express his or her needs, set limits, learn from feedback, offer help, and respectfully resolve conflict” (Boynton, 2017, para. 12). Nowadays, emotional intelligence is considered to be a substantial characteristic of successful and effective nursing leadership.
Thanks to the General Education class, students discover that ethics are fundamental to nursing because nurses need to respect patients and protect their rights. They should establish the environment of mutual trust between a patient and healthcare providers. Since patients entrust their dignity to nurses, they must protect patients’ privacy and be attentive to their concerns. Ethics in the nursing field involves fair and equal treatment regardless of a patient’s age, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, or economic status.
The International Council of Nurses notes that “nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups, and communities, sick or well in all settings” (“Importance of ethics in nursing,” 2017, para. 5). Nurses are responsible for reporting about any immoral professional conduct. Besides, nurses must intervene if a patient is a victim of elder, sexual, or domestic abuse. Ethical nursing implies balancing the needs of their patients and healthcare system requirements.
In conclusion, thanks to the General Education class, students can realize that choosing to become a nurse is a big commitment. Apart from good medical knowledge, a nurse needs social skills. They should be patient and emphatic towards patients, as well as have strong communication skills to work effectively with doctors and other nurses. Therefore, the General Education class has a strong impact on both personal development and forming the professional outlook.
References
Boynton, B. (2017). All successful nurses have this one thing. Web.
Importance of ethics in nursing. (2017). Web.