The current essay reflects the rehabilitation course through the movie “The Bucket List” by Rob Reiner. In the paper, I answer the question: did the patient portray any spiritual beliefs or distress throughout the movie? Moreover, I recall emotions felt during the semester after watching it and providing patient care. My belief system is defined and explained how it had guided me throughout the course. Finally, I determine how lessons learned will be applied to the nursing program.
In the movie, protagonists represent two fundamentally different spiritual belief systems. Carter believes in God; he is a person of faith and is interested in other religions. In contrast, Edward highly doubts the existence of a god and mocks religion. He is sure that there is no supreme being that can save him from cancer (Asay, n.d.). Concerning my feelings, the movie helped me understand the importance of compassion and empathy in nursing care. It is vital to strive, focusing on a patient’s emotions and personal beliefs to provide proper care and give the support needed. I felt the significance of being conscious and genuinely interested in a person’s state of mind.
My belief system in the nursing field is that it is inevitably essential to building trust with the patient to share his or her thoughts and feelings freely. Besides, I believe that as a nurse, I should provide accurate information on diagnosis and prognosis and not judge a patient’s decisions. Finally, the lessons I learned throughout the course and from the movie are that I will follow a care plan that implies assessing a client’s situation (diagnosis, family relationships, prognosis), by giving psychological support and providing knowledge regarding coping skills.
In conclusion, “The Bucket List” movie helped me better understand people’s real feelings going through terminal stages of illness. It made me realize the importance of an emotional deep connection with a patient, empathy, and compassion as a future nurse. Moreover, I determined and formulated my personal beliefs and lessons learned and ways of their practical application (a care plan) in my future nursing job.
Reference
Asay, P. (n. d.). The bucket list. Pluggedin. Web.