Pre-work Activity – Your Educational Story

In order to understand the kinds of learning opportunities you had or didn’t have, and how they have affected your journey, you first need to compose your story.

It is important to understand the learning opportunities you have had in the past and have now. Many times you may have missed out on opportunities because you did not have the resources you needed or were not aware of your own strengths. Teachers, parents, friends, or fellow students may have helped you along the way. They, too, are important parts of your educational journey. Writing your educational story will help you identify the learning opportunities you had or did not have and how they have affected your journey.

It may be helpful to think about the following points while writing your educational story:

• Learning opportunities in the past and present
• Educational challenges you have faced
• How you overcame the educational challenges
• Who helped you overcome the educational challenges
• Missed opportunities, if any

Instructions:

Write your educational story (suggested length of 1–2 pages), in which you do the following:

• Reflect on the educational challenges you have faced in your learning opportunities.
• Discuss what you did or plan to do in order to overcome those challenges.

Comment 1

Spiritual needs are one of the essential needs among individuals. Throughout the life, the spiritual needs are an intrinsic need and remain as a primary element of holistic nursing care. Nurses face a great challenge of satisfying the spiritual needs of the patient. The holistic care addresses the spiritual needs, social, physical, economic and emotional needs of the patient (Nolan, 2015). The religious intervention involves treating the religious beliefs of the patients without prejudice, helping them practice their religion, giving them an opportunity to connect with God as well as expressing their beliefs and values and referring them to religious leaders and clerical.

According to me, the spiritual care is supporting and acknowledging a person religious beliefs. Respecting them and ensuring that their wishes are followed. It involves bringing glory to God. A practitioner may give spiritual care through praying with the patient, providing a word of encouragement, being present and listen to the patient, sharing from the scriptures, participating in the healing service and referring them to the religious leaders. I believe that the Holy Spirit guides the practitioners when making the challenging decisions. Reading the scriptures and praying makes the healthcare provider stronger as well as close to God and are able to make a decision based on God’s plan. The religious leaders are supposed to teach their followers concerning the spiritual care.

Comment 2

Spiritual worldview concept incorporates spirituality, religion and other philosophical and reference points, which make assumptions concerning the bigger context of human existence (Josephson, 2015). As a professional nurse, I try to keep aside my personal views as well as not compare them with that of the patient. This helps me to concentrate on the assignment and patient needs. I may not agree with the patient spiritual belief, but I show interest in their perspective. Dealing with a patient whose worldview differs from mine, my strengths would include: facilitating expressions as well as the articulation of patient’s desires, values, beliefs and needs that shape choices and interactions of the patient. Encourage the patient to share their hopes, fears, and creative expressions. Engage with the patient experience and encourage him/her to express the full range of the feelings and emotions.

There is also weakness that I may face as the healthcare provider. Being unfamiliar with some culture is a barrier since some ideas of the patient I might see them as taboo. Uncertainty, as well as the fear of the general medical practitioners, may be a barrier since some may want to listen to what the patient may want to share. Lack of privacy is another barrier since some patient could wish to express their perspective in private but when there are other patients, he/she holds back. As a patient, I have the final say during the difficult situation. Once I understand the risks, and the benefits of a particular treatment will enable decide what I want. The practitioner is supposed to support me during the decision-making process. In case am in a situation that I cannot be able to make the decision, I may want my doctor to do it for me.