Running Head: THE SPARK THAT CREATED THE JOURNEY 1

The Spark that Created the Journey

Lyzette Terman

Old Dominion University

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The Spark that Created the Journey

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on and discuss my career and educational path. As

a result of this reflection, I will be able to set goals to focus on as I pursue my Bachelor of

Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. By following the educational path established by my

academic advisor, I will successfully increase my knowledge base. I became a nurse six months

ago, due primarily to the fact that I have always felt a need to help others, as others have helped

me. I have had personal life experiences where nurses were there to provide comfort during my

family’s time of grief. Case in point, a nurse saved the life of my child. Many of my patients,

friends and coworkers have asked why I chose to pursue dialysis as an area of specialty. For me

it was quite simple, growing up my uncle and I had a close relationship and we still share a

strong bond to this day. He was the one I turned to for support and advice. One day he told me

he was sick but I didn’t understand the magnitude of his ailment. Fast forward to his placement

on peritoneal dialysis and the kidney transplant waiting list, I didn’t know how to help him. I felt

helpless back then, choosing dialysis was a way to for me to care for others as I would have liked

to have helped my uncle.

The Journey Examined

While I was stationed in England, I volunteered to serve as a sponsor for the Special

Olympics which was a local community event. I was the cheerleader, if you will, for one

individual as he competed in different activities. Fast forward twelve years and I found myself

serving as the Girl Scout leader for my daughter’s troop. Both activities took a lot of energy,

especially the role as a Girl Scout leader, but at the end of the day I found myself enjoying

helping and guiding others and seeing positive results. I realized that if I could help such a small
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group of girls understand their potential, have fun, and help guide their energy, I could use my

potential to help others.

Carving my Path

While I continue to pursue my BSN, I have identified three educational goals: first, gain

better proficiency in writing skills. Next, learn to more effectively research data. Finally, attain a

grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 at the completion of this program. The three professional

goals I identified for myself are: obtaining my Certified Dialysis Nurse (CDN) certification and

gain my Certified Nephrology Nurse (CNN) certification. My long term professional goal is to

complete my Master of Science in Nursing in Administration. I am hopeful to achieve these

goals at the completion of my BSN. To support these goals, I will continue to acquire clinical

experience and slowly work my way into a managerial role before beginning a master’s program.

Self-Assessment

This portion of the paper proved the most difficult for me, as it is difficult to objectively

assess oneself. I attempted to take an earnest look in the mirror and critically evaluate myself.

There are several strengths I bring to the program to include, my abilities to stay organized,

focused, and on task. I must stay organized to finish assignments in a timely manner. It was

difficult to identify weaknesses, although we can concur that through diligent identification and

effort we all have weaknesses and working to mitigate them help us grow and become stronger

in our daily life. Although, I find it effortless to stay organized and focused, my weaknesses

include lack of discipline regarding my online studies. The primary factor which create this

weakness is that I am not required to attend in person lectures. I have also identified that I

procrastinate on written assignments. I will attempt to use my strengths to help fill in the gaps

my weaknesses have created.

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Conclusion

Writing this paper gave me the opportunity to conduct a deep dive into my psyche and

fully evaluate my personal style and establish realistic goals which will enable me too effectively

progress through my career both academically and professionally. Through this self-assessment,

I have identified the reasons behind my decision to pursue a nursing career. Furthermore, I

established educational and professional goals which will serve as the key to my success. I

objectively assessed my strengths and weaknesses and have learned how to turn my weaknesses

into strengths from this self-assessment. Finally, this introspection has opened the door to better

understand the intrinsic and extrinsic motivators that originally ignited my passion for nursing.
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Honor Code:

I pledge to support the Honor System of Old Dominion University. I will refrain from any form

of academic dishonesty or deception, such as cheating or plagiarism. I am aware that as a

member of the academic community it is my responsibility to turn in all suspected violations of

the Honor Code. I will report to a hearing if summoned

Signature ________Lyzette Terman_____________________________________