Megan Nestor

Forbes Regional Hospital

Ms. Berry

May 2, 2023

My first goal of the semester was getting better at talking to patients and answering their

questions. This was something that I actually was just talking to my mom about how much I

have improved with this semester. Instead of my mind going blank, I do note myself taking more

confident initiative and if I do not know the answer, I begin to look in the patient’s chart for the

answer that they are asking. In my first reflection I stated that I thought that was a confidence

issue for me. Looking back on that statement I think that is very accurate. I do think that there is

always room for improvement but for the purposes a student nurse that is about to graduate, I

believe that I have achieved this goal that I set for myself.

My second goal was to gain more knowledge on when to and when not to call the doctor.

I am not sure if I made any progress on this goal especially when looking at the sticker

situations. With the basic idea of we just got an admission and there are no orders put in, yes, I

know we contact the doctor. I would say that I somewhat hit this goal. That goal might have been

a little ambitious for the time being. I do not think that there was anything I could have done

differently to confidently hit this goal. I believe that this something that will come with time. I

will definitely want to remember this goal as I continue on in my first nursing job.

My third goal was to get better at charting. I think that this is a goal that I could check off

my list. Throughout the semester there were less and less things that my preceptor had to tell me

to either add or change about my charting. I was able to chart on all of our assigned patients

every clinical day, so I believe that this helped me to achieve my goal.

 My fourth goal was to learn more about how and when hospice patients would need

medicated. I think that while I have improved on this from the time that I wrote this goal, it is

something that I am going to learn so much more about whenever I start working. I noticed

myself being able to take more conscious note of the physical symptoms that a patient would be

showing that there were uncomfortable or in pain. I do think I have taken steps to achieve this

goal. However, I believe having more and more time on the unit will only add to achievement of

this goal. This is a goal that I will be taking with me into independent practice.

My last goal is to obtain more confidence on day shift. This clinical semester I was able

to work two-day shifts at the beginning. It was not as overwhelming as I thought that it would be.

However, I do not think that I am close to accomplishing this goal yet. My unit director is aware

that this is a weakness of mine, and I am very excited to work towards gaining more confidence

on dayshift once I pass NCLEX. I do not think that there is anything I could have differently

other than having a straight daylight schedule for clinical. Since that was not an option, I was

happy with the two shifts that I was able to partake in. Working those two-day shifts took the

jitters off about working a day shift. It is busier and there are a lot more people throughout the

day, but it is definitely something that I will be able to get used to as time goes on.