Mary Adams Award Essay

Mary Adams Award Essay
Charlie Pugsley
South Dakota State University
11-22-10



I will strive to be a nurse who does what is best for my patients. I will serve those who are sick and suffering by being competent in my profession, continually learning, and showing compassion and dignity to all those in my care.

I had a goal in mind when I came to college four and a half years ago. This goal was to become a RN and now, as I see myself today, this goal is one NCLEX test away. Throughout my nursing education I have been blessed with great peers, educators, and patients. I have learned so much that it is almost unfathomable for me to think I would have been able to accomplish this professional degree four years ago. My classmates have given three of us an honorable nomination to receive the Mary Adams Award. I am humbled by this nomination.

My most rewarding clinical experience took place the first time I was by myself with a patient. I went hesitantly into the room to look for my patient not knowing what to expect. He was not there. This spiked my nerves; the butterflies multiplying in numbers. After finding my teacher we went to look for him and found him in the hallway, looking out the window. As I introduced myself to this man, he was probably thinking “great, another obnoxious person to make my life miserable.” It was without a doubt that he was in a bad mood. He wanted out of the miserable place; his room was horrible, he could not sleep and he just had had enough. As I pushed him back to his room I said, “We’ll try to make this a better day.” This is such a profound moment in my nursing education. This was the first time that I was caring for someone with compassion, kindness, and dignity; my first nursing experience.

I started by encouraging him to order some breakfast and told him that maybe some food would not be such a bad idea to start the day. Surprisingly, he half-heartely agreed and ordered some food to eat. Then I talked to him about how taking a shower would be a nice way to start the day too. This took some extra encouragement, but eventually he agreed. As the day went on my patient started to come around. I was able to interact and talk to him more and we had created that nurse-patient relationship. It was not until the end of our shift he said to me, “You know what? Today has been the best day I have had in this hospital.” This statement hit me hard. I will never forget it. Becoming a nurse is more than giving medications and checking doctors’ orders. It is the relationship formed with each patient to help them through the tough times. Being there that day to listen and talk to the patient as a new nursing student made it rewarding for the both of us.

Another aspect that is close to my heart when it comes to caring for people is the importance of human dignity. Human dignity is the right that is given to all humans of the world in respect to being treated worthily and respectfully of who they are by their governments and the societies in which they live. Human dignity plays a key role in the meaning of life. Without human dignity there is no humanity. I vow every day to give those in my care the dignity that they deserve. I remind myself of this through the morals I have been given, nursing ethics, and most of all my prayer life. My Christian values are a key element to the way I care for the sick, day in and day out. I would like to use an example of how nursing care is an art and a science.

The “Art” of the nursing profession is a picture of many colors. To me the nurse is a vital piece of the picture. Through the collaborative care of the patients, a nurse is the frame that keeps the painting together. The vital signs, head to toe assessments, working collaboratively with others, and patient interaction, the nurse constantly knows what the patient is going through. In the “Science” philosophy of nursing, we take the role of the art museum guides. As a nurse, we observe; look deeper into the patient’s signs and symptoms. We watch for the odd tweaks in the painting. We report to the physicians, physical therapists, and others when something may not look quite right or needs a little more work. When the problem is identified, we have the ability to help fix it by giving the medications needed or by knowing how to explain the issues in a more simplified way for the patient and family when they have questions or concerns. It is the nurse who takes the “Art” on the wall and the “Science” of the unique patient to help them become picture perfect as they once were.

I have always had the desire to become a leader. My vision is to be a dedicated leader, to inspire, and to grow in the nursing profession. My ability to lead has grown throughout the past years and will continue to do so as I embrace the nursing profession. I believe I hold the traits for a great leader because I am very personable, open to ideas, trustful, communicate effectively, and desire excellence in all that I do. One of my classmates wrote a letter to me a few years ago that said she admires my honesty, loyalty, and commitment. A leader leads by drawing trust from others and that is why I have been noticed by my classmates for this award.

The pursuit of excellence is the reason why I believe I am capable of leading. But one important reason I am able to lead is because of my father. He has taught me a multitude of leadership skills because he, himself is a leader. My dad has influenced many people in his life because he is dedicated to being committed, loyal, trustful, passionate, and always enthusiastic. These traits he has passed on to me; even if he does not realize it. One person we have had the pleasure of knowing on our hunting expeditions together was an old World War II veteran. He had a saying that has stuck in our family and will always echo in the back of my mind. “You’ve got to tend to business.” This is what a leader does and this is why I will hopefully be able to lead many men and women in the nursing profession.

When I came to college something inside me clicked. I started to love learning, not that I did not enjoy this before, but it took on a different meaning. I became passionate to gain knowledge. This would not have happened if it were for the great friends who wanted to succeed and had an impact on my choices and decisions as a college student. It was not until Human Anatomy that I really understood what it meant to persevere and learn. This class is one of those big hurdles in life that try to take you down, but you must overcome the struggle and take the jump. I ended up receiving a ‘D’ in the course which I was very disappointed about. I could have let this failure discourage me, but in the end, my desire to learn and to succeed helped me through this personal failure. I took the class again, received an ‘A’. Not only did I receive the ‘A’, but I continued on with the subject by taking part in the anatomy intern program they offer at SDSU. What an experience, one that I will never forget. I then had a crazy idea to become a tutor. I wanted to help other students who either want to grow in their knowledge or seek help and advice to succeed. So, I took the job at the Wintrode Tutoring Center to help tutor in anatomy. Why do I think this relates to the love of learning and inquiry? I believe through this event in my life, I came to know that learning is not easy. I learned that though these challenges it has prepared me for the nursing profession. The love of learning runs deep in our veins. We can either pursue it, or let it be squandered into nothing; bleeding out. I have found my passion for learning and inquiry in the nursing profession through my peers, educators and my personal goals. In this profession it is a daily occurrence that we seek inquiry from our peers, patients, educators, and families. If we lose that drive to learn, we lose what it means to be a nurse. There is a quote from one of my favorite authors, Matthew Kelly. He talks about what it means to be happy. As I go into the nursing profession, I will strive to make a difference everyday through caring for the sick and suffering, leading others to pursue excellence, and to always learn day in and day out. But in the words of Matthew Kelley it goes like this:

“If you just want moments of happiness, pleasure and possessions can satisfy. If you want to be happy for an hour, take a nap. If you want to be happy for a whole day, go shopping. If you want to be happy for a weekend, go fishing. If you want to be happy for a month, take a trip to Australia. If you want to be happy for a whole year, inherit a fortune. But if you want to be happy for a lifetime, find a way to make a difference in other people's lives." --Matthew Kelly

It is a great honor to be nominated for this award.