Self Assessment 1

Running head: SELF ASSESSMENT OF REASONING

Self Assessment of Reasoning

Chris C. Common

Ferris State University

Abstract

The purpose of this assignment is to assess my own performance across the semester in NURS 324. If successful, this report will make it possible for those who read it to grasp explicitly what I have and have not learned this semester in the way of thinking skills and abilities. I will begin by stating the grade, which I believe that I have the evidence to support. I will build a case for my grade using my areas of strength, my areas of weakness, as well as examples from previous work submitted throughout the course.

Self Assessment of Reasoning

To advance in a professional career, one must broaden and build on one’s own knowledge base (Kearney, p. 2) The profession of nursing is very unique in the fact that one is surrounded by an ever changing patient population with no one patient being the same as the last. The needs and care given to each patient varies based on the assessment and judgment of a registered nurse. When presented with a difficult patient or situation one is forced to think critically in order to maintain the heath status of the patient. One can learn a lot about themselves by simply being placed outside one’s comfort zone where intuition and critically thinking become essential in the overall outcome of a patient.

Identifying ones own strengths and weaknesses can be a difficult task. Many individuals have no issues discussing strengths but often draw a blank when ask to identify one’s weaknesses. As a result, supervisors and management personnel rely on such responses when conducting interviews for potential employees.

My Strengths

Respecting the patients I care for has always been a priority. I tend to use my sense of humor to gain rapport with my patients. “A registered nurse uses creativity and innovation in nursing practice to improve care delivery”(ANA, 2004, pg. 33). I enjoy taking on challenging patients as I feel it forces me to think outside the box. Taking advantage of these opportunities in turn makes me a well rounded nurse. I feel as though my experiences have made me more confident in my skills and have made me more confident when called upon as a resource when I am in the role of charge nurse. “Seeks experiences that reflect current practice in order to maintain skills and competence in clinical practice or role performance” (ANA, 2004, pg. 35). I feel I work well independently as well as part of a team. I have always prided myself on communication and the ability to gain rapport with my patients as well as respect from fellow co-workers.

My Weaknesses

As mentioned previously admitting ones weaknesses is never an easy task. However I feel that identifying problem areas is the first step towards strengthening these areas. One major weakness of mine is my inability to consider multiple view points in regards to a given scenario. I often rely on personal experience and have difficulty incorporating other ideas prior to making a conclusion. I often remain close minded until I have further time to process other points of view. This process can not always be self prompted and as I have learned may require an outsider, such as a co-worker or fellow classmate to initiate the change to being more open minded. Other weaknesses include being overly relaxed at times. This presents a problem as I often find myself procrastinating when it comes to meeting deadlines. However I find that I work well under pressure situations. Though procrastination may be viewed as negative by some, I find it to be somewhat beneficial.

My grade for the metacognitive journal should be: B based on the criteria for grades provided in the course materials. Below is a summary of the reasoning on which I base my judgment.

Over the course of this semester I was forced to think outside the box. I was taken out of my comfort zone and was challenged to expand upon my concepts and reasoning. I admit to have struggled with this new style of learning where I was asked to support my opinions with reasoning rather than opinion. I feel I have learned a lot about myself and what I am capable of achieving if I allow myself to consider other points of view rather than relying on personal experience to reach a conclusion. I also admit that I had never truly understood the meaning of the term “well rounded” until taking this class. I feel I have progressed with each new discussion week. In the beginning of this course I found it difficult to respond to other classmate’s responses as I was afraid of offending someone. I soon realized that difference in opinion is okay as long as it is support with valid reasoning. As always I have never backed down from a challenge and I feel this class was no exception.

References

American Nurses Association. (2004). Nursing scope and standards of practice (5th ed).

Silver Spring, MD: Author.

Kearney-Nunnery, Rose. (2005). Advancing your career: Concepts of professional nursing (4th ed). Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis Company.