Artifact 1 → Trent Offer of Admission Email
My first artifact is my email of admission into the nursing program at Trent. I had applied and gotten into a few other places before receiving this email but hadn’t accepted any because Trent was my top choice. As the deadline for receiving an offer was getting closer I had let go of Trent as my dream school and accepted that I would be going somewhere else. Then just four days before the deadline, I got this email. To now be accepted into nursing was the first shock but to then find out I received a scholarship was even crazier to me! This email felt like all my hard work and determination was finally paying off and my dreams were becoming a reality. This artifact relates to nursing because it marks the beginning of my journey into the nursing profession.
Artifact 2 → Swim Instructor Certification
My next artifact is my swim instructor certificate, which I received after spending a weekend learning techniques to teach swimming lessons to children of all skill levels. After getting certified I spent the next year working as a swim instructor at my local YMCA. This job made me a much more patient person as kids often need lots of time to learn. I loved this job because it felt like I had the chance to actively help these kids. Most of the kids I taught were afraid of some aspect of swimming and I enjoyed being able to help those kids get over their fears and reach their goals.
This relates to nursing because making connects with patients to communicate and achieve goals is a large part of nursing. This certificate allowed me to start building the foundation for those skills. I also had to collaborate with my coworkers often and I learned the importance of collaboration, this is also an important aspect of the nursing profession.
Artifact 3 → My Stethoscope
My next artifact is my stethoscope, this is significant because it is the same stethoscope my mom used when she was in nursing school. My mom is an RPN at a nursing home. She didn’t pressure me into nursing and I wouldn’t say that she was the reason I went into nursing. However I think she really inspired me to help others, hearing about her experience with patients first hand I could see how she was actively making an impact in these people’s lives even if she never saw it as more than a job. This relates to the nursing profession because it represents the role that nursing has played in my life and how I was raised with values that correlate to the nursing profession such as compassion, empathy, and critical thinking. This passed down stethoscope also relates to nursing because I understand the sacrifice nurses often have to make in order to help others because my mom works irregular hours and has my entire life.