Narciso Rodriguez

The Nurturing, Understanding, Responsible, Scientific Educator

I decided to enter the field of nursing because I am a compassionate, caring individual. I have always wanted a career where I give back to communities. As a previous teacher, and now as a nurse, I will be allowed to do this. The Robert Wood Johnson Scholarship has allowed me to pursue this dream. The support I get from my mentors and fellow scholars enables me to succeed. This amazing support group of colleagues has been one of the greatest blessings of the program.

As a new nursing student, I was bombarded with acronyms like PERRLA, SPICES, and MAR. It was overwhelming at first, but soon became beneficial. I would like to propose one more acronym which entails what it means to me to be a nurse. That acronym, of course, is NURSE, or Nurturing, Understanding, Responsible, Scientific Educator.

Nurturing is an essential aspect of nursing. Many of us have joined the profession because of our caring nature. I have the ability to change a client’s demeanor with something as simple as holding his or her hand. That one gesture can mean the world to a client about to go in for a complicated, risky procedure. It communicates to the client that I am here for the client and will do everything I can to make the client’s recovery time in the hospital and transition back home as seamless as possible.

Understanding is a vital component of nursing. The clients we encounter day-to-day will be of all sorts of backgrounds, cultures, races, and religions. It is our duty to provide the same amount of care to every client, whether it be a gay couple, an intergenerational couple, or a religious group that holds different values than our own personal beliefs.
We are responsible for our actions. Before we do anything to a patient, we must assess the current situation and determine if that action or medication is necessary at this time. We are trained as nurses to make judgment calls based on the information we have gathered.

Science governs our actions. We use science to determine whether an action is needed or determine what is going on with a patient. Studying the human body and disease processes has given nurses a plethora of knowledge to utilize when caring for our patients. Nursing and science go hand and hand. They should not be separated.

Education is key for a successful recovery. Educating the patient on his or her current condition and how to prevent complications when returning home is vital. Many patients who are not educated on treating their condition wind up back in the hospital.

I believe current and future nurses need to look at themselves as nurturing, understanding, responsible, scientific educators, or NURSEs. Each of these components is just as important as any other and they work best when used in conjunction with the others. I know I have done my job when I have treated my patients using all of these aspects.