please let me respond to this post: Respondon two different daysIntroduction and Goals

to at least two of your colleagues , by suggesting additional individuals and/or teams with whom to collaborate or by offering additional networking strategies.

 

Since 2008 I have been a nurse and have spent most of my career working in mental health. I currently work as a nurse for an eating disorder clinic. We admit men, women, and adolescents who struggle with disordered eating. Most of the disorders stem from mental health issues. I am drawn more toward mental health nursing because I like to listen to people and try my best to “hear” them to help heal them. If I hadn’t chosen nursing as a career, I would most likely have opted for a counseling degree. However, I wasn’t up for doing a master’s program at that time, so counseling was out. Over the last year, the thought of getting a master’s degree hasn’t seemed so daunting; hence, I began to consider it. I found Walden University in my search for bridge programs that would allow me to go from RN to FNP seamlessly. I got into Walden’s program easily and quickly! I am looking forward to gaining the medical knowledge required to treat my patient population. The NPs I work with have provided me with a wealth of information related to eating disorders. Thanks to these fabulous practitioners, I have a great support system to help reach my goal of becoming a nurse practitioner for individuals with eating disorders.

 

 

 

Walden University’s Impact on My Goals

 

Walden University has a mission to advance the greater global good by educating graduates who can think critically and provide solutions to the societal challenges the world currently faces; thereby, transforming the graduates into scholar-practitioners who will promote positive social change (Vision, Mission, and Goals – Walden University, 2020). Walden University (2020) defines positive social change as “as a deliberate process of creating and applying ideas, strategies, and actions to promote worth, dignity, and development of individuals, communities, organizations, institutions, cultures, and societies.” The ultimate goal is to improve human and social conditions. Because my patients struggle with their identity and self-worth, they have turned to disordered eating as a way to become “someone” more valuable in their own eyes. Most patients, in my experience, make their eating disorder their identities and don’t realize they are so much more than that. They don’t see their true value. This is where I want to help make a difference in the lives of my patients. I want to help them heal physically from their addiction, as well as mentally. This, to me, is promoting positive social change by supporting the patients’ recovery and helping them understand their unique and treasured individuality and worth.

 

Conclusion

 

I am looking forward to applying what I will learn through Walden University to the specific patient problems and challenges within my workplace. In fact, this is one of Walden University’s desired outcomes! Going from a novice nurse to an expert nurse requires continual learning (The Walden Journey to a Masters in Nursing: The Journey Begins, 2018). I can’t get to this expert goal independently; it takes a network of interdisciplinary professionals who will provide the support I need to succeed (The Walden Journey to a Masters in Nursing: Networking and Collaboration, 2018). Through Walden, I can access the guidance and resources required to achieve my goals. Walden University upholds a prized motto, and any graduate of this program should feel empowered to go and make a difference in their world, no matter how big or how small. Social change has to start somewhere.

 

 

 

 

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2018). The Walden Journey to a Masters in

           Nursing: Networking and Collaboration [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2018). The Walden Journey to a Masters in

           Nursing: The Journey Begins [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Vision, Mission, and Goals – Walden University – Acalog ACMS^TM. (2020). Waldenu.edu. https://catalog.waldenu.edu/content.php?catoid=179&navoid=65155