In my Nursing of Children and Families (NURS 425) course, I learned Erikson’s Stages of Development (Artifact 1). During adolescence, the child goes through the stage of Identity versus Role Confusion.  The Identity versus Role Confusion stage of Erikson’s Stages of Development occurs in adolescence, between the ages of 12 to 18. At this stage, the goal is for the adolescent to develop a strong sense of self, or identity. The outcome of this stage is dependent upon how the child is impacted by those around them. If they are in an encouraging environment, the goal of this stage will be achieved. However, if the adolescent sense of self is not encouraged, they can develop role confusion. 

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      Throughout my undergraduate journey, I was in a constant state of role confusion. Not only was I trying to determine my role as a future nurse, but also my role on campus among my peers. If anyone would have asked me during freshman year if I viewed myself as a leader, I would have simply said no. My view of a leader was someone that ordered others around and made all the decisions.  At the time, I did not have confidence in myself to assume such a powerful role. My view of leadership has changed drastically through gaining knowledge and experiences, such as peer mentorship through PALs, serving as SGA president, serving as Director of Membership for the Student Nursing Association (SNA) and engaging in research, during my college journey.

      In a simulation for my Maternal/Newborn course (NURS 424), I experienced this sense of role confusion. For the simulation, we were placed into groups of three and each one of us had a role. My role was to perform the physical assessment on the mother. During my assessment, I noticed some late deceleration on the fetal monitor, which indicated a possible prolapsed cord. As I began to assess the vaginal area for a prolapsed cord I was stopped by my instructor. During the simulation, I was confused as to why she stopped me, and assumed I did something wrong. The actions of my instructor hindered my confidence in my “nursing” judgement and left me in a state of confusion.  I no longer knew what my role was in this simulation. (Artifact 2). After the simulation was completed, we had a debrief where my instructor explained why she had stopped me. The reason was because my observation was correct. If I had continued my assessment, I would have ended the simulation too early. This explanation reassured my abilities to one day take on the role of a nurse.

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     My participation in undergraduate research was unexpected. I attended my first Research Club meeting to earn points for the Student Nursing Association (SNA). After the meeting, I was intrigued by undergraduate research and joined Research Club. Through this membership, I became involved in the Student Mobile Anthropometric Research Team (SMART) study. With little prior knowledge of research, there were many times that I felt unfit to be involved with this study. However, as I continued to be involved and my knowledge of research grew, I became more confident in my abilities. My role in the study became more evident after the completion our first trial. I was tasked with entering the data we collected. Within this role I had to identify mistakes that were made in the data collection, which required fine attention to detail. This became my major contribution to the team. This fine attention to detail is also directly related to my future career as a nurse. When completing an assessment on a patient it is important to notice fine details that could indicate a major problem. For example, if as a nurse I auscultate crackles in the patient’s lungs that is receiving fluids, this indicates possible fluid overload. It is important for the nurse to discover fluid overload early before damage occurs. Additionally, my experience with undergraduate research taught me that inexperience does not disqualify someone from participating. Everyone has their own experiences that brings great value to any role they choose to assume. This respect of an individual's value is one that I aim to convey in my role as a leader. In artifact 3, I describe my experience in undergraduate research and how it has developed me into a leader.

 

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     Other leadership positions beyond the classroom that helped me to solidify my role as a leader includes my role as a PAL, as Director of Membership of SNA, and serving as the SGA president. I served as a PAL from Spring 2018 to Fall 2021. As a PAL I became a role model among my peers by demonstrating what it means to be a leader. This included participating in events on campus, such as new freshman orientations, where I would advise my fellow peers on how to be successful throughout college. Additionally, through PALs I gained a relationship with my peer mentor, who was another nursing student further along in the nursing curriculum. This peer mentorship is where my leadership development truly began. My peer mentor displayed qualities of a great leader that include advocating and listening to others. These qualities are ones that I strived to implement in my leadership roles as the Director of Membership and SGA President. 

     In spring of 2019, I chose to run for SGA President because I wanted to be in a position where I could advocate for my fellow peers. My role as SGA President offered me that opportunity by allowing me to connect with others and listen to my fellow peers’ concerns. I then was able to advocate for these concerns to the proper administration. In my freshman year, I believed my role was as a member in these student organizations and not as a leader. I did not understand what it meant to be a great leader, until I witnessed these qualities displayed by my mentor. It was my peer mentor’s example as a nurse and a leader, that allowed me to progress out of the state of role confusion and into my role as a leader. 

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     After gaining experience in the clinical settings and various leadership roles, I now confidently serve as a leader among my peers. I aim to exemplify the qualities of a great leader that include fair representation and supportiveness. In my role as a leader, I will not allow one’s inexperience to disqualify them from achieving their goals. Though experience provides great knowledge, having little of it does not hinder one’s capability. In this situation a leader should promote involvement to allow for one to increase understanding in that area. These attributes of a great leader are ones that were displayed by my mentors along my college journey. It is my hope that my actions will be as impactful to my mentees as my mentor's were to me. 

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