NUR4165- Nursing Research Course Reflection

                NUR4165 Nursing Research has been the most profound course that I have taken in the BSN program thus far. This course has not only taught me information for my nursing career but has also taught me a lot about myself. Throughout the course, one thing that Dr. Rolland had consistently said was to use our resources. In the beginning, I don’t think I realized how valuable those resources were. It wasn’t until taking advantage of the library resource that I realized how imperative their guidance and assistance was. The clinical problem project was by far the most difficult project I’ve had to do throughout my nursing school experience. However, it was the most beneficial project yet. It taught me about the importance of nursing research, what peer-reviewing really meant, and the importance of evidence-based practice for change in the nursing profession. Now when I am conducting research on the internet, I take advantage of the library databases and keywords that I’ve learned to use. It has become something I enjoy doing and looking into. At work recently a patient had a diagnosis I’ve never heard of before. Rather than googling it, I used my resources and found journal articles written by nurses on these diagnoses and found evidence-based nursing interventions to assist in the care provided to that patient. It was an eye-opening experience. Nursing research has not only been another course taken during school but has also now become incorporated into my everyday nursing career. This was unexpected for me. While conducting research at the beginning of the semester, I felt defeated and as though I was not going to ever be able to find the research I needed and wouldn’t be able to take advantage of what the course was trying to teach me. In the end, I realize that nursing research is a complex process, and the skills I’ve learned from this course can be carried with me throughout my future degrees and schooling, and even throughout my nursing career. I’m very glad I carried through with the course and have learned a lot about nursing research to incorporate into my nursing career, but a lot about myself as a student as well.