<p>Running head: JOURNAL ENTRY 1</p><p>Journal Entry</p><p>Amanda Kinder, BSN, RN</p><p>Nur/587</p><p>September 3, 2012</p><p>Alice Conway, PhD, RN, FNP JOURNAL ENTRY 2</p><p>Journal Entry</p><p>I chose nursing as a life long career. I would like to expand my role as a nurse </p><p> over the next 5 years by acquiring my master’s degree in nursing. Obtaining a master’s </p><p> degree has taken a huge amount of my time, commitment and money to further my </p><p> education. A master’s degree prepared nurse has additional opportunities and earning </p><p> power. In addition, health care is rapidly changing. Many nurse experts and health care </p><p> organizations are asking nurses to increase their knowledge, skills and competencies. The</p><p> master’s degree will contribute to my personal and professional development. The </p><p> degree will focus and prepare me as a clinical expert with advanced and competent </p><p> critical thinking, leadership and self-awareness in the community. The master’s degree </p><p> will enable me to assume responsibility for the assessment and management of a broad </p><p> range of health care needs for the individual and family. This role offers, for me, exciting</p><p> challenges in health care delivery. I will be a mentor , a leader and educator, a critical </p><p> thinker, an analyzer, and a role model. Having learned effective communication and </p><p> writing skills will enhance my clinical and educational practice. I intend to continue to </p><p> focus on the cardiology and cardiovascular side of nursing. I want to continue to work </p><p> closely with patients and their families, assessing changes in their health status and </p><p> managing their medical-care regiments. I plan to continue to gather the knowledge and </p><p> the ability to facilitate learning and plan appropriate learning experiences within and </p><p> outside the hospital setting. This increased specialization will help me to obtain </p><p> leadership roles in health education at the local and state level. With the help of </p><p> leadership strategies learned in the master’s program, I hope to work to advance the </p><p> design and implementation of the community and state’s educational programs that JOURNAL ENTRY 3</p><p> benefit its constituents. I would hope that I could participate in health research and other </p><p> programs. As a health care leader, I hope to be a frontrunner- providing health care </p><p> leadership to inform or initiate change in a group of patients or health care professionals. </p><p>In choosing nursing as a career, I have found my purpose in society. Over the </p><p> next five years, I will continue to learn and advance in the field of nursing. I have </p><p> focused my attention on education and a lifestyle of professional development; and I </p><p> intend to continue this drive to advance throughout my career. It is my duty and mission </p><p> to use my talents and abilities to advance the nursing profession.</p>