Growing up, everyone seemed to know what they wanted to do, who they wanted to be, and where they wanted to go. For me, my life was ever-changing. I tried a multitude of areas that interested me, but nothing ever stuck. Although I didn’t know exactly what I wanted for my future. I knew one aspect was true, I wanted to care for others, in any and all capacities. This began my journey to discover what exactly I was meant to do for others. I craved a profession where I was always on the move, impacting the lives of others, challenging myself every day, and problem solving consistently. I wanted a job that challenged me to serve vulnerable populations. This led me to push myself and begin the journey of becoming a Nurse. Throughout the years I have always worked with individuals with disabilities. Whether that was physical, emotional, or intellectual. Working in various capacities from children to adults with special needs, and then progressing to working within a hospital setting, with the geriatric population of mental health. I think a specialty that interests me the most is Psychiatric and Mental Health. This is an area that has always sparked my interested due to the increasing numbers of individuals with mental health. People need to become more aware of this topic, and it has slowly become such an important area to vocalize in today’s society. I would love to learn more and dive deeper into other areas within this specialty so that I can fully see if this is the area for me. I know I have an idea of what I could see myself doing but throughout my progression of becoming a nurse I can see myself changing this idea. 

Evidence-based practice is a concept that is fairly new to me. Although I know the basic concept, I have only seen it in limited areas. During my internship working at New England Center for Children they used ABA therapy. This type of therapy is somewhat similar to EBP. Taking the data that is collected, the highly trained staff and care-team factor in the legalities and policies, as well as the student’s values and circumstances to accomplish a care plan for the individual. Although this is viewed differently in a health care setting, I feel as though they cross over, being that the end result is to gather as much data needed to give the best possible outcome.

I thoroughly enjoyed the components that were displayed within ABA therapy. We were able to see the overall growth and progression through data, research, charts, and graphs in context to show the most effective care needed for each individual. This in turn is what EBP practices, utilizing past knowledge, connecting with the patient and their needs, and using our clinical expertise to improve their overall care. Moving forward I will continue to use the knowledge I have learned and grasp onto each new concept to further my abilities in all areas of the classroom and clinical settings.