The role of nursing grows, as more and more people want to dedicate their life to medicine. In this context, nursing, being one of the spread disciplines at the universities, attracts my attention. As the key of the essay lies in my personal statement, it seems to be necessary to outline the personal goals in medicine, and to show the value of medical education.
What are the goals of those students of medical faculties who want to be future nurses? Probably, the primary goal is to serve for the benefit of the people, making their lives healthier, regardless of conditions and personal preference. Of course, if one wants to perform well in the medical sphere, he/she should be medically literate. That is why the role of medical education is essential.
The problem of health literacy grows as people make serious mistakes that cause major health problems and even death. Students that study medical courses at schools or universities may not realize that health illiteracy leads to danger and fatal consequences. All medical students take in spirit the Hippocratic Oath swearing to practice medicine ethically. In spite of the fact, that Hippocratic Oath is not required by most modern medical schools, each student should remember about medical ethical attitude. The principle “do no harm” has become one of the popular principles in medical practice. The value of literacy in health education is obvious in everyday life. If a medical student keeps in mind that literacy saves people’s lives, he/she will be a medically literate doctor or nurse. Consequently, another goal is to become a medically literate person.
From my point of view, a medical literate doctor is a doctor who has profound knowledge in medicine and never stops in progress. This doctor can apply theory into practice saving his/her patients’ lives and giving them valuable medical pieces of advice. Proceeding from this, I think that health education should be based on literacy as a health education teacher. That is why, I think that health literacy is the main health education teacher who guides all medical students during their study course, and in the future professional medical sphere. Of course, nursing is not an exception; nurses’ obligations in medicine are tightly connected with those of the doctors’.
In spite of the fact that nursing means the profession of caring for the sick and injured, this word has a more profound meaning. A medically literate nurse is the main doctor’s right hand. If one can imagine that a doctor is a brain, a nurse would be the hand that does everything necessary for the patients’ health, following the doctor’s instructions. A nurse helps the doctor to put medical theory into practice. I’d like to save people’s lives and help them to be healthier. Nevertheless, the wish is not all that is necessary to become a good nurse.
Profound knowledge of medicine leads to medical success and the absence of unforgivable mistakes. The principle “do no harm” should be accompanied by another principle “do more good”. The professional future of any good doctor starts at school or university. Any student should remember that a nurse should avoid possible mistakes; for this, it is essential to be armed with knowledge and experience. I think that it is desirable to learn out from others’ medical mistakes: patients are not guinea pigs.
Modern literate nursing become not only the kind of medical education but the key to society’s health, as well. Literacy in health education is its integrative essential element. Many people, who would like to dedicate their lives to medicine, as for me, would agree with my personal statement: literate nursing is the medical practice that helps people on their way to a healthier life; in this context, nursing education gives the future nurses the opportunity to become a true medical servant of society.