311 W8. Discussion Post

311 W8. Discussion Post

[Name of the Writer]

[Name of the Institution]

311 W8. Discussion Post

There is little doubt that nursing is one of the most challenging professions in the whole world. Every day, nurses come across different incidents that drain them both physically and emotionally. Be it a nurse working in a trauma center or a nurse administering treatment to a patient on the bedside, both require strong commitment and dedication. No matter where a nurse is currently serving, it requires them to be physically strong and emotionally stable to cope with the stress of the job.

As a nurse posted in a school, it requires not only strong dedication and determination, but it also demands to be empathetic and compassionate towards the students. A student might be experiencing different issues or might have incurred an injury that could negatively affect their studies and grades. Hence, the nurse serving in the school has an important role to play.

Every now and then, I come across many heart-wrenching incidents or hear many distressing stories that shake me to the core. However, there is one incident which had stressed me a lot.

There was a girl named Sara. Sara was a cheerful and bright young student. One day Sara came into my office distressed. She appeared quite upset which was very unlikely of her. She asked to close the doors of the room and listen to her carefully. As soon as the doors were shut, Sara burst into tears. At first, I thought there might be an agonizing injury she had suffered to be the reason for the tears.

She said, in a painful voice, not to disclose this conversation with anyone. Not with her mother, who is a teacher at the same school. As a professional nurse, what unfolded next demanded strong adherence to ethical principles of nursing.

Sara was sexually abused by her father.

As much as it appears distressing to you distressed me too. However, I tried my best to convey an empowering response. I wanted her to let out the emotions that she has been hiding for, only God knows, how long. I remained patient as she talked of the harrowing incident. Furthermore, I assured her to get her every possible help she needs. I tried not to ask any details of the heinous crime as it might have hurt her more given the relationship between her and the perpetrator.

As Sara was describing through what she has been going through, I took some notes. The reason for this is, in case a police report is filed, I might become a witness that could prove to be decisive in a court of law.

As this crime is punishable in any court of law, I didn’t decide to call the police. I asked Sara to muster up the courage and call the police herself. Had I called the police without her consent, it might have hurt her more (Jordan, 2015).

Furthermore, once Sara completed her story, I started to guide her. Guiding her was the only option as she asked not to discuss this with anyone.

I recommended Sara to seek medical assistance following this incident. There were significant chances that she might have had become pregnant or contracted sexually transmitted disease like HIV. Additionally, I recommended her to get herself medically examined. The medical report would assist her should she decide to sue the perpetrator.

As this incident must have affected her mentally and drained her emotionally (Steinmetz & Gray, 2017). These kinds of incidents often compel the victims to end their lives by committing suicide as they might feel helpless (Steinmetz & Gray, 2017). I suggested her to go to any sexual assault crisis center. By going to a sexual assault crisis center would help her get over this despicable incident.

References

Jordan, J. (2015). Justice for rape victims? The spirit may sound willing, but the flesh remains weak. In Crime, victims and policy (pp. 84-106). Palgrave Macmillan, London.

Steinmetz, S., & Gray, M. J. (2017). Treating emotional consequences of sexual assault and domestic violence via telehealth. In Career Paths in Telemental Health (pp. 139-149). Springer, Cham.