My interview with this young nurse enhanced my knowledge of leadership in nursing. This individual made it clear how imperative it is to have strong leaders in this profession. She talked about how her mentors were key to her success, and by the same token, the key to her patient’s success. In today’s world especially, it is helpful to have some form of a mentor or leader to look up to. The nurse I spoke to on this matter talked about her experience as a new graduate nurse, and the struggles she faced in the post-graduate and COVID world. She found herself in need to grow professionally and she reached out to her therapist to facilitate this personal and professional growth. She reported how stressful working on the COVID unit was and how she often needed a way to be able to process and learn from her experiences there. I found this to be a moment of growth and maturity for her because she was not afraid to ask for help. I admired how freely she talked about her struggles and how open she was to answer my questions, especially about what her life is like as a new nurse.

One response during the interview resonated with me in particular. I asked her if she had ever experienced any conflict, and if she had, how did she deal with it. She told me that although she had never really experienced any real conflict, she has had times when others had different ideas or suggestions that she did not agree with. In response to such situations, she talked about how it is important to listen to the other person’s point of view to validate their concerns or opinions. She states that in doing this, conflict resolution is much more attainable. She also offered that if one ever does have an issue with another person, it is important to address it with the person in question instead of gossiping or talking about the situation with others. She said she’s seen firsthand how hurtful this can be, and it takes away from doing one’s job. To hear her say this reinforced my preconceived knowledge of conflict resolution strategies.

Going forward with what I learned from my interview, I can confidently say that these lessons can be applied in my own nursing career. Her advice on conflict and stress management, and the details of nursing leaders in her life has reinforced aspects of nursing leadership with real-life examples. I truly enjoyed this opportunity to talk with this person. She is a wonderful nurse and a natural leader.