As I reflect on the assigned reading my thoughts wander back to an experience I had as a new graduate nurse.  It was orientation to my first position as a nurse.  I was being mentored by a senior nurse who had been practicing for approximately 20 years.  I approached my mentor with a question of which she did not have the answer.  The nurse proceeded to say “I have been a nurse for 20 years, I know all I need to know, and I don’t want to learn anymore.”  I realized, in that moment, exactly what kind of nurse I didn’t want to be.
      Anonymous (2004) summarizes a study completed by Urquart and Davies (1997) which states nurses require information for reasons including personal interest, to inform patient care, to teach, to publish and to engage in research.  As quoted by Anonymous (2004), Wakeham, Haugton, and Beard support this assertion by stating “it is in the individual’s interest to take an interest—to know patient’s problems and care needs, to be well informed of one’s specialism, to be alert to current research, to be aware of job opportunities or possibilities for self development.” (Personal Interest section, p.3)
      As nurses and nurse educators we are obligated to consistently develop our knowledge base.  I believe it should be more than that; as nurses we should have a desire to commit to lifelong learning (Nayda & Rankin, 2008) in our dynamic field of caring.