Nursing

Posted: September 9th, 2013

Nursing

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Nursing

Primarily, nursing is a healthcare profession that focuses on administering care to individuals, families, and the community care with a view of attaining, maintaining, or recovering optimal health for better quality life. Nurses are normally differentiated from other health care professionals by their means of approaching training, patient care, and scope of practice (Parker, 2006). In the nursing profession, the personal cultural and spiritual values ultimately contribute to the philosophy of nursing. However, personal philosophy and the worldview on the nursing profession imminently lead to the creation of ethical dilemma. The conflict between personal values and the professional view of the nursing practice can have an influence over the decision-making and behavior of an individual. This paper serves to give a highlight of the professional view on nursing and its interaction with my philosophy on nursing.

What is the Nature of Nursing Practice?

In terms of personal philosophy, I believe that I have an obligation towards practicing nursing in a responsible, compassionate and honest manner. My personal philosophy maintains that a nurse is required to provide the safe care to patients in the most effective manner. This implies that a nurse should not involve any actions that have a jeopardizing effect on the health status of the patient.

Person

In accordance with the definition of an expert, the person component of the nursing metaparadigm maintains that a sick person should not be treated as an object of professional surveillance and care, but should be regarded as autonomous and unique. My definition of the person component implies that an ailing person should be referred to as a “subject” rather than a “patient”. My definition is inclusive of social groups and families that relate to the patient. In comparison, the two definitions are different in terms of how the patient should be considered. In this case, theorist regards the patient as autonomous and unique but my meaning on the patient is extended to include affected parties.

Health

Health is the second component of the nursing metaparadigm. A nurse expert regards this metaparadigm as an immensely general concept that does not consider the health of an individual from a strictly clinical perspective. According to the nurse expert, this aspect deems nurses as medical professionals rather than mere doctors or adjuncts (Berman, 2008). My definition on this component views it in abstract terms. In this case, health should not be regarded as an absolute concept but should be deemed in the health problems context relating to the ailing individual (Bergersen, 2007). In contrast, the two definitions are also different from what health should be taken to imply. An example from my definition states a patient suffering from cancer deems it a good day when they do not suffer immensely. However, the experts definition implies would not regard this person as a perfectly healthy individual. My definition on the other regards health as a negotiable factor dependent on the intensity of suffering.

Nursing

A nurse expert defines nursing as an application of medical expertise to help ease the suffering of a patient. It should be taken to imply the hands on approach taken by a nurse while administering treatment to the patient. My definition of nursing on the other hand states that nursing is a healthcare profession that focuses on administering care to individuals, families, and the community care with a view of attaining, maintaining, or recovering optimal health for better quality life. In comparison, these two definitions are similar to a given extent. They both maintain that the health of an individual has been compromised and that nursing steps in to alleviate the problem involved.

Environment

A nursing expert defines environment as all the relevant factors that influence the recovery of the ailing patient. My definition of environment as a nursing metaparadigm states that it includes all other variables that define the recovery context of the patient. This includes addictions, mental state, home life, rewarding work chance of relapse and others. The two definitions have a similar view since they put into consideration all the factors and conditions that accelerate or deteriorate the recovery of the patient after proper nursing care has been administered.

What is the Nature of Human Caring 

The nursing theory states that human caring refers to the promotion of individual health and involves actions intended to satisfy human health needs (Bergersen, 2007). My definition on human caring states that a nurse is required to provide safe care to patients in the most effective manner and that this should involve measures that improve the health condition of the patient. In comparison, the two definitions give a similar view regarding human care in nursing. It can be drawn that nursing care intends to create conditions that promote recovery or relieve the patient from suffering.

What is the Social Purpose of Nursing Practice

Nursing practice has an obligation towards ensuring the well-being of the patient, their family and the rest of the community. The patient, their family and the rest of society constitute the society. In this regard, nursing practice has a social purpose to ensure the well-being of society. This involves acting professionally, ethically or legally. From a legal source, a nurse would be required by law to report a patient whom he or she has been established to engage in behavior that endangers their family or the community (Berman, 2008). In this instance, a nurse will be ethically and legally obligated to report this kind of patient to the relevant authorities and at the same time administer health-promoting services.

Conclusion

In the nursing profession, personal cultural and spiritual values ultimately contribute to the philosophy of nursing. It is my belief that I am obligated towards practicing nursing in a manner that professes responsibility, compassion, and honesty. My personal philosophy on the nursing profession helps me understand that a nurse is required to provide the safe care to patients and do so in a diligent fashion. In this regard, I cannot overlook the professional view on the faculty and its relevance on my nursing career. It is my understanding that I have to tune the philosophy to work in harmony with the professional requirements of the faculty.

References

Bergersen, B. S. (2007). Current concepts in clinical nursing. New York, NY: Saunders

Berman, A., & Kozier, B. (2008). Fundamentals of nursing: Concepts, process, and practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Parker, M. E. (2006). Nursing theories and nursing practice. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis