Analysis of Nursing Community According to Swales' Characteristics of Discourse Community

A discourse community is people with similar interest and goals in life, who share a language that helps them discuss and accomplish these interests and goals. In the nursing community, many code words are used for different events and situations. All nurses maintain the same goals for every patient; they all have to follow their scope of practice. Everybody works together, share responsibility, and make a decision to devise and carry out plans for patient care. The main goal is to be the patient’s caretaker for the time of their stay at the hospital. Swales’ six characteristic of the discourse community shows that nursing can fit with each topic.

Communication is a big part of being a nurse. There are various ways of communication being used. Nurses must outline messages verbally, written, and occasionally through signals depending on the patient's need. Patient interaction is also a big part no matter what nursing specialties you choose. They have to explain the procedure no matter how small it is to the patient. It required them to use a language that the patient can understand. They must use a calm and low volume voice. Using a large vocabulary that patients don’t understand can be difficult. They must communicate with other nurses constantly. They can ask for help with how to do something or giving orders to save a patient’s life. Learning to listen is essential. You don’t want to miss any important information.

Two forms of a documentary in the nursing community are charting and technology. Charting is a handwritten form of documentation which provides medical and personal information about the patient. Today, technology has taken over. Hospitals are using electronic charting, a faster and easier way to access information. Some nurses use pagers to communicate with doctors and colleagues, but many nurses tend to use their phones instead. Nurses have a huge responsibility to complete a patient’s charting properly, as well as keeping a patient’s information disclosed and safe. Nurses must follow federal laws, which are strict guidelines preventing others from accessing the patient’s history. If a nurse is to violate patient privacy, they are likely to have a lawsuit filed on the hospital or themselves; which could result in receiving a fine or termination from their jobs.

Feedback improves knowledge, skills, and behaviors. It can motivate them and make them want to perform better. When exanimating a patient ask for their feedback on how you did. It will give you an understanding of what you did good and what you need to improve. You can learn from negative feedback. The American Nurse Today is the authorized journal of the American Nurses Association. (ANA) The journal supports nurses, provides trusted information sources, answer some questions that you may ask.

Nurses frequently use codes, abbreviations, and medical terminology that the patient is not well known. Some medical abbreviations used in the patients’ chart are: Abd – abdomen, A&D - admission and discharge, ADL - activities of daily living, Amb - Ambulatory, AP – appendectomy, Cath – Catheter, CBC - complete blood count, CBR - complete bed rest, GI – gastrointestinal, etc. Nursing terminology is important to communicate with administrators and other nurses to care for patients. A nurse that don’t understand the terminology can hurt the patient. Errors in nursing can be very dangerous. Doctors rely on nurses to provide them with correct information.

Without any education or training, you cannot enter the medical field. Nursing is a very high demanding field. You need to have an associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree. Nurses must pass the National Council Licensure Examination - Practical Nursing (NCLEZ-PN) to receive a license. The test is computerized and has an average of 119 questions and must be completed within six hours. (Learn How to Become) You can retake the test in 45 days. The average rate is around 70-75 percent. Once you pass the test you can work in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, schools, and state prisons. You need to pass the nursing interview to get into these programs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing has a job outlook of growing by 12 percent which is fast. There will be a lot of nurses joining the medical field in the next couple of years.

Nurses are able to maintain their career for a long time. Nursing can be stressful, and you have to take care of sick patients all day. Why would you choose this career? Victoria said, “I love helping people and I want to make a difference in people’s lives. The best way to handle stress is to be organized and attention to detail. Making a list of what you need to get done help. Stay calm and focused on what you need to get done. You have colleagues that will help you. Working as a nurse I see very weird things. Some days you have good days and other days you have bad days. Just remember not every life is going to be saved. You have to push through it and try to save the patients you can.”

In conclusion, Swales’ six characteristic of the discourse community shows that nursing can fit with each topic. They have goals, genres, communication, feedback, lexis, and hospital staff to help them. Nurses provide hands-on care to patients by monitoring a patient's condition, maintaining records, and communicating with doctors. They provide emotional and psychological support to patients and their families. They spend more time with their patients than doctors. Nurses care for their patients and save lives.