Analysis Of The Definition And Integral Components Of Nursing

The definition of nursing is continually evolving all around the world, which may vary internationally. In today’s society, nurses act as the integral part of the health care system who aren’t just care for others; they are constantly changing our understanding and stereotypes towards the health care delivery.

Florence Nightingale was probably the first person to define nursing, describing nursing as as “the act of utilizing the environment of the patient to assist him in his recover”. Virginia Henderson then broadened the definition in 1960 as “the unique function of the nurse is to assist the individual, sick or well, in the performance of those activities contributing to health or its recovery (or to peaceful death) that he would perform unaided if he had the necessary strength, will, or knowledge. And to do this in such a way as to help him gain independence as rapidly as possible.” Besides, nursing is also an art of compassion for others, taking care of others in need, preventing diseases and injuries, maintaining health of individuals and promoting knowledge for optimal health throughout our community. As for me, nursing profession can be defined as a disciplined and unique career that dedicates oneself to the improvement of others whether it is emotional, physical or in regards to the overall health. It requires years of training and continue specialized education to care for patients in various settings.

Nowadays, nursing has been moving towards a more academic-oriented profession. With both education and practical training that have been given, nursing does indeed fit the criteria of being a ‘profession’. Nursing began as a helping profession. It is often undertaken by nuns, other religious women or military personnel during wartime. Nursing eventually became a job only held by the lower class and was looked down upon by society, as they were untrained and were not taught about nursing, but learned through experience. Until recent history, nursing was still being considered as a female-dominated profession in some area as men often receive criticism when they pursue nursing as their career.

This idea wasn’t challenged until the mid 19th century when English nurse Florence Nightingale worked to improve the medical conditions of wounded soldiers in the Crimean War, which has laid the foundation and concept of modern nursing. From then, major changes have begun to take place in the field of nursing with the strides made by Florence Nightingale. Modern nursing can be defined as “the art of using the latest technology and science to promote quality of life as defined by patients and families throughout their life experiences from birth to the end of life.” In today’s society, modern nursing has seen the development of nursing college degrees, specialized schools and training programs for nurses, post basic courses and professional associations dedicated to the advancement of the field.

Today, nursing is becoming a more diversified field when it comes to health care practice, so nurses may specialize in a variety of care field and tailor their education to that specific field which they are interested in. Other than that, nurses have higher reputation in the modern nursing field. They earn respect for themselves among health care professionals because of the experience and education required to be registered as a nurse. With the advancement in the concept of modern nursing, nursing profession we acknowledge today is a far cry from where it once was in the past.

Thus, when people talk about modern nursing, they will think of the best and most advanced care possible for all patients. In order to reinforce the framework of the nursing profession, components such as caring, communication, critical thinking, professionalism and holism are crucial when come to nursing practice. This essay will discuss the characteristic of professional nursing and the five integral components of nursing practice.

First and foremost, we will discuss about the characteristic of professional nursing. Professional nursing is an integral component of the health care system. A professional nurse is the one who puts the importance and needs of patient care above all others. Positive public image should be shown by the professional considering the public is where services are directed to. First impression is always the upmost important as it plays a major role in gaining a patient’s trust and respect. A professional nurse should also demonstrate sensitivity and have an open mind when dealing with the diversity of culture and ethnic backgrounds of their patients by not passing or showing any judgement. Besides, a professional nurse should always be willing to stay up to date with the advancing or continuing of their education, learning new and better ways to provide the best care service for patients as health care has become a fast-growing industry in recent year.

Moreover, teamwork is one of the major characteristics when it comes to professional nursing. Sometime, nurses may need assistance from other nurses when helping patients, if you yourself go out of your way helping others, they will definitely be more willing to lend a helping hand when you need help. In the long run, teamwork may be the most important professional characteristic in healthcare as it is the crucial element that helps nurses to provide a more efficient care for the patients.

Next, we will be moving forward to discuss the five components of nursing practice. Nursing requires extensive medical knowledge, but it also requires something even greater: caring, which is the first integral component we will be discussing about. “Caring is the heart of nursing”, and is “fuelled by genuine concern and love”, by Halldorsdottir S (2012). Caring have been identified as a foundational value for nursing by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2008) and the National League for Nursing (2007). Although caring is not considered unique in nursing, but there is existing, substantive and developing knowledge related to caring in nursing. Why is caring considered as one of the integral components of nursing practice? It is because patients may feel stress about their injuries, conditions, surgeries or recovery. So, it is important for the nurses to care for their patients’ physical ailments as well as to ensure whether his or her emotional needs are anticipated and met promptly.

When nurses show their empathy and act as a caregiver, they foster a collaborative relationship with patients, which can lead to a more accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. These can eventually result in positive patient outcomes such as alleviation of pain, decreased anxiety, shorter hospital stays and optimistic about their health recovery. Besides, nurses can show their care to the patients by making eye contact, ask patients what they need, sit on a chair next to patient while having conversation with them, listen attentively without interrupting, smile and greet patient by their name. In addition, Sister Samone came up with the five C’s of caring: compassion, commitment, confidence, conscience and competence, which are highly applicable to the nursing profession.

Nurses who operate on these values ensure that the work is carried out efficiently and effectively and patients are safe and well treated. Consistently applying the five C’s of caring would not only lead to improved patient relationships, but also improved health care work environments and relationships. The five C’s have been widely adopted by the medical field, with specific focus on the practical aspects and training opportunities. Caring in nursing practice is an ongoing process that never ends. In my opinion, caring is the foundation value for the nursing profession, and without it nursing would be non-existent.

Communication in nursing is crucial to the health, safety and well-being of patients. It is a part of the nurses’ responsibility to facilitate dialog as they are at the center of patient care. In order to be successful in the role as a professional nurse, a nurse must interact and communicate effectively with the patient to provide comprehensive care in every step of the way, from patient admit to patient discharge and beyond. Without using effective communication skills, serious error that may have the chance to cause harm to patient’s lives can occur. Nurses speak to people from various cultural, educational and social background. Especially when communicating with patients and their family, it is a must for them to do so in a caring, effective and professional manner. People are social beings; we need care from others, especially when we are at our most vulnerable time. Verbal, nonverbal and graphic communication are methods in which information can be transmitted. Studies have shown that effective communication between nurses and patients does bring along many overwhelming benefits.

First, nurse whom possess good communication skills have the ability to provide individualized care. Nurses who perceive their patients’ distinctive challenges and concerns will be better prepared to advocate on their behalf and address problems properly they arise. This greater emphasis on communication often leads to more desirable patient outcomes too.

Secondly, patients are more likely to disclose their true feelings and symptoms when they receive the nurses’ attention during an interaction. If the nurse provides patients with undivided attention, patients will be more satisfied with their care. Finally, innate needs of the patient as outlined in the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs such as the feelings of love, confidence and safety, which are all the vital elements required during a patient’s treatment and recovery process, can be satisfied through interpersonal communication. However, not everyone was born to be a natural communicator. Hence, nurses need to enhance and strengthen their communication skills due to the important clinical, psychological and emotional benefits that can be obtained by both nurses and patients.

Although clinical skills in nursing are crucial in nursing practice, but the core of being a good nurse is critical thinking. What exactly does critical thinking mean? “Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.”, definition of critical thinking from the Foundation for Critical Thinking (2010). Critical thinking in nursing is a logical process which results in positive patient outcomes. This component is magnified especially when it comes to critical care areas as a nurse is often responsible for prioritizing and making life-altering decisions, where one decision made by the nurse can change the patient’s outcome. A nurse who acquired critical thinking skill must be open-minded and draws heavily upon past clinical experience and evidence-based research to interpret patient problem. Besides, critical thinking also involves the usage of multi-logical thinking.

Nurses will be taking care of patients who have numerous problems to be considered although they may be learning by body systems. For example: A 17-year old pregnant inmate who is going into heart failure due to Eclampsia. It takes time and practice to acquire critical thinking skills. Thus, the best way to develop critical thinking skills is to ask questions frequently and never be afraid to admit to a lack of knowledge, seek out the truth by actively investigating a problem or situation, find a mentor with more experience to emulate, advance nursing education and most importantly, be a lifelong learner. Learning to be a critical thinker will definitely benefit you both in the classroom and beyond. Do always remember, learning to master critical thinking skills is a lifelong journey, there is always more to learn as we develop.

When it comes to being a nurse, how do you define professionalism? To me, it’s about successfully representing attitudes such as caring, confident, passionate, proud, dedicated, accountable, self-motivated, having integrity and knowledgeable. Actually, being a professional is about all these things. The textbook definition of professional is exhibiting a conscientious, courteous, and generally business-like manner in the workplace. It’s also the ability to evaluate the quality of your own work, and proactively take corrective action to improve own performance. Professionalism in nursing means far more than just wearing a uniform and genuinely care about patients. It elevates the quality, judgements and methods that guide nursing practices every day as well as including the values that are crucial to reinforce the quality of patient care. The professionalism of a nurse can be judged based on personal appearance, presentation, behaviours and so forth. In order to maintain professionalism, various quality such as positive attitude, professional responsibility, teamwork, compassionate patient interactions, honesty and integrity should be sought and emulated by all nursing professionals.

Ellie Williams says that nurses work with patients from all walks of life must have a strong feeling of morality, and be able to treat every patient equally irrespective of their gender, age, ethnicity, culture, religion, condition or socioeconomic background. For instance, she explained that “if a nurse has had difficult experiences working with geriatric patients, she must take care not to assume she’ll have trouble with every senior citizen she treats. Instead, she must view each patient as an individual, giving them the same respect and concern she would to a younger patient.” Core professional values can also be strengthened by pursuing higher education and accumulating work experience. Holistic nursing is defined as “all nursing practice that has healing the whole person as its goal” by the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA).

This ideal of caring dates back to Florence Nightingale herself, which focuses on caring for the entire person as opposed to merely treating the symptoms of their current physical condition. It also supports the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its part, and if one part is not functioning properly, all the other parts will be affected too. Holism goes beyond certain words spoken or actions performed to a patient. It emphasizes on recognising the dynamics of mind, body, spirit, social, culture, family, past relationships and environment, and how they interact and affect the ability of an individual to grow and heal as a whole. Health is a perception of well-being.

Holism in nursing practice provides a platform to discuss methods of integrating nursing theories, ability, intuition, knowledge and alternative or complementary modalities. This guides the nurses to become therapeutic partners with the people under their care and treat their social, physiologic, spiritual and psychologic sequel to illness. The main objective of holism in nursing practice is enabling people in all settings and at all stages of life to be lively as possible in every kind of situation.In conclusion, the five conceptual framework pillars that strengthen the structure of the nursing profession are caring, communication, critical thinking, professionalism and holism. Each pillar plays an important role in the nursing practice. Caring is a significant pillar in nursing profession and is defined as adopting empathy for the patient and capable of explaining the concepts of integrity, altruism, safe, outstanding quality care, human dignity, and compassionate. Communication is the process which information are shared between the patient and the nurses. Critical thinking indicates investigation, analysis, evidence-based research, decision making and reasoning.

Another component is professionalism, which is categorized as a process involving economic concerns, political, legal, ethical and competency. Lastly, holism is categorized as a person’s completeness and unity; Thus, the spirit and mind of the individual are persuaded by interpersonal relationships, gender, knowledge, culture, religion, environment, standard of living and education. Furthermore, empathy is another pillar which I recommend to be considered as one of the integral components that reinforce the framework of the nursing profession. It is the ability to put oneself in other people’s positions or situation, thinking beyond our own worries and recognizing the perspective of another. It also suspends our belief or own point of view in order to better understand the other’s perspective.

We must listen attentively to grasp others’ emotional state and needs and share our feelings, ideas and thoughts genuinely in order to be empathic. Empathy is an attitude that needs to be practiced and cultivated by the nurses in order to become a part of their daily life. They enhance the lives of the patients by doing so.

In a nutshell, Nursing is abroad in nature. However, finding similarities to heal, promote health and care for others unites the nursing workforce, regardless of the department unity or community that one works in. The nursing workforce is a professionally driven occupation that dedicates oneself towards improving and restoring the life of others. As a team, nurses work together to identify a problem, research new philosophies and implement successful procedures in order to continue the use of evidence-based practice into the clinical care setting.