The Definition of Nursing College Essay Example
Introduction
Both art and science go into the practice of nursing. It is a universally performed discipline around the world that is considered to be civilized. It offers care to human beings from the moment of conception till the moment of death. Over a century ago, Florence Nightingale provided the definition of nursing, which she said was the exploitation of the environment of the patient to aid in the patient’s rehabilitation. Nightingale stressed the importance of the environment as a factor in the patients’ rate of recovery. She is credited with becoming the first nurse theorist and elevating nursing to a higher stature through professional education.
Nursing as an Art and Science
The educational preparation of nurses has undergone massive transformation during the course of nursing’s history. It is generally accepted that Florence Nightingale was the first nurse to practice contemporary methods. In point of fact, she began the process of obtaining an official education at Saint Thomas Hospital in London, which is located in England. She gave an articulate speech regarding the training that is required for nursing and the actual work that is done.
Her nursing education centered on the idea that health is a comprehensive and all-encompassing topic that necessitates knowledge of human nature as well as the influence of the surrounding environment on an individual’s wellbeing. From its beginnings as hospital-based training programs to its present-day status as degree-granting educational programs, the promotion of nursing education can be traced back to Florence Nightingale’s belief that nurses need to have an understanding of both the science and the art of human existence (Fabayo, 2008).
One of the first modern nurses to articulate the profession, Virginia Henderson was a pioneer in the field. In the year 1960, she published an article in which she stated, “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 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 quickly as possible.” Henderson considered the function of the nurse in relation to both healthy and sick patients (Kozier, Erb, Berman, and Burke, 2000).
In the context of health care, the individuals who receive nursing services are referred to as patients or customers. People who get medical treatment, medical products, or medical services are known as patients or clients. A person who is awaiting or currently receiving medical treatment and care is referred to as a patient. The English word “patient” originates from the Latin word “patirere,” which can be translated as “to suffer” or “to bear.”
A person who engages the advice or services of another individual who is qualified to perform this service is considered to be a client of that individual. The patient portrays the people who are receiving medical treatment as partners in the care process, that is, as individuals who are also responsible for their own health.
Individuals, families, and communities are the three categories of patients that can receive care from registered nurses. The person who is in need of medical attention is referred to as the individual client. Due to the fact that members of the client’s family also have an impact on the client’s surroundings, health, and support system, the client’s family members are also regarded to be patients or clients. The client’s health is affected in some way by the family values. In addition, the community that the client is a part of is an essential component in the healing process of an individual client.
A community is a social organization in which the members interact with one another in a formal or informal capacity and develop networks that function for the collective advantage of all of the people who are members of the community. Because the prevalence of illness is evaluated as a whole in the context of the community, a community may have an effect on the health of its individual members. The amount of help that is readily available, such as financial or health services in the region, is contingent upon the community in which an individual client resides.
The practice of nursing encompasses four distinct domains: health and wellness promotion, disease prevention and treatment, health restoration, and care for the terminally ill. If a client is receiving health treatments with the intention of enhancing the quality of their life rather than treating an illness, then health and wellness promotion is taking place. These health services include, but are not limited to, enhancing nutrition and physical fitness, preventing the abuse of drugs and alcohol, imposing smoking restrictions, and minimizing the risk of accidents and injuries in the home and place of business.
When we talk about preventing disease, we mean preventing illness. Immunizations, caring for pregnant women and infants, and reducing the risk of sexually transmitted diseases are all examples of nursing practices that help prevent illness. Hospital nursing is concerned with restoring patients’ health, with the sick patient serving as the primary focus of attention.
The nurse offers the sick individual with direct care, which may include the administration of drugs, the provision of baths, as well as particular procedures and treatments. The nursing specialty known as “care of the dying” include providing emotional support and solace to the patient as well as the patient’s family. patient experience is a top priority for nurses, and wherever there is a person in need of care, nurses put in long hours to determine and safeguard the requirements of the individual.
In addition to its time-honored reputation for compassion and dedication, nursing is a highly specialized profession that is continually advancing to meet the demands of modern society. It is impossible to protect the general population’s health without the assistance of nurses, who are essential for a variety of reasons, including the provision of the most precise diagnoses and the maintenance of ongoing education programs for the general populace on significant health concerns.
Both the heart and the mind are required to be a good nurse, as nursing may be seen of as both an art and a science. A profound respect for human dignity and an intuitive understanding of a patient’s requirements are at the center of it. This is reinforced by the intellect, in the form of intensive training in fundamental subjects. Because the nursing profession encompasses such a wide variety of subfields and requires such a diverse set of talents, every nurse will have their own unique set of capabilities, interests, and areas of specialty.
Nevertheless, the nursing profession has a common philosophy: In assessing a patient, nurses do not merely consider test results. When it comes to a patient’s biological, physical, and behavioral requirements, nurses utilize their professional judgment to combine objective data with their own personal experiences of the patient’s condition. This type of critical thinking is represented in the nursing process (see below). This ensures that every patient, regardless of who they are or where they may be, receives the finest possible care regardless of where they may be, whether it be a city hospital, a community health center, a state jail, or a summer camp.
The vast majority of nurses are employed in medical facilities, mostly hospitals, where they provide care to patients who are afflicted with various ailments. Nevertheless, a nurse may also operate in a variety of different settings, such as residential care homes, in-home care services, governmental services, the military, schools, or research centers. These are just few of the available settings.
The job places enormous demands on employees’ physical abilities, and because of the constant need to lift and transport patients and other objects about the facility, nurses frequently suffer from back ailments. In addition, nurses run the danger of contracting an infection or being ill due to the fact that they are frequently exposed to harmful bacteria, viruses, and chemicals or pharmaceuticals while on the job. Guidelines for proper sanitation and safety should be adhered to in order to reduce the potential severity of this risk.
Because hospital patients require continuous care, nurses typically work in shifts so that they can provide care for patients at all hours of the day and night. Even if the work schedule varies from one company to the next, nurses are typically forced to perform night shifts, as well as holidays and weekends. This can also cause sleep habits to become disrupted and, in some cases, lead to a disorder known as shift-worker sleeping disorder.
The combination of art and science that is nursing Nursing is both an art and a science; it is practiced by nurses of all ages and from a variety of backgrounds, each of whom brings their own set of personal and professional experiences as well as beliefs to the field. Both art and science must be incorporated into nursing practice because those are the pillars around which the nursing profession was established.
The Praxis of Nursing as an Art The compassion and care that nurses put into their care on a daily basis, with the patient as the primary focus of their attention, is the art of nursing. When a message is conveyed with respect, empathy, and understanding, this type of communication is referred to as therapeutic communication.
Being an effective advocate, compassionate caregiver, and attentive listener are all essential components of this trait. Being alert is also an important part of the art of nursing. Being aware of your patient’s needs, both physically and emotionally, without requiring them to verbalize those needs to you is an important part of providing quality care.
The Standards of Practice define a level of nursing care that is considered to be competent and are required to be provided by all registered nurses, despite their function, speciality, or position. The level of education, level of self-development, amount of experience, role, setting, and patient population being served all have a role in determining the depth and breadth of how these techniques are utilized by nurses (ANA, 2015b).
The nursing process, often known by its abbreviation ADPIE, is another name commonly used to refer to these standards (assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation). It is expected of registered nurses to exhibit critical thinking throughout all actions conducted during each standard, which serves as the basis for decision-making (ANA, 2021).
According to the function, position, and education level of the registered nurse, the Standards of Professional Performance outlines the competent behaviors that should be exhibited by the professional registered nurse. There are several standards that might or might not be applicable to the care of patients.
Depending on their degree of education, registered nurses are expected to participate in professional activities relating to their work, such as leadership, whether these activities are formal or informal. As registered nurses carry out the competences outlined in each standard, they are held accountable not only to themselves but also to the people they serve as patients, their peers, and their employers (ANA, 2010).
Conclusion
Nursing is a branch of medicine that focuses on providing care to patients and their families in order to assist patients in recovering from sickness and preserving the highest possible level of health and quality of life. In comparison to other types of medical professionals, nurses are distinguished by their extensive training and multifaceted approach to patient care.
They are an essential component in the processes of advancing health, preventing illness, and providing care for all individuals, including those who are disabled or who are afflicted with either physical or mental illness. The practice of nursing includes the avoidance of illness and damage, the alleviation of suffering via the diagnosis and treatment of human responses, and the promotion of advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations.
References
Peplau, H. E. (1988). A Definition of Nursing. In Interpersonal Relations in Nursing (pp. 3-16). Palgrave, London.
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-349-10109-2
Jarrin, O. F. (2007). An integral philosophy and definition of nursing.
Barrett, E. A. M. (2002). What is nursing science?. Nursing Science Quarterly, 15(1), 51-60. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11873474/
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