NURSING

What is Nursing?



What is Nursing?

Nursing is a very dynamic field in the provision of healthcare. The definitions of nursing are many and vary from region to region. I personally think of nursing as the promotion, optimization and proactive protection of health and wellbeing as well as promoting abilities that eradicate suffering and prevent illnesses (Oermann, 2002, p. 74). Nursing care can be both autonomous as well as collaborative and is provided to people of all age groups regardless of any discrimination on the basis of gender, family, ethnicity or religion.

There are two major components in the definition of nursing. These are the prevention of illnesses and the promotion of health. These two cannot be achieved without giving due importance to safe environment, research in the field of science and care for the ill. In addition, there is a need to constantly monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of policy framework that governs the profession of nursing and healthcare (Boyd, 2012, p. 59).

When understanding nursing, I think it is very imperative to clarify the misconception that nursing is only based on assisting other interrelated professionals. Although this is one of the major duties of a nurse, they are increasingly contributing in research and recovery as well. Nurses perform all the duties for the patients that they are unable to perform themselves because of disability or lack of knowledge. A good nurse is someone who strives to improve the quality of life for their patients. They are also involved in decision making and are expected to use clinical judgement in their practice (Reeves, 2010, p. 234).

The definition of nursing can also vary based on the type of nursing and the roles and responsibilities. Some of the major types of nursing include registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and advanced practice nurses (APNs) (Hannes & Vandersmissen, 2007, p. 109).

The paper discusses everything about nursing and describes my personal ideas and beleifs. It focuses to lay down a strong foundation upon which the pillar of nursing education can be built. It covers some of the basic concepts in nursing such as History of nursing, Importance of nursing, NMC compliance, KSF, Professional and ethical issues in nursing, Person-focussed nursing, and Nursing within a multidisciplinary team.

Nursing may be understood as a form of art in that it is closely related to motherhood, kindness, generosity and other such traits instilled in women by God. The history of nursing goes back to the history of man. The word nurse has been taken from the Latin word “nutrire” which means to nourish. The term nurse for first coined in the early 13th century. Over time, the term as well as its meanings have undergone many changes (Burnard & Chapman, 2004, p. 4). Since nursing is synonymous with care, the history of nursing is full of females' association with the process. This care, concern, and protection are present in women by birth. However, this is not to say that the same traits are not present in ...