My Definition of Nursing
Nursing is a complex profession involving a wide variety of activities requiring comprehensive knowledge and specific skills. Nonetheless, I believe that the concept of caring plays a central role in the nursing profession and is its inseparable element. I would define nursing as a healthcare sector designed to provide care and support for patients to maintain their physical and psychological health or achieve recovery. The primary goal of nursing is to improve the general well-being of the patient and introduce the optimal quality of life. Such a goal may require not only providing care to the patients directly but also supporting their families and maintaining healthy relationships, as they may significantly influence the wellness of individuals.
Importance of Nursing
In the context of society, the importance of nursing derives from the definition of nursing. Patients frequently face tremendous hardships, which may be both physically and emotionally challenging. Therefore, patients may become highly vulnerable and require professional assistance and care like nobody else. Nursing is important and noble to me for a similar reason. I believe that it is vital to help people in need, and it is particularly important to introduce a professional approach.
Nursing Theory that Guides my Practice
There is a significant number of nursing theories that address different aspects of the profession. It may be challenging to highlight an independent theory that guides my practice. Nursing is a complex profession that evolves constantly, and hence it is critical to be flexible and rely on different theories. For instance, environmental theory plays a considerable role in using environmental factors as essential elements of a patient’s recovery. Nursing need theory focuses on the importance of the basic human needs of an individual. By contrast, self-care theory implies that nurses should promote health and educate patients about the methods of self-care. I believe that each of the many nursing theories has its strengths, and they may be equally important. Therefore, I would identify holistic nursing theory, which I studied recently, as a framework that guides my practice. Some sources state that holistic nursing may contribute to better outcomes and improved patient-oriented care (Cowling, 2018). To some extent, holistic nursing relies on several other theories in order to introduce a comprehensive approach to caring. Therefore, the principles of holistic care may maintain the flexibility that is critical for the nursing profession.
Skills, Qualities, and Values
As already mentioned, nursing may require a considerable number of skills and competencies. It may be essential to have sufficient hard skills, such as medical knowledge or clinical skills, as well as soft skills, such as the ability to build healthy and trusting relationships or to communicate effectively. Leadership skills and decision-making capabilities are also important in nursing. A nurse should be empathetic to understand the needs of patients better yet emotionally stable. It is also critical to be organized and have time-management skills. There are different essential values, including human dignity, integrity, autonomy, altruism, and social justice (Schmidt & McArthur, 2017). Nonetheless, I view the value of human life as a fundamental value in nursing practice.
Personal Impact on Society
Every person desires to impact society in one way or another regardless of profession. However, nursing is a profession that involves direct interaction with the most vulnerable members of society and hence provides an opportunity to influence it and improve. Even though there is a considerable amount of remarkable nursing frameworks and theories that correlate with my personal principles and values, they are frequently ignored in practice. Patients and nurses often face social injustice, incompetence, or even uncivil behavior. I intend to mitigate these adverse effects and introduce a working environment that correlates with the best nursing principles as much as possible.
References
Cowling, W. R. (2018). Where is holistic nursing? Journal of Holistic Nursing, 36(1), 4–5.
Schmidt, B. J., & McArthur, E. C. (2017). Professional nursing values: A concept analysis. Nursing Forum, 53(1), 69–75.