Nursing as a Profession

2.

Florence Nightingale
- the act of utilizing the environment of the patient to
assist him in
his recovery

Virginia Henderson
- The unique function of the nurse is to assist the
individual, sick
or well, in the performance of those activities
contributing to
health and its recovery

3.

Common Definition
Nursing is:
Caring
Art
Science
Client-centered
Holistic
Adaptive
Is concerned w/ health promotion, health
maintenance,
and health restoration
HELPING PROFESSION
1973 ANA- described nursing as
direct goal oriented, and adaptable to the needs of
the individual
Most Recent Definition:
Nursing is the
1. Protection, promotion, and optimization of health
and abilities
2. Preventions of illness & injury
3. Alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis &
treatment of human response
4. Advocacy in the care of individuals, families,
communities, and populations
o
o

o
o

Research to Explore the Meaning of Caring in

Nursing has been Increasing
Ex. Coffman(2004)
-metasynthesis of qualitative studies
describing cultural
caring in nursing practice
Caring means that people, relationships, and
things matter
Caring practice involves:
Connection
Mutual recognition
Involvement
Just as clients benefit from caring practices, the
nurse
involved in these situations experience caring
through
knowing that they have made a difference in
their clients
lives

6 Cs of Caring in Nursing
1. Compassion
- awareness of ones relationship to others
- sharing their joys, sorrow, pain, &
accomplishment
- participation in the experience of another

4.

5.

6.

Competence
- having the knowledge, judgment, skills,
energy,
experience, & motivation to respond
adequately to
others w/in the demands of professional
responsibilities
Confidence
- quality that fosters trusting relationships
- comfort w/ self, client, & family
Commitment
- convergence between ones desire &
obligations &
deliberate choice to act in accordance w/
them
Conscience
- morals, ethics, & an informed sense of right &
wrong
- awareness of personal responsibility
Comportment

5 Viewpoints of Nursing
Caring as a moral imperative
Caring as an affect
Caring as a human trait
Caring as an interpersonal relationship
Caring as a therapeutic intervention
Recipients of Nursing

Consumers- people who use health care

products

Patient- person waiting for treatment & care

Client- receivers of health care as collaborators

in the care,
responsible for their own health
Scope of Nursing
1. Promoting Health and Wellness
Engage in activities & behaviors that
enhance quality of life
Improving nutrition
Physical fitness
Preventing accidents & injury
No drugs no alcohol no smoking
2. Preventing Illness
Immunization
Prenatal
Infant care
Prevention of STD
3. Restoring Health
Focuses on ill health
Providing direct care to ill person
Performing diagnostic & assessment
Collaboration
Health teaching
Settings for Nursing

Acute care hospital

Clients home

Community agencies

Ambulatory clinics

Long term care facilities

Health maintenance organizations

Nursing practice centers

What is a Profession
o An occupation that requires extensive
education

A calling that requires special knowledge, skills,

&
preparation
o Generally distinguished from other kinds of
occupation
The Difference
Professionalism
o

- refers to professional character, spirit, or methods

- a way of life
- responsibility commitment
Professionalization
- process of becoming a professional