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Reflection Paper

Nonato Mabborang

Saint Paul University Philippines

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Sometimes the significance of today will not be truly apparent unless seen against the backdrop

of yesterday. Changes and trends in nursing now, can be understood and interpreted not only by

nursing's contemporary context but also by its past.

Nursing profession has very much been around since the beginning of time, though has

drastically evolved over the course of history. Today, nurses are one of the most important

professions within the health care industry and are learned in a wide range of occupational duties

that are utilized within a variety of settings throughout the world. Comparatively speaking,

nursing today is nothing like it was even just 25 years ago. The nursing environment today is

more dynamic and more stimulating than ever before. Nurses are no longer thought of as little

more than just a physicians assistant or helper.

The transformation that the nursing profession has undergone in the past few years has been

absolutely fascinating. From their role in healthcare to their salaries, job demands and even the

uniforms, todays nurse is dramatically different from the stereotypical image most of us have

about nurses. Today, nurses are healthcare professionals and leaders in their own right with

ample opportunities for prominent leadership roles and further development in any healthcare

setting.

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Nursing responsibilities used to read a lot like a household chore list, and its come a long way

since. The change in responsibilities for nurses stem from a few changes in the field, including

more comprehensive training, changing views of women, and the need for medical professionals

growing quickly. When training for nurses became more extensive and required schooling, the

education system started teaching nurses tasks that were originally reserved for physicians. This

allowed physicians to concentrate on higher levels of education themselves and nurses were

allowed more decision making for their patients. The view of women when nursing started was

that they were subservient caretakers, and the nursing world wasnt exactly seen as a prestigious

career because of it. Once women started to become more respected and allowed to enter the

workforce, obtain nursing degrees, and have more responsibilities in the medical industry, the

nursing perception began to change.

Now the role of the nurse is not easy to define for many medical professionals. They take on

many more responsibilities than they ever have before and are seen as respected medical

professionals because of their extensive schooling and real world application of skill. The

medical world is always changing and growing, which opens up a need for personnel in many

hospitals constantly. With the growing amount of patients in our hospitals its important that our

nurses know how to handle medical emergencies without asking a physician for aid, so that is

what our educators are focusing on. Nurses are not seen as a doctors assistant, but rather as their

own professional with the medical knowledge to back it up.

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In terms of culture, nursing in the early 20th century was known as being mostly female with a

rudimentary amount of medical knowledge. There was a focus on being presentable, acting

respectfully, and acting as the obedient wife to every patient. In World War II, nurses were badly

needed but many women were starting to shy away from the profession because they werent

seen as professionals, endured demanding work schedules, and were unable to keep up

financially. When nurses started to be revered as heroes in order to help raise the nursing

numbers the numbers started to rise a little. Today, this culture has changed a lot; nursing is about

education and health care knowledge, has diversified the gender norm, and nursing salaries are

rising due, in part, to the nursing shortage caused by retiring baby boomers.

Some nursing culture hasnt changed a ton comparatively. Nursing is still seen as an extremely

cumbersome job to have with nurses working very long hours, standing on their feet for most of

their day, and having little time for their personal lives that doesnt involve sleeping. They have

historically suffered from back pain, high stress levels, and dealt with nursing shortages leading

to unfavorable nurse to patient ratios.

Patient care is now an extremely important factor in the medical field for all medical

professionals. The advancements in technology have created an environment that makes patient

care more efficient and helpful for the patient. Technological advancements have changed almost

every industry in the US and the medical field is no different. This has helped save more lives,

made certain jobs easier for nurses, and created a better experience for patients. The culture for

patient care used to be a very demoralizing experience for many patients where medical

professionals werent as concerned for their dignity or enduring painful medical procedures.

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Luckily, patient care has become the number one priority for medical professionals and has

flourished in recent years with nurses on the front lines of patient care.

The nursing profession has come leaps and bounds and continues to be a growing field.

Historically, it has proven its ability to adapt to the culture around it. For nurses and patients

alike, the advances made have helped the nursing field to go from being one that isnt revered as

being one that deserves respect. The changes in training, health care setting, growing

responsibilities, nursing culture, and patient care have saved countless lives and helped it become

the respected field that it is today.

Many technical changes may have taken place over my career in nursing began. But there are

many things that have not changed. Seeing a suffering patient relax, smile, and nod off to sleep

after receiving their pain medicine has always been rewarding. Decreasing a patients fears by

promising to stay with them until they go to sleep has always been rewarding.

Watching a paralyzed patient progress from depression and frustration to enthusiasm and

independence again has always been a pleasure beyond words! Comforting a dying patient after

a long illness, though sad, gives relief to the patient and their families. It gives nurses feelings of

pride that we can provide some support for them.

Nurses touch, help, teach, support, heal and comfort in death. Our very presence, knowledge,

compassion, and action is vital to our patients care. We are with them all day and see changes

when they happen, get lab results and notify the doctors, admit patients, share their concerns. We

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forge relationships quickly with total strangers and gain their trust, which is a miraculous feat in

itself both then and now.

Nurses have not changed that much in their innate compassion, responses to the pain or suffering

of others. They still weep with families. They still spend time with patients when they really

dont have the time to. They still give a good night hug to a child or elderly patient or even a kiss

on the cheek to someone lonesome. I have found the emotional and physical strength of nurses to

be amazing.

There have been many changes in nursing over 38 years. Nursing has grown and changed in

some ways. But the basic people skills we have may be the most important unchanged healing

offering we have to give.

Sources:

Institute of Medicine. (2010). The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing

health.Washington, DC: The National Academies Press

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Lewenson, S. B., & Nickitas, D. M. (2016). Nursings history of advocacy and action. In

D. M. Nickitas, D. J. Middaugh, & N. Aries (Eds.), Policy and politics for nurses and

other health professionals: Advocacy and action. (2nd ed.). New York: Springer

Publishing

Doran, D. M. (Ed.). (2011). Nursing outcomes. State of the science. (2nd ed). Studbury,

MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Kurtzman, E. T., & Jennings, B. M. (2008). Trends in transparency. Nursing performance

measurement and reporting. Journal of Nursing Administration, 38(7/8), 349-354.

Murphy, L. S., Scott, E. S., & Warshawsky, N. E. (2014). Nursing administration

research. An evolving science. Journal of Nursing Administration, 44(12), 622-624.

National Quality Forum. (2004). National voluntary consensus standards for nursing-

sensitive care: An initial performance measure set. A consensus report. Washington, DC:

National Quality Forum.

Naylor, M. D. (2007). Advancing the science in the measurement of health care quality

influenced by nurses. Medical Care Research and Review, 64(2), 144S-169S.

doi:10.1177/1077558707299257

Needleman, J., Kurtzman, E. T., & Kizer, K. W. (2007). Performance measurement of

nursing care. State of the science and the current consensus. Medical care research and

Review, 64(2), 10S-43S. doi:11.1177/1077558707299260

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