NRSG 320 Unit 1: Discussion Board 2 CTU
NRSG 320 Unit 1: Discussion Board 2 CTU
Part One
Nursing as a profession has been in existence for several years. However, there has been an evolution in both the profession and the role of the nurse over the years. One way in which the role has evolved is in the nurse work environment. In the earlier years, nurses were mainly working on the battlefield or at home, with home visits a common phenomenon. This has evolved, and these days, nurses work in several medical settings such as military bases, schools, assisted living facilities, doctors’ offices, and hospitals (Egenes, 2017). Nursing roles are also more enhanced with the current technological advancements, which help the nurses to prioritize care and save more lives in comparison to the previous years.
The responsibilities of the nurse have also changed a lot in the evolution period. In the early years, the nurse’s responsibility was like a list of things that had to be accomplished. However, with the more extensive training, nurses are taught what was initially only meant for physicians (Mackey & Bassendowski, 2017). The perception about nursing has also dramatically changed as nurses can obtain bachelor’s degrees and even higher to enable them to undertake more complex care tasks. The nurses also take many more responsibilities in the care environment since they now have extensive schooling. It is known that there has been a growing need for better patient care due to the increasing number of patients; hence, nurse responsibilities have also evolved to handle medical emergencies without requesting help from physicians. They are not seen as assistants to doctors anymore.
My role as a nurse has also changed throughout my career. For example, I am in a better position to handle patients more confidently and competently. This has resulted from a considerable duration of the experience. Therefore, the changes in the roles have come up based on the experience. Some other changes have also come due to the health care system. For example, to gain a specialty in practice, various licensure exams have to be taken.
References
Egenes, K. J. (2017). History of nursing. Issues and trends in nursing: Essential knowledge for today and tomorrow, 1-26.
Mackey, A., & Bassendowski, S. (2017). The history of evidence-based practice in nursing education and practice. Journal of Professional Nursing, 33(1), 51-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2016.05.009
Part Two
Nursing is one of the scientific disciplines that are based on the theoretical foundations for practice. The theories, therefore, offer a framework upon which the nursing practice is built. In addition, these nursing theories can be applied in specific situations in nursing practice (Alligood, 2017). For example, Jean Watson’s theory of care can be applied in my practice in various ways. The theory of human caring was formulated by Watson. This theory has been widely used in nursing and is also taught in many institutions.
This theory can be applied through the caratas process or the carative factors. The theory describes ten carative factors, including being open to spirituality, caring for the basic needs, creating healing environments, engaging in a genuine teaching-learning experience, learning the caring experience, caring–healing practice, and practicing loving-kindness, among others (Younas& Quennell, 2019). From the carative factors, this theory can be applied in my nursing practice by engaging in emotions in caring relationships. The implication is that I would be open to new emotional and spiritual experiences when looking after the patient’s health and physical needs.
Jean Watson’s theory of caring focuses on the transitional practice of empathy and caring as well as enhancing an open and emotional approach to offering care to the patients. The implication is that I would also engage spiritually and authentically with the patients and their families. Such engagement is key to supporting a more positive experience in the healthcare environment (Younas& Quennell, 2019). In addition, such an engagement also benefits both the patient and the professional. As such, it is important to learn about the nursing theory and have an idea of how to implement or use them in nursing care to enhance patient experience and ensure that the patients have better outcomes as related to their respective illnesses.
References
Alligood, M. R. (2017). Nursing theorists and their work-e-book. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Younas, A., & Quennell, S. (2019). Usefulness of nursing theory‐guided practice: An integrative review. Scandinavian journal of caring sciences, 33(3), 540-555. https://doi.org/10.1111/scs.12670