The provision of good care and display of culturally appropriate behavior have always been the most crucial elements of the nurse practitioner role. However, it may not always be self-evident based on what features one can determine whether the professional acts following the standards mentioned above. Therefore, this paper seeks to elaborate on the essence of care and culture concepts from the perspective of the nurse practitioner role and discuss criteria to fulfill in order to be considered a good professional. It is argued that professionalism in providing physical and emotional care and devotion to moral ideals of protecting, preserving, and enhancing human dignity and health constitute the foundation of the nursing practice.
Caring for people should follow a holistic approach that addresses physical issues and aims to support patients emotionally. In this respect, Adams (2016) maintain that, on the one hand, nursing practitioners should provide care for those unable to care for themselves and, on the other hand, professionals should show concern, kindness, and compassion. Therefore, it is crucial for nurses to possess competencies to provide both types of care adequately. Physical care may include good medical/clinical knowledge, evidence-based practice, the ability to transform theory into practice, critical thinking, interprofessional collaboration, and medical/clinical skills. Emotional care may encompass good communication skills, active listening, developing trusting relations with patients, and minimizing intrinsic biases (Interprofessional Education Collaborative [IEC], 2016). Only by being sufficiently competent in both spheres can the healthcare professional provide good medical services.
However, above all the things previously mentioned, nurse practitioners should be unconditionally devoted to the moral ideal of protecting, preserving, and enhancing human dignity and health. In this regard, Blasdell (2017) argues that medical assistants also have ethical duties before the patients and the local community to provide good care. It can be argued that professionals’ cultural competencies serve as the foundation and precondition of satisfactory treatment. The specific skills and knowledge, in this case, include the ability to deliver decisions that are based on ethical considerations, value the dignity and privacy of patients, and respect towards cultural diversity (IEC, 2016). Moreover, the professionals should feel moral responsibility for maintaining the necessary level of competence which is crucial for successful healthcare practice. Therefore, nurse practitioners should not only seek to improve their knowledge and skills but also to develop moral qualities and reflect on personal ethical standpoints concerning various healthcare and relation-related issues.
References
Adams, L. Y. (2016). The conundrum of caring in nursing. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 9(1), 1-8.
Blasdell, N. D. (2017). The meaning of caring in nursing practice. International Journal of Nursing and Clinical Practices, 4(238), 1-5.
Interprofessional Education Collaborative. (2016). Core competencies for interprofessional collaborative practice: 2016 update. Web.