Introduction
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) defines nursing as the practice of “assisting individuals or groups to maintain or attain optimal health, implementing a strategy of care to accomplish defined goals, and evaluating responses to care and treatment” (Ellis & Hartley, 2004, p. 155). There are many skills, concepts, and activities involved in modern nursing. As a profession, nursing is unique in that it holistically addresses how individuals respond to real or potential health problems. The roles of nurses have increased over the years. They are now decision-makers, caregivers, and teachers (Basavanthappa, 2003). Those that take on nursing as a career must have specialized skills and maintain standards set forth by government institutions and other professional organizations. Doing so ensures they adhere to rules and regulations as well as nursing ethics. This paper offers a discussion on the domains of nursing, the assumptions, and challenges associated with the practice, and my goals for professional development.
Assumptions and beliefs in nursing
The nursing profession incorporates some assumptions and beliefs. For instance, a majority of nurses concentrate more on improving the quality of a patient’s life rather than give appropriately deal with the problem they have from a medical perspective. For nurses placed in labor and delivery units, this assumption may have implications on the client’s birthing experience. Several nursing theories help guide the nursing practice. For instance, Nightingale’s theory dictates that every woman has to become a nurse at least once in their lifetime (Basavanthappa, 2003). This is because the role of nursing encompasses taking care of someone as they recover from illness or injury. Hildegard Paplau also came up with another theory that best describes the interpersonal relationship between the nurse and the patient. According to Palau, the patient is a stranger to the nurse at first (Basavanthappa, 2003). He or she should, hence, be given ordinary courtesy. As a nurse, one needs to take such beliefs and assumptions into account to provide effective services.
Major domains of nursing
The four major domains of nursing are person, environment, health, and nursing. Every nurse needs to realize that people are unique and every person is complex in his or her way. Individuals interact with the environment as they seek to maintain their quality of life and achieve their personal goals as well as those of society. Environments must become supportive because individuals interact with them in serious life situations (Smith, 2002). The nursing profession involves several critical health issues that have to be addressed. These include lifestyles, individual health responsibilities, and health-promoting behaviors (Smith, 2002). As a professional nurse, one should be able to apply scientific knowledge in a socially responsible manner. Such knowledge should be applied in the provision of leadership and health education to clients. According to Bishop and Scudder (1990), the domains of nursing are important because they help in “identifying the essence of nursing from actual practice” (p. 14). They are essential for one to move from novice to expert in the nursing field.
Goals for professional development
I have set several goals for professional development as a nurse. Being a caregiver, I intend to employ the skills acquired in meeting the emotional and physical needs of the patient or client. Effective communication is another important factor to consider for one to be successful in the nursing profession. Communication skills also come in hand during the teaching role of a nurse. As a teacher, I intend to articulate concepts of health coherently to my clients and their families. Challenges are inevitable in any profession. One major challenge in nursing is how the practice takes a toll on the nurse’s body due to complicated work shifts. Nurses are also exposed to injuries from sharps and needlesticks as well as risking attacks by patients with mental illness. Psychological draining has also been seen to affect nurses and their careers. This happens when the nurse becomes emotionally attached to the patient’s suffering. It is important to ensure that these challenges are appropriately dealt with to accomplish my professional development goals.
Conclusion
The interesting thing about nursing is that it dates back to the origin of humankind. As long as human beings have existed, there has been the need to take care of them as they recover from illness or injury. Nurses need to learn how to manage their own time and resources while maintaining effective care for their clients. This is one of the challenges faced by professional nurses, especially those that have the role of supervising other healthcare works. The nursing profession has a social role of being responsive to the population’s different needs for health and care of illness. For this role to be fulfilled, I envision a future that will have a combination of evidence and research-based nursing care that ensures high-quality outcomes that are cost-effective. That way, patients will be able to receive professional and competent nursing care without having to dig deeper into their pockets.
References
Basavanthappa, B. T. (2003). Fundamentals of nursing. New Delhi, India: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers.
Bishop, A. H., & Scudder, J. R. (1990). The practical, moral, and personal sense of nursing: A phenomenological philosophy of practice. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
Ellis, J. R., & Hartley, C. L. (2004). Nursing in today’s world: Trends, issues & management. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Smith, L. S. (2002). Knowledge domains in nursing. The Australian Electronic Journal of Nursing Education 8(1). Web.