The Definition of Nursing
It is rather difficult to define nursing as there are a variety of approaches to it. Thus, researchers focus on different aspects of the concepts when defining nursing. It is also noteworthy that the definition has changed throughout the decades to fit the changes that have taken place in society. At present, nursing can be seen as an optimization as well as the promotion of health, prevention of disorders, and facilitating people to live with certain conditions through training and assistance (Masters, 2011).
Nursing Stereotypes and Assumptions
Each professional (as well as people around) have certain assumptions on a variety of issues. Thus, patients believe that a nurse will assist them in coping with their difficulties. Nurses, in their turn, may have different assumptions. For instance, a nurse may expect that a patient will provide accurate and comprehensive information to healthcare professionals (Potter, Perry, Stockert, & Hall, 2014). Nurses may also believe that patients will follow all the instructions given with a great deal of precision. Unfortunately, these assumptions may be wrong in many cases.
Major Domains of Nursing
As has been mentioned above, nursing is often analyzed through different lenses. Thus, researchers and practitioners focus on different domains. The domain is a scope of issues related to certain spheres of nursing. Thus, Potter et al. (2014) outline the following domains: physiological, behavioral, safety, family, health system, and community. The physiological domain is related to care and support of patients’ physical functioning, while the behavioral domain is associated with lifestyle changes and psychological functioning (Potter et al., 2014). The domain of safety is care “that supports protection against harm” and the domain of family focuses on the family unit (Potter et al., 2014, p. 143). The Health system domain is related to an efficient “health care delivery system” while the community domain is associated with the support of “health of the community” (Potter et al., 2014, p. 143).
Summary
Connections among Nursing Domains
It is necessary to note that these domains are closely connected as they focus on major spheres of people’s life. Thus, caring for physiological functioning cannot be effective without attention to the patient’s psychological state as it has been acknowledged that positive emotions contribute to healing while such conditions as depression or anxiety may negatively affect the process. Likewise, the domain of family is also very important as family members support the patient. It is essential to remember that nurses communicate with family members as the latter are those who will care about the patient after he/she leaves the hospital. Notably, the domain of community is related to prevention and people’s education. Thus, educating people in the community may positively affect its development and lead to a decrease in the rate of disorders.
Domains of Nursing: My Vision for the Future
As far as I am concerned, these domains have to be further developed in the future. At the same time, I believe it is essential to focus on the domain of community as this is a key to efficient preventive practice. Nurses have to communicate with people in the community to help them learn about healthy lifestyles and the importance of keeping to this life. Besides, it is important to make nursing fit into the advanced technologies of the future. A new medication, as well as interventions, appear and nurses are often reluctant to educate themselves and acquire new skills and knowledge. Admittedly, nurses should understand the importance of extensive training throughout their entire career. I believe continuing training is the future of nursing and all nurses (including students of medical schools, novice and experienced nurses) have to seek training.
Nursing Challenges
I may have certain difficulties with lack of experience or certain skills, but I think I will be able to handle this gap of knowledge. I am more concerned about possible communicational issues. Burnard and Gill (2014) stress that lots of communication issues often occur. These issues are related to communication with patients, other healthcare professionals, and patients’ relatives. Admittedly, patients, who are often in pain, and their relatives, who see the suffering of their close ones, are the most vulnerable group and do not know how to cope with their issues. They are often angry, nervous, and so on. It is important to find a way to comfort them and make them follow valuable instructions. However, I believe I will also be able to acquire the necessary experience.
Goals for Professional Development
I think I have acquired a considerable amount of knowledge and I can complete a variety of tasks. Nonetheless, one of my goals will be to find an appropriate course to gain more skills. Of course, I will understand what exactly I need after I have worked for a while. My next goal is to develop skills in accomplishing two or three daily tasks. I am thinking of recording vital signs and working on patients’ charts. I will try to develop these skills to make them my second nature. When I am an expert in completing those tasks, I will take the next ones to develop. Finally, I want to find an area of specialization that interests me the most. I have some ideas but I think I need to work for a longer period to be able to become an expert in that sphere.
Reference List
Burnard, P., & Gill, P. (2014). Culture, communication and nursing. New York, NY: Routledge.
Masters, K. (2011). Nursing theories: A framework for professional practice. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Potter, P.A., Perry, A.G., Stockert, P., & Hall, A. (2014). Essentials for nursing practice. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Health Sciences.