Nursing As A Profession, What Does It Mean?

Many things influence one’s personal perceptions of the great profession called nursing. According to the American Nurses Association, nursing is defined as “protection, promotion, and abilities, prevention of illness and injury,

Historically, the nursing practice wasn’t seen as a professional job, but leaders such as Nightingale and Barton paved a path for the nursing practice to continue its growth and become stronger. Simple hand washing provided by Nightingale reduced infections caused by operations while Barton helped to establish the American Red Cross (Pearson, 2015) which to this day continues to provide aid to those in need around the world. Contemporary issues for nursing are typically within the healthcare setting.

Although nursing changes as new knowledge and theories emerge, what I believe to be the core, a commitment to care, remains intact. That commitment to care is the underlying premise that enables me, as a nurse, to set nursing goals.

“Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations” (American Nurses Association, n.d.). The purpose of this paper is to expand my nursing philosophy as I transition into an Advanced Practice Nurse.

I define my philosophy of nursing within the three nursing domains of person, health, and environment. My goal is to communicate the importance of nursing as a knowledge-based career, depending not only on the nurse fulfilling her role but also on the patient’s compliance. A patient must learn to provide self-care at home in the same capacity as the nurse would provide care in the clinical setting. I discuss various subjects within nursing. I explain why I want to be a nurse, what I believe a nurse’s role is, the different domains of nursing, and where I believe nursing will be in the future. My philosophy demonstrates the interdependence of the nursing domains. You cannot fully evaluate a person without evaluating their health,

Professional nursing practice has been developing for several centuries. Nursing as a profession can be traced back to the early Christian era. Since then the perception of nursing practice has changed significantly. “Nursing is caring, commitment, and dedication to meeting the functional health needs of all people” (Craven &

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and

Nursing is a health care service mandated by society; the practice of nursing stems from the beliefs and ideals of the department of nursing (Nursing Management Faculty, 2013). My healthcare organization’s mission statement: A commitment to creating caring healing environments with authenticity and intentionality for all we reach and touch through practice excellence,

The Oklahoma Board of Nursing (OBN) provides information to the public about the services of the Board of Nursing (OBN, n.d.). The purpose of the OBN is to “safeguard the public’s health by ensuring that licensed nurses are qualified and competent to practice” (OBN, n.d.). The public has access to the OBN to inquire on current licensed nurses, Nurse Practice Act, and guidelines about nursing care (OBN, n.d.). The American Nurses Association (ANA) is the “only full-service professional organization” that represents registered nurses’ interest through associations and partners (ANA, 2014). Their mission is “nurses advancing our profession to improve health for all” (ANA, 2014). They promote nursing practice by setting high standards, promoting nurses’ rights, leading a realistic outlook of nursing, and “by lobbying the Congress and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public” (ANA, 2014). The National League for Nursing (NLN) is an organization for any nursing-related faculty offering “faculty development programs, networking opportunities, testing and assessment, nursing research grants, and public policy” (NLN, 2013). Their mission is to “promote excellence in nursing education to build a strong and diverse nursing workforce to advance the nations health” (NLN, 2013).

The greatest aspect about nursing is that it is never going to be just a job and is even more than a merely profession. Instead, it is a belief system or way of life and not a discipline that can simply be practiced then abandoned to the dictates of a time clock. To simply say that “I love people” or want to “help people get better” does not demonstrate the drive behind this feeling. Articulating my philosophy is not an easy task, to better explain my philosophy of nursing, I am going to use some values that I have learned. These tools truly explain how I feel and what has motivated me to pursue nursing as a career.

Nursing is a profession that has been around in one form or another since the beginning of civilizations. It has moved from an art that was handed down from generation to generation to the formal education and training programs of today. During this evolution, nursing has been influenced by four main themes: the folk, religious, military and servant images (Ellis, 2012, pp. 3-45, 71).

In today’s society, the medical field is constantly thriving with technological improvements and the growth of educated individuals that contribute to the well-being of others. Nurses make up the largest majority of the industry, and with that, nursing is the fastest growing occupation. Nursing is a job that allows people to not only take care of the sick but also to experience, learn, and further their interests of the human body.

American Nurses Association defines nursing as “the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and population”( Potter,P.,& Perry, A. 2005,1-5). Thus making nursing dynamic and ever changing. However, when nursing

In November of 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health”. This special report examined the current state of nursing and changing landscape of the American healthcare system and offered recommendations for the future role nurses should play. The committee that released the report, Committee on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, divided it into three parts. Part II of the study, focused on transforming the nursing profession in order to improve America’s healthcare system. In order to achieve this transformation, the committee recommended that nurses attain higher levels of education and training, practice to the full extent of that education and training, and assume more

There is no doubt that the health care system is constantly changing and working to improve its flaws, to the best of its ability. Whether nurses like it or not we are a part of the ever changing health care system. “With more than 3 million members, the nursing profession is the largest segment of the nation’s health care workforce” (Institute of Medicine [IOM], 2010, p. 1). The Institute of Medicine believes that nurses should be active in transforming the profession of nursing, along with the health care system. Regardless, of backgrounds, race, and age all nurses can contribute to the future of the nursing profession. The following paper will discuss the Institute of Medicine’s nursing expectations and recommendations, as well as the opportunity to becoming a clinical nurse instructor.