Nursing Professional Identity Essay

I became a mother at a very young age, seventeen years old. When I was in labor at the hospital, I experienced the nursing care of two very distinct nurses. I quickly became aware of the demeanor of the night nurse. She was unkind, pushy, and insensitive. She also did not explain things and did not smile much. On the other hand, the day nurse was merrier, compassionate, caring, informative, and reassuring. Despite my juvenile state, my comprehension was very astute. I comprehended that there are two types of nurses. One who solely works to attain a paycheck and the nurse who chose the nursing profession because they value humanity. Simultaneously, I was becoming a mother and discovering what my profession would be thanks to the caring day nurse who was a role model.

person as someone with psychological, intellectual, and spiritual components. This is evidenced by her acknowledgment of the importance of variety. For example, she wrote of “the degree . . . to which the nerves of the sick suffer from seeing the same walls, the same ceiling, the same surroundings” (Nightingale, 1860). A nurse was defined as any woman who had “charge of the personal health of somebody” whether well, as in caring for babies and children, or sick, as an “invalid” (Nightingale, 1860). Above all, nursing was “service to God in relief of man”; it was a “calling” and “God’s work” (Bostridge, 2008). All nursing actions were guided by the nurses’ caring, which was guided by underlying ideas about God. Nightingale placed spiritual needs of the patient right at the top along with caring for the patient. She taught about obedience in relation to nursing and this revealed that she was creating a profession that was based on the role of wife and mother. In her teaching, she tried to concentrate more on the lifestyle and moral conduct of the nurses, rather than their professional skills. The measurement of the art of nursing could not be accomplished

Changes in the late 1800's resulted in universities admitting women, thus allowing them to explore many more educational opportunities. These factors together provided the impetus for establishment of hospitals and schools to formally train nurses, with many schools opening for the first time in the 1870s. At the same time, though the need for nurses had been established and the importance of their role within the realm of medical care recognized, there was a great deal of opposition to the proposal that nurses should be formally educated. This attitude was epitomized by a well-known article of the time published in 1908, 'The over-trained nurse' in which the author asserted that nursing was not a “profession” but merely an “honorable calling”. Consistent with this notion, public perception viewed nursing as a job that women were generally suited to perform rather than one which required special skill and was even equated with a religious “calling”. This view, influenced by early nursing's relationship with religious orders remained far into the 20th century.(Lasseter, 1999).

Nursing is a practice in which nurses promote health and the well-being of patients. I believe that nursing is not only a job that prevents and cures illness, but has a deeper meaning and understanding. Becoming a nurse gives the opportunity to maximize and promote patients’ well-being. It is a way to learn and understand new perspectives and expand prior knowledge, to build relationships with patients, community, and other nurses, in addition to learning how to empathize and realize the patient’s needs, and to value and see people as human beings. I think even with the list given is not enough to define or explain a nurse. I believe being a nurse is a diverse and immeasurable experience, and what happens in this field is unknowing and uncertain. My goal in nursing practices is to take in life experiences and use the skills and ideas learned to shape me to become a better nurse and a better person.

However, Florence Nightingale changed nursing practice, where she was commonly referred to as lady of the lamp (Finkelman and Kenner, 2013). Nightingale established a domestic mode of nursing training in which education of nurses was about the information of character at the Saint Thomas Hospital (Carol, 2011). According to Nightingale the tasks of every nurse was not only to care for the sick but to act as a public agent of moral reform, and to weaken the power of medical men (Nelson, 2010). Rafferty (1996) argue that, nursing

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 &

One aspect of nursing that has changed since the early 1800’s is nursing education. There was no question about the credibility of the women providing care to soldiers after the war. For many years untrained nurses and consequently nursing students cared the sick without any supervision. In 1873, the need for educated nurses was sought but was opposed by untrained physicians who thought trained nurses would pose a threat to their jobs (Gary & Hott, 1988). “Nurses have evolved

The role of a family nurse practitioner is a fundamental portion of the future of healthcare. The role is clearly not as understood by other healthcare professionals as needed which results in the disagreement if the role of a family nurse practitioner is even required for primary care. As people are getting older, the need for medical professionals that can provide patient care to our ever growing population increases. The need for the role of family nurse practitioners will grow too. The role of the family nurse practitioner, the ability of the FNP to be able to transition into their role.

Professional identity has become a necessary concept to employees who are working in a health and human-serviced environment because it comprehends the image and perceptions of individuals that has based on the way she/ he performs a job or operates within their career field (Brott & Myers, 1999; Smith & Robinson, 1995). Therefore, in nursing occupation, professional identity is considered to be the most important concept that to prove their patients their skills and knowledge in their field. This essay further focuses on the precise definition of professional identity as well as nursing identity, the key industry and quality agencies and association that set standards, guidelines, and codes of practice in nursing and how industry and professional agencies monitor the quality of care and services in professional nursing.

The learner must achieve a sense of identity in occupation, politics, and values. Professional identity involves the internalization of core values which becomes evident as the student learns, gains experience, and grows as a professional (Benner et al., 2010). Professional identity is foundational to the assumption of various nursing roles. In the age of collaborative practice, it may be especially challenging for the novice to distinguish nursing practice from that of other health care providers. Experience has taught this learner what to expect and how to respond in a given situation. The proficient learner begins to view the whole situation. This holistic understanding makes decision less difficult (Benner et al., 2010).

In both Cohen’s (2007) & Hoeve et al. (2003) articles reviewing the image of nursing and public perception, both articles expand on the wide range of perspectives on nursing made by the general public. Oftentimes nurses are not recognized for their professionalism instead stereotyped, sexualized, and devalued to “the doctor’s handmaiden” or a “sexy nurse”. Due to these biases and stereotypes, nurses must work even harder to prove that they are indeed a

I would like to introduce you to Mary B. It is a fictitious name. She is 39 years old and has been a registered nurse for the last 15 years. Mary is married and has got two children aged 7 and 10 years old. She is a New Zealand European and was born in New Zealand. As a registered nurse Mary has been working in the hospital setting and the rest home. All her working life so far was connected to the elderly care. Her current role is a hospital nurse in the geriatric recovery ward. Most of Mary’s work is basic nursing care for elderly people (65 years old and over) after surgeries, rehabilitation. Also they provide palliative care for people in the end of their lives. Mary and her colleagues are involved in doing blood transfusions, wound

This piece of essay on critical professional biography will among other things, state the meaning of a professional biography, purpose of my professional biography, discuss my entry into the field of nursing, examination of my career pathway in relation to Nursing and Midwifery Council`s domains of Competency Framework-professional values, communication and interpersonal skills, nursing practice and decision-making, leadership management and team-working. I will also discuss my professional development plan, what to improve on in my current role and the lessons learnt from the Critically Exploring Professional

Nursing has developed as a scientific discipline and is starting to emerge into professional status. Florence Nightingale, also known as the “Lady with the Lamp” was the first female nurse. Although Florence had went through quantities of conflict, she still managed to change the profession of nursing forever.

Throughout time the world’s image on Nursing has evolved rapidly. Nurses work in an extremely stressful environment and must carry out their duties in a professional manner to ensure proper procedures are followed throughout their routines. They also have a considerable amount of responsibility that comes with their career. For those reasons nurses must present themselves in a professional and structured manner at all times. The Image of Nursing describes how people in and out of the profession see nurses. Nurses must protect and continuously improve their image by fully applying themselves to their profession every day. Nurses complete rigorous course studies to obtain the ability to manage themselves and lead others towards a common