Professional Presence and Influence

Society has progressed both socially and technologically as has medicine. This includes our understanding of health and healing as evidenced by Dossey’s three eras of medicine. Era 1, beginning in the 1800’s, reflected the prevailing view that health and illness are totally physical in nature and therapies included surgical procedures and drugs. Era 2, starting in the 1950’s, related to the mind and body. Practitioners began to realize that emotions and feelings can impact health. Era 3, still developing today, began in the 1990’s and builds on the previous eras by adding the spirit and proposes that consciousness is not confined to one’s

Florence Nightingale, considered the founder of modern nursing, first began to establish nursing as a profession during the Crimean War. Since then, nursing theorists have continued to expand on the thought that patients are made up of more than just the symptoms they present with, Abraham Maslow, Carl Jung, Dr. Larry Dossey and Dorothy Johnson, but none more so than Jean Watson. She developed a theory of human caring that contained several core concepts, these concepts lay forth the ground work for how we, as nurses, should care for a patient. These concepts included transpersonal caring relationships (going beyond ego to higher “spiritual” caring

Barbara Dossey is truly a visionary in the holistic nursing movement and her theory is able to further the development of holistic nursing in its entirety as well as bolster patient outcomes. The context in which the theory was developed was in relation and connection to the products and ideas of Ken Wilbur, in an attempt to fortify the fundamental concept of healing (Dossey & Keegan, 2003). Dossey's four quadrant model in certain respects is a reaction to and influenced by the work of Wilbur, namely that his volumes stress that no particular or sole researcher, philosopher or theorist can describe, establish or clarify the constituents of reality (Dossey & Keegan, 2003). Dossey and Keegan emphasize that the obstacle and objectives in nursing is to bolster one's integral awareness while boosting one's overall strengths and abilities in nursing in general (2003). Ultimately, the theory developed in the context of the belief that healing occurs when the delicate balance and harmony of body and mind and spirit is successfully addressed and how ancient ideas can be effectively integrated in the realm of caring for patient in everyday living (Dosseydossey.com).

Professional presence is an analysis of our past, present and future. It is a construct of our knowledge, our influences, our self-awareness and practices. It comes down to how each of us understands what it means to be human and how to care for one another. This is always evolving based on new experiences and knowledge. Through looking over time at the view point of humans, to personality tests, to personal development and lastly looking at optimal healing environments this paper will construct my professional presence and look at ways to improve my ability to care for others.

Healthcare, and Medicine is advancing more and more each day. As healthcare workers, our understanding of health and healing has improved and changed in the way we care for our patients. Dossey believed in the three eras of medicine. Era 1 began in the 1800s and its focus was solely on the body. The belief that healing and overall health are totally physical. The therapies and treatment were either medications or surgical procedures. The thought that healing all humans based on bodily functions, and how they can be treated will change as time changes. Era 2 began in the 1950s and it focused on the mind and body. Health care providers realized that

The newest and most recent of Larry Dossey’s Eras is Era III which took shape in the 1990’s. Era III is considered the body, mind, spirit and biopsychosocial model. In this model Dossey explains that healing is not only on a physical level but a conscious level. Dossey states “Consciousness is not confined to an individual body, an individual mind may affect not just their body but also other people around them” (Dossey,L. nd). The Eastern models of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and the Ayurvedic beliefs about being human and caring for people are similar to Dossey’s theories. These theories underlying belief in how to provide care are the body is made of 5 elements and disease is caused when there is an imbalance between the elements (“Traditional Chinese Medicine: In Depth & What is the Philosophy of Ayurvedic Medicine, nd).

Era II is known as the mind-body model. This model was developed in the 19th century. It is believed to have conscious thought that assist in healing the body. “"Psychosomatic" aspect: that emotions and feelings can influence the body's functions.” (Dossey, n.d., p. 1). With

Physical Body is centered primarily on the physical facet of health such as drugs and surgery. The mind of consciousness is likened with functioning. Bio-psycho-social is centered more on consciousness. Physical Body focuses predominantly on the human as a Physical Body and what can be done to fix it physically. Bio-psycho-social states that the mind is unlimited and boundless. In Bio-psycho-social the understanding came about that a person’s mental health can affect their physical health as well as the health of other people around them (Dossey).

The mind/body/spirit health model is the most interesting health model for me because I believe and depend on a higher power. Era III is the one of the most interesting era’s in health and healing because technology has come a long way in helping our society deal with getting rid of diseases. It has integrated science and

Historically, Western Medicine has been divided into Eras. The first ERA, noted in the 1860’s, was referred to as the Mechanical Model. The medical world, as well as society, viewed illness as a purely physical entity. The mental and emotional components of illness were often considered as an afterthought. The second ERA, as described in the mid-twentieth century, is named the Mind/Body ERA. This was the time where attention was brought forth that there is a connection between the consciousness and the physical aspects of health and illness. Pscho-somatics was a coined phrase around this time. The third ERA is known as the Quantum Physics Paradigm (Dossey,1982). This era identifies transpersonal presence as its basis and accepts that the mind and the body, as well as non-local energies, affect health and illness.

1. Era I – “Mechanical Medicine” began in the 1860’s. Its focus is on surgical procedures and drugs. The thought was that health and illness are only physical in nature and consciousness is equated to functioning of the brain. Era I thinking in displayed in review of psychiatric care in the early 1900 with the use of frontal lobotomies to cure hysteria. The thought was that performing a surgical procedure on the brain will remove the area that is causing the Hysteria. Era I focuses on performing a procedure or providing a medication to fix the body physically, while Era III takes into account the patients perception of health, their stats of mind and their support

Hospitals have human lives in their hands and the greater responsibility to function with precision by delivering high-quality services twenty- four hours a day, seven days a week. Institutions such as hospitals, adopt organizational structures with the goal of facilitating communication, increasing job satisfaction, and improving patient care. This summer semester, I am completing my critical care and leadership preceptorship in the Burn ICU at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. During my shifts, I experienced and researched how NYP Weill Cornell functions in the caregiver- patient, unit-based, and facility-wide manner by using the “Infonet” and gathering information from the unit manager, nurses and nurse’s aides. This leadership

I successfully manage all timekeeping for my staff, as well as ensuring they have a clear understanding of the Institution and Access Operations expectations for time and attendance. I have created a new patient access checklist to assist with orientation of new team members within the center. To enhance our patients’ experience monthly call monitoring is performed and feedback is given to staff. In identifying customer service areas needed for improvement, staff has been successful with improving contacting patients within four hours, reduce the call abandonment rate, and increase the number of patients given same day/next day appointments. My plan for the upcoming year is to become a better leader by focusing on being better organized and prepared, improve on meeting deadlines and communication. To enhance the collaborative partnership with clinical teams and ensure the ongoing success of Ambulatory Access Operations. I will continue to handle changes and support my staff and

Over the course of the semester I participated in numerous meetings within the administrative and clinical departments, alongside the CEO, Vice President, interdisciplinary teams, nurses, and nurse’s assistant, to discuss the future of healthcare and the importance of quality of care for the patients. In addition, I completed a prevalent amount

An article written by George L Engel, American psychiatrist, “A Need for A New Medical Model: A Challenge for Biomedicine”. Therefore, he encourages the need to challenge the question of whether a change is necessary or not.   The Biomedical Model of Health allows the abilities to encourage further and more in-depth research into how to decrease diseases. There are many explanations or assumptions leading the formation or contribution in establishing the relationships between illness and behavior.  The Biomedical Model of Health increases the importance of emphasizing a more pathological illness and effect or belief on improving medical care. The Biomedical Model of Health relies on the combination of biology and medical purposes.  The model