Vulnerability In Nursing Case Study

“The nurse has a basic concern for people as human beings, confidence in the fundamental power of personality for good, respect for religious beliefs of others, and a philosophy which will sustain and inspire others as well as herself” (ANA, 1940; p. 980). The documentary “The American Nurse”, explores some of the biggest issues the United States faces today- aging, war, poverty, and prisons- through the lives of five very different nurses and their work as health care providers. The film examines real life people in their everyday lives as nurses which changes the way one looks at and thinks about the entire concept of nursing. Nursing is not merely a job, nor is it simply an occupation or a profession. To be a nurse, one must uphold the finest of standards and ethics, dedicating their entire lives to helping and serving others. Therefore, it cannot simply be a behavior; it is a lifestyle.

As the society acknowledges the importance of human rights and dignity, the issues among the poverty, homeless, violence victims are now more considered. Although there are difference in roles between nurses from acute care, intensive care, and emergency settings nurses, community nurses engage those issues to become advocates for social justice. Health care nurses collaborate to identify strategies for incorporating social justice aims into their work environment (Johnstone, 2011). As a public nurses, there has been many researches to address vulnerability, diversity, health literacy, health care access, health care disparities and issues of particular populations such as ethnic and racial minority health, gay and lesbian health and the health of children, women and older adults (Johnstone, 2011). For example, affordable health care 2010 was implied for equitable delivery of healthcare for all individuals in United States. Although there are pro and cons on success of the system, it was aimed to promote the justice of human need to have least of health care when necessary. Among with the issues of inequality and unfairness of worldwide insurance system, this act was to provide fair access to health care. To achieve the aims of a just, accessible, affordable health care system for all, public health nurses make an effort to engage the professional advocacy.

Bekemeier and Butterfield’s article “Unreconciled Inconsistencies: A Critical Review of the Concept of Social Justice in 3 National Nursing Documents,’ highlighted multiple literary discrepancies on the subject of social justice in nursing. These fundamental nursing documents are: Nursing's Social Policy Statement, Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, and the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. I find myself agreeing with the viewpoints of Bekemeier and Butterfield. They bring to light many entries where nursing care is focused more in response to an injury or disease process, rather than providing nursing on a larger scale with a preventative connotation. The verbiage in many areas of

1. The nurse is asked to implement a new, complex, and invasive procedure and is concerned that this may violate the state’s nurse practice act.

Regrettably, the existence of nursing depends on the medical inadequacy of others. Unfortunately, nursing exists because people get hurt, cannot care for themselves, or need assistance with daily activities. Carol Taylor (2011), author of Fundamentals of Nursing: The Art and Science of Nursing Care, writes, “Nursing care involves any number of activities, from carrying out complicated technical procedures to something as seemingly as holding a hand” (p. 5). Taylor explains it is the duty of a nurse not only to learn the pertinent skills but also to bond with and comfort others. Nurses have to do and become many things: They must be stern when necessary, compassionate when needed, open minded

It is essential that nurses are capable of incorporating theory into their practice. Recognizing fundamental concepts such as vulnerability is a crucial element to providing effective care. Vulnerability is an elusive concept that is described as part of the human condition (Sellman, 2005). The process of vulnerability itself is very individualized and may be presented differently for each person experiencing it (De Santis & Barroso, 2011). Within this paper, I will extensively explore the definition of vulnerability, the defining factors that embody the concept, and how the knowledge of this concept can influence nursing practice.

Social justice refers to fairness (Potter & Griffin-Perry, 2009). In the health care field it is the fair distribution of health care resources regardless of socioeconomic background. As nurses it is our responsibility to identify and minimize social barriers; making it easy for any member of society to gain access. To promote social justice, systems have to be implemented so that the resources are fairly distributed. For example, placing organ recipient on a list and selecting them through a lottery system. This ensures that the organ been donated is not going to someone who is more financially stable. Nursing students can take advantage of the resources available to them through their

The nurse today can be compared to a person who busies himself/herself with process of rescuing a situation to the extent that he/she finds no time to investigate the real cause of the problem. If a nurse could know the real cause of the problem, then he/she would be capable of eradicating it once and for all. This act of finding the real cause of the problem is what entails political activism and this is what should be running in the blood of every nurse.

Serving individuals in underserved communities takes more than just intellect, it takes character. Filling your brain with the knowledge of various medications is not enough; rather one must empty oneself and become a vessel for compassion. It takes more than a steady hand, but a steadfast heart and a devotion to ethics and the integrity to align with them even when no one is watching. It takes empathy, it takes virtue, and last it takes a passion for cultivating caring and watching it bloom. Contributing to the Nurse Corps mission while nurturing for individuals in underserved communities, I will use these principles as my guiding light in attending to the visible and invisible needs of every patient I serve.

“Nursing as care always includes relationship between two or more persons and needs to be inspected from the point of view of equality” (Kangasniemi, 2010). Nurses always deal with Physicians, clients, and other nurses. By maintaining equality in the working environment, I believe that there will be lower chance of conflict between nurses, physicians and clients. Equality also helps a nurse to maintain a good professional relationship with his/her clients and colleagues. In my opinion, it is important that nurses should have the knowledge of equality so that they can treat all the patients with the same caliber of care. I believe that if nurses have the knowledge of equality, no patient will suffer because of age, sex, ethnicity, and gender. The symbol chosen for equality in the coat of arms is a justice scale. It represents equality because the scales on both sides are equal. The scale is placed at the center of the heart because it is one of the central qualities of nursing. The scale is drawn inside the heart because equality directly touches human’s feelings. If an unbalanced or unequal quality of care is provided for two clients, the one who is receiving less care will feel uncomfortable and discriminated. In order to maintain equality the balance on both side of

The aim of this study is to provide a detailed account of the nursing care for a patient who is experiencing a breakdown in health. One aspect of their care will be discussed in relation to the nursing process. The model used to provide an individualised programme of care will be discussed and critically analysed.

I am pursuing a career in nursing because I have a strong ambition to provide exceptional healthcare to individuals within rural communities who lack access to adequate healthcare resources and information. The scarcity of healthcare professionals within rural communities, in the U.S. and abroad, continues to nourish instead of eliminate health disparities. My diverse understanding of this issue is due to my undergraduate studies in Kinesiology combined with my own personal and professional experiences within various healthcare settings in the U.S. and Jamaica. As a nurse, I plan to educate unprivileged communities and ensure that all patients and families receive the highest quality of healthcare services in a caring and compassionate atmosphere.

Nursing is the social responsibility in the community. Mainly social responsibility is rooted in relationships with others and it helps to guide in promoting these types of behaviours.. It also part of caring and justice as distinct but compatible principles. Social responsibility is a value of personal identities. Social responsibility includes communication, compassion and disciplinary message. Nursing profession also has the capacity in helping to build up the society as well as its wellbeing. Social responsibility is define as reflecting to about that extend beyond personal wants, needs or gains(Gally,2006). Nursing has a commitment to fulfilling a social contract for care with society (Crigger, 2008; International Council of Nurses [ICN], 2006a;Kelley, Connor, Kun, & Salmon, 2008). Nursing’s social responsibility is also expressed within issues that affect the profession.

Nursing Conference aims to explore advances in nursing practice, management and education in relation to health disparities. Nursing makes a significant contribution to the health maintenance, health promotion and well-being of individuals, local communities and populations. A major challenge for current and future nursing practice, education and management is to address health for all and work towards equity and access to health care. This event gives a chance for academic and health professionals to gain and share information on nursing and health issues and research. We do expect this conference will be an opportunity to meet and gather with colleagues from different countries and other parts of

During my last year of nursing school in 1993 in Shanghai, China, I witnessed an event that will be forever imprinted in my mind. A seven-year-old boy was brought to the ER with extensive III degree burns so severe that majority of his skin was charcoal black. Tragically, he had been trapped in the concrete trash house in which his family lived when a grease fire broke out. It required over ¥ 10,000 deposit for treatment, however his poverty-stricken parents could only afford ¥ 900 after borrowing from all the relatives they had. Treatment was never initiated due to the financial reasons. The disfigured child screamed in agony in the ER hallway the whole night before passing away the next morning. This tragic event made me doubt my choice as being a nurse for a very long time. Are we truly able to help those who need help the most? I started having doubt in the back of my mind of being a nurse. When I saw the mission of UCLA nursing school is to help underserved population, I heard the calling! To help people get back on their feet again from their illness regardless of their financial status and to have a different direction of life is also my dream! I am ready to advance my career to be part of it!