A nurse practitioner is an advanced practice nurse who is either master's or doctorally prepared who diagnoses illnesses and treats them. NP usually have their own patients who chose to see and NP and today many people are seeing NP's for all their care. NP's specialize like physicians. The specialties are Women's Health, Psychiatric, Pediatric, Adult Health, Family Practice and Acute Care Nurse Practitioners. NP's provide comprehensive care including inquiring about any area in their life that may affect their help. They also provide anticipatory guidance and preventative health.
What is the nursing profession? The answer to this question has been debated by many nursing experts, theorists, and practitioners for decades. Nursing practice has radically changed since its recognition as a needed and necessary part of health care by Florence Nightingale, in the mid-1800's. Nurses are educated to maintain patient safety, and administer care in widely diverse settings. This is known as the science of nursing.
For me, the backbone of nursing is the art, the ability to take a great deal of information (nursing education) into a clinical setting (nursing practice) and use the nuances of intuition, compassion, empathy, ethics, teaching, and spirituality, to impact an individual, family, or communities experience in health, wellness, and illness.
Nursing is more than "caring for" a sick patient, it is the challenge and transformation of giving yourself to another person to assist them until they (or their caregivers) can care for themselves.
Although there are many ways to answer this question, a common thread among all types of nurses is the need to be vigilant. In my research vigilance is defined as the "degree to which a knowledgeable watchfulness occurs between persons in healthcare in response to a threat" (Kooken, 2008). Nurses are responsible to be vigilant for patients. In my research, patients, family members, and nurses share some common perspectives on vigilance: 1) People, including nurses, have to be knowledgeable to be vigilant; you cannot watch out for things if you do not have knowledge or experience. 2) Vigilance and hope are inextricably linked. Lazarus indicated that for every emotion there was a corresponding action- the action for the emotion of hope is vigilance. When patients or families lose hope, they will not be as vigilant. Nurses work hard to instill hope; therefore encouraging patient and family vigilance. 3) Vigilance is identified by patients and families as nurses who go beyond the call of duty- who go the extra mile and do more than the minimum. 4) Patients and families believe nurses who get to know them are more vigilant- and nurses indicate that this is true. Nurses get to know patients and families so they can more quickly spot "different than normal". 5) Vigilance is shared among patients, families, and nurses, but it is implied. Shared vigilance is an area that I believe we can specifically use to improve nursing practice, by intentionally building vigilance partnerships between patients, families, and nurses.
I believe the guardian aspect of nursing, through being vigilant is one of the most important facets of nursing because it is way nurses try to protect patients from harm. Yet, nurses are not often aware of what they do that demonstrates being vigilant. Vigilance becomes so incorporated in nursing practice- embedded in the everyday, that vigilance becomes an unconscious process. More research into this phenomenon will reveal its importance in patient safety outcomes. Describing and measuring nurse vigilance and encouraging vigilance partnerships will contribute some answers to the question: What is the nursing profession?
Nursing is an applied art and science, as some of my colleagues have eloquently said, that is situationally derived. That means nursing is defined by the situation. It can be life or death, where the nurse supports the patient 100% to maintain life; educational, like facilitating a new mother in learning the skills she needs to care for her infant; population-based, such as implementing an immunization program for a measles outbreak; research, where nursing strategies are tested for their efficiency and effectiveness on a specified health problem; or, administrative, where nurses are organized in such a way as to better deliver care.
The goal of nursing is to facilitate the achievement or maintenance of the functional competence, or health, of the patient/client by administering nursing strategies in the appropriate doses to reach the desired effect given the resources available. Generally, the nurse and the client establish a therapeutic relationship whereby mutual goals are established and gradually achieved to the extent that the client can self-maintain in their own environment.
In simple terms, nurses do whatever, whenever, wherever and however they can to help people get and stay healthy, however the client needs to define that, on their own. It is so broad in scope that you can have the five careers 'they' predict people will have over their lifetime without changing professions.
Nursing is a wonderful combination of art and science. Each nurse practices their art and science differently, utilize their experience, knowledge, intuition and resources to promote the health and well being of their clients. Nurses are lifelong learners, striving to affect positive outcomes for people and their communities by providing care based on scientific principles. Nurses are keenly aware of the uniqueness of individuals, families and communities and the need to individualize their assessment and plan of care. Nurses are frequently called on to be activists in order to affect health care for the larger good.
The nurse is diverse in knowledge, thinking, and caring abilities. The nurse is often a technical expert, an educator,a listener, a counselor, a resource person, and someone who uses all senses to better care for a person. He or she is the first person a patient usually sees in the morning and who, during the course of a shift, assists the patient in achieving the best possible outcomes. The nurse understands the importance of of patient-centered care which means that the patient has an active voice in his or her own care. The nurse works with other disciplines, such as physicians or therapists, to ensure the patient gets the best possible care. The nurse shows, with every patient encounter, that when a profession is built on caring, the patient benefits.
There are many various types of nursing and specialties. There are degrees that range from RN to doctorate. In every area of nursing the primary goal is excellence in patient care.
I hope this helped. Please feel free to ask more about the amazing profession of nursing.
Ileen Craven, DNP, MSN, RN
So, what does this really mean? It means that a nurse enters your life at the best and the worst of times. The nurse will utilize education and knowledge and the nursing process to provide the best quality of care for you and your family. This care will be individualized and focus on the emotional, physical and spiritual needs of you and your family.
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Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.