#1 discussion
Caring determines what matters to a person. It underlies a wide range of interactions, from parental love to friendship, from caring for one's work to caring for one's pet to caring for and about one's patients. Nursing in my opinion consists of a caring relationship that requires the individual to not only care for the patient but also the family and their communities. It requires medical knowledge, technical skills and empathy. A lack of empathy can influence their health and well-being. Possessing the ability to assess a patient needs and determine what type of care or intervention is needed to improve the clients' health, person, and environment is the art of nursing.
A nurse must realize that the patient is not the only person that they are caring for, they care for the whole family as well. We must make certain that the families' needs are met as well as the patients for the best recovery for our actual patient. Majority of these family members are in a tough, stressful situation, it is our job to help them through it and keep their stress levels at the minimum. The patient's environment plays a major role in their recovery, keeping it clean and stress free is the best way to keep them on the right path to recovery.
As we know, there are so many different beliefs and cultures that impact the care we provide to our patients. An advanced practice nurse must provide care according to the patients beliefs and religion as well as social class and education level. This can be difficult at times, but it makes the patient satisfied with their stay and leads to a quicker recovery since they are able to relax instead of stressing out over their wishes and needs not being met. This could be as simple as following a patients request on diet restrictions due to religious views, making certain they do not deliver foods to the patient that are on their list.
Essential VIII is the essential that defines nursing care in my opinion. This essential recognizes that the master's-prepared nurse applies and integrates broad, organizational, client-centered, and culturally appropriate concepts in the planning, delivery, management, and evaluation of evidence-based clinical prevention and population care and services to individuals, families, and aggregates/identified populations (AACN Master's Essentials).
Reference:
The Essentials of Mater's Education in Nursing March, 21 2011
#2 Discussion
My view of concept of caring is different from caring defined by caring theories. I view caring as showing kindness for others which is done in person. On the other hand, the caring theories view it at a professional level and that it should be incorporated in nursing practice. To me caring involves being sympathetic and helpful whenever possible. According to theories of caring, caring has also been defined as nurturing (In Smith & In Parker, 2016).
Caring theories have discussed in details what caring should incorporate while in my case I thought it should through showing offering a helpful hand. Caring is more than just interpersonal relationship and it should encompass supporting people spiritually and hearing caring based on wholeness body and mind (In Smith & In Parker, 2016).
On the other hand, caring should be done by giving emotional support and being warm hearted. These goes hand in hand with theories of nursing as caring. This is because they describe nursing as all-encompassing in relation to caring. It is about being humanistic according to humanistic theory.
Humanistic theory recognizes that people should look into others' need for caring (In Smith & In Parker, 2016). Signs for a person who need care could include physical and emotional distress. Then, the person should offer help or care accordingly. In the same way, Jean Watson's theory requires that nurses show loving and kindness which goes hand in hand with my conceptual definition of the word caring.
Essential VII: Inter-professional Collaboration for Improving Patient and Population Health Outcomes. First, I belief that nursing professional should be all about caring. According to this MSN essential, nurses should collaborate with other professionals to improve health outcomes of patients (AACN, 2011). Collaborating with other professionals helps identify patients' needs which then help in improving the process of caring. In addition, this essential calls for a patient-centered care which to me is what has been advocated by theories of nursing as caring.
References
AACN. (2011). AACN Resources to Facilitate Integration of the Essentials of Master's Education in Nursing. Nurse Educator, 36(5), 218. doi:10.1097/nne.0b013e3182297b78
In Smith, M. C., & In Parker, M. E. (2016). Nursing theories & nursing practice.