The Role of the Nurse in Healthcare

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Feb 2013 intake The role of the Nurse in Health Care
This essay will give an insight into the role of a nurse in an ever changing profession and society. It will high light certain qualities required for nursing and focus on the importance of ‘Patient centred care’.
Nurses require the ability to work autonomously and as a team member to deliver care to a variety of individuals, in a variety of settings. A nurse’s role is to support individuals to live as independently as possible, to prevent illness, to care for the sick and when death is inevitable, to support and improve quality of life till the end. It is also the nurse’s responsibility to act as an advocate for her patient, to provide a safe environment and to safe guard the patient. Nurses are also required to follow policies, procedures and to participate in educational training. (International Council of Nursing 2010)
The care provided by a nurse should be delivered with compassion, empathy and without judgement and discrimination.
Nursing should be delivered with an approach of ‘Patient centred Care’. The preferences of a patient should never be assumed. It is expected that a nurse takes the time to find out what the patients likes and dislikes are, to find out their preferences, their needs and to encourage them to take an active role in their own care by communicating with them, giving choices, finding out their values and respecting their decisions. Empowering the patient in this way, could have a positive effect on their mental state, thus speeding up recovery time.
The N.H.S Institute for Innovation and Improvement states “ Do listen to your patients; always have them at the centre of your thinking, that’s what makes a big, big difference”.
The Nursing Standard has set up ‘The Care Challenge Campaign’ with 4 initiatives to support the delivery of

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