In order for a nurse to deliver patient focused care, they must first develop an effective nurse-patient relationship with the service users that they care for. This is important in order to ensure that the highest quality of care is provided to the patient. As, according to Sheldon (2009), a nurse-patient relationship is based upon the commitment of a nurse to work alongside their patient’s, in order to deliver personal and effective care which meets the identified health needs. Patient focused care involves the patient and nurse working together as a partnership and places the patient and their relatives central to decision making in regards to the planning, implementation and assessment of care. An equal nurse-patient relationship is important in order to ensure that safe, effective and personal health care is delivered and that the patients’ needs are appropriately met (The Health Foundation, 2012).
It is extremely important nurses can do this in different ways such as verbally and non-verbally and uphold the Principles of Nursing Practice set out by the Royal College of Nursing as the fifth of eight principles is related to effective communication. Interpersonal communication is essential in the delivery of health information. Without it, health professionals would fail to assist and inform those without knowledge, in need of advice and support. Listening is significant when it comes to communication and is a key skill required by nursing staff. It is essential that patients know you care and want to help them.
My Contribution to the History of Nursing Throughout the history of nursing, there have been many remarkable individuals who have made great contributions to this field and profession. Some made vast differences in improving the work of nursing, while others made huge differences in the everyday lives of their patients, with their comforting and nurturing ways. So as I sit here and try to imagine my future ahead of me as a nurse, I can’t say for certain that I’m going to drastically change the nursing profession with some big contribution or development. I can say however, that I am going to put my heart and soul into being the kind of nurse who will be there for my patients, making contributions to better their lives every day. I made the decision to pursue the field of nursing because it embraces so many aspects of a career that I have been looking to be a part of.
Further on, the plan to implement the theory in critical care nursing was presented. This paper concluded with the discussion about the theory of comfort as an integral factor of excellent nursing practice today. Comfort Theory Applied in Critical Care Nursing “Comfort has been considered a positive, multidimensional, subjective, dynamic experience…and results from the interactions established by the subject with himself, to those surrounding him and to the situations faced in the process of disease and health care” (Freitas, et al, 2012). The purpose of this paper is to share my understanding of the concept of Comfort Theory designed by Dr. Katharine Kolcaba, with its implication and application to critical care nursing. The Comfort Theory was chosen to be analyzed, with goals of seeking relevant information and guidelines on how to successfully implement the theory to improve the comfort level among critically ill patients while performing daily routine care in ICU.
Humanizing Nursing Communication Theory Undoubtedly, the field of nursing practice requires constant communication between the nurse and the patient, the patient’s family, the nurse’s co-workers, supervisors, and many others. The communication is an essential component of nursing practice. It is a cornerstone of a trusting relationship between patients and nurses. Most nurses have a clear idea about how effective is building a trustful relationship with the patients for providing the most practical nursing care. The first step toward this connection is using humanizing communication with patients.
Carla Poston Initial Post TD #2 Nurse Leadership Nursing requires strong, consistent and knowledgeable leaders who inspire others, are visible, and support professional nursing practice. Leadership is an essential element for quality professional practice environments where nurses can provide quality nursing care. Key attributes of a nurse leader include being a(n): advocate for quality care, collaborator, articulate communicator, mentor, risk taker, role model and visionary (Stanley, 2006). The nurse leader has an obligation to their clients, be it patients under their direct care, on their unit or the caregivers under his/her management, to demand practice environments that have the organizational and human support allocations
Among other things, nurses want safe workplaces that promote quality health care. “It’s the role of the nurse executive and nurse manager to establish a work environment that supports professional practice,” says Pamela Thompson, CEO of the American Organization of Nurse Executives. “That’s one key piece to retention.” It’s also important that nurses play an active role in shaping their environment. “Nurses want to work in a place that brings high quality to patients and know they have a role in the process,” says Susan Shelander, director of recruitment and retention for Memorial Hermann, Houston. Creating such an environment is not easy.
(Johnson, Lasater, Hodson-Carlton, Siktberg, Sideras, & Dillard 2012). Learning from exemplary nurses is the key. It influences us to follow in their footsteps. A great nurse educator believes that more can always be done above and beyond the call of duty. As Tanner (2006) identified, there is a strong need for nurse educators to focus on clinical thinking in order to safely meet complex patient care situations in health care.
The values, beliefs, and ethic in nurse practice. One of great challenge in health care is how to integrate appropriately our own values and beliefs into the professional practice. The strong connection between the patient and nurse is a wonderful opportunity to manifest mutual feelings, recognized strengths, fears, choices, faith, and goals. Nurses should be aware and sensitive to the patient’s conflicts, personal drama, and experience. The nurse’s spiritual and moral support is a useful tool to promote well-being and contribute to assist the patient to cope better with the difficult life events.
Definition of Nursing Since the beginning of the profession, people have struggled to define nursing (Chitty & Black, 2011). This is due to the fact that nursing is a broad and ever-changing occupation. However, it is important that the profession work past these challenges in order to generate a true meaning of the word “nurse.” Agreeing on a definition of nursing helps to create a common goal for all those involved in the profession. The purpose of this paper will be to define nursing and the terms that surround it. These terms include patient, health, and environment.