Professionalism and Professional Nursing
Professionalism refers to a calling that needs specialized knowledge and adequate academic preparation. Professional nursing is a process through which knowledge obtained from biological sciences, physical sciences and behavioral sciences is applied to nursing care. The knowledge obtained is used to diagnose diseases and treat them. It is also used to offer counseling services and educate people who need to prevent diseases or cope with diseases. For example, nurses educate patients on how to manage injuries and diseases. Nursing professionalism is crucial to nursing as a profession. This is because it helps define nursing as a profession. The nursing professionalism forms the basis of nursing as a call. Nursing professionalism involves the use of knowledge gotten from biological sciences, physical sciences to treat diseases. Nurses practicing nursing as a profession are supposed to have the right education. They should have sufficient education so as to be able to offer quality services. Failure to have the right education can affect nursing as a profession and hence the care. Hence, nursing professionalism is vital in nursing as a profession (Wynd, 2003).
Nurses can improve the nursing profession by enhancing professionalism in nursing. There are different ways that nurses can use to improve the nursing profession. First, nurse should maintain the education standards for nursing. In addition, they should improve communication in the nursing field. The communication should be formal and open so as to enhance nursing as a profession. Also, nurses can improve nursing profession by engaging in formal activities and informal activities. Engaging in such activities help improve their knowledge and hence delivery of health care services. Also, the nursing profession can be improved by improving the behaviors depicted by nurses. Nurses should be encouraged to show professional behaviors (Wynd, 2003).
Nursing is a profession, but not a job. There are different things that make nursing a profession. First, nursing is a profession as nurses are supposed to have an educational background so as to offer quality care. The nurses are supposed to complete education programs that have been approved by the board. In addition, they are required to meet the minimum requirements in order to be licensed. Also, nursing is a profession as nurses are supposed to expand their education and expertise. All licensed nurses are supposed to acquire knowledge that is linked with their nursing profession and also show competence where necessary. In this case, nurses should continue reading so as to be up to date with new information about nursing (Wynd, 2003).
They are also required to adhere to the code of ethics that govern nursing profession.For example, the nurses are supposed to abide by the code of ethics developed by the American nurses association and other codes. Moreover, nurses are involved in professional organizations. Nurses are supposed to participate in organizations that support the nursing profession and advance it. For instance, most of the nurses participate in American nursing association as the organization has developed various strategies that can be used to improve the nursing profession.
They also publish their knowledge and progress in the profession. This makes it easy for the nurses to share their knowledge with other people via communication and publishing. Further, the nurses are independent. In this case, nurses are allowed to make independent decisions in nursing and delivery of care. The nurses are responsible for the outcome of their decisions. They are also accountable for the consequences associated with the decisions (Wynd, 2003).Also, the nurses are supposed to carry out research and participated in community activities. Lastly, they also develop theories and use them to make health care decision. The factors above have made nursing a profession, but not a job (Wynd, 2003).
Different authors have carried out research on nursing professionalism and nursing profession. For example, Wynd has carried out a research to determine factors that contribute to nursing professionalism. The research findings indicated that professionalism in nursing is vital in nursing and health care delivery. The research her examined the relationship between different types of nursing professionalism. The results from the study showed that professionalism was linked to experience. The nursing profession is changing rapidly and hence the need to implement nursing professionalism so as to improve the experience of nurses. Implementing nursing professionalism helps retain nurses who have adequate experience and thus offer the right care(Wynd, 2003).
Apart from the article listed above,Cooper carried out a study to analyze nursing as a profession. The author noted that nursing profession was complex and challenging. He analyzed the challenges that nurses face in nursing profession. The researcher claimed that nursing profession needed to be improved so as to make it effective. The best way to improve the nursing professing is by incorporating nursing professionalism as stated above. The two articles listed above are important in nursing profession as they help define what is nursing profession and factors that affect nursing professionalism and hence nursing profession. They also indentify methods that can be used to improve nursing profession. For example, they analyze how nursing professionalism can be used to improve nursing profession. I reacted positively after reading the two articles above. This is because they explained clearly issues related to nursing professionalism and nursing profession.
The articles influenced how thought about nursing profession before. Before reading the articles I thought nursing was a job ,but not a profession. After reading the articles I learned that nursing was a profession or a call (Cooper, 2008). In addition, I learned that nursing profession and issues in nursing profession can be improved by including professionalism in nursing. In this case, nurses should include nursing professionalism so as to be able to make the nursing profession better. For example, they can improve education levels and their competence so as to make the nursing profession better. They can also improve communication in the work place. Including professionalism in nursing profession will help transom it completely. Currently, I think of the nursing profession as a call that people should respect. Those who do not have adequate knowledge to become nurses should not as this might affect the quality of care. This is because people are not able to treat diseases as expected. Thus, the articles have influenced my views about nursing profession positively (Cooper, 2008).
Reference
Cooper,F.(2008).Nursing profession. Retrieved from http://www.contemporarynurse.com/archives/vol/10/issue/3-4/article/4049/nursing-as-a-profession
On 30/05/2011
Wynd,C.A.(2003).Current factors contributing to professionalism in nursing. journal of professional nursing, vol 19, issue no. 5,p 251-61.
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