Differences between Nursing and Medicine - Research Paper Example

Running Head: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NURSING AND MEDICINE School: Chamberlain College T. Swanson NR351 Transition to Professional Nursing (Sum09) Topic: How is Nursing Different from Medicine? Date of Presentation: Introduction People become professionals in a particular field after many years of study, which begin with general studies with little specialization in secondary school to highly specialized studies as they advance to higher institutions of learning. The studies in which people specialize determine the career they are going to pursue in life. Many professions are related but each has certain aspects that make it unique in a way. For example the sciences of medicine and nursing are related in many ways especially since they are concerned with human health. However, the nature of each in regard to the services offered to human beings is the aspect that creates the differences. Karen et al (2009) observes that medicine and nursing differ mainly in terms of the assistance that they present to an individual. In regard to their origin it is stipulated that they are different based on their inception. This essay is a critical analysis of the differences between nursing and medicine. It is important to the profession of nursing in order to help nurses to understand what their role is, and what is expected of them by the society. It will also assist nurses in understanding the disconnection between them and medical doctors. Differences between Nursing and Medicine Developmental Theory The developmental theory in nursing draws around the growth and advancement of individuals, which is a systematic and conventional progression that begins as a simple combination of cells that is the beginning of life, and eventually ends through decease. From the developmental theory, the main factor that serves as an indicator of the disparity between nursing and medicine is that nursing tends to concentrate on issues that have an impact on growth and development. Some of these factors are inherent while others originate from the environment in which a person grows. The manner in which an individual associates with the other members of the society determines the rate of growth and development in a person (Pierce et al 2006). In regard to issues that affect normal body functions such as visual impairment, a physician may not offer much assistance especially when the problem is not curable. The nurse tends to come in handy in assisting an individual to learn how to take care of him/herself in spite of living with the problem. People suffering from physical impairment acquire skills that are necessary for survival and also improve on the quality of their life. Care is therefore core in nursing. The more people are able to care for themselves the more they become capable of avoiding harm hence living a better quality life. Nursing is important in the assessment and identification of people’s needs, organizing and carrying out the necessary intervention as well as assessing the results of the interventions to ascertain that they were useful to the person. Individual Healthcare Nursing involves provision of healthcare to individuals, households, as well as communities in order to improve their health regardless of whether they are unwell or healthy. A nurse plays a significant role in advocating for environmental safety, research in regard to health care as well as participation in the formulation of policies on healthcare as well as healthcare facilities. Educating the public in regard to safe living and prevention of diseases are also major roles of nurses. On the other hand, medicine is mainly focused on the disease. It is concerned with the origin, treatment, mitigation and disease deterrence. According to Szirony (2007 p 56) there are situations whereby a person may lose optimism in life due to certain impairments. Without the necessary interventions, such an individual may never recuperate. Nursing therefore plays a significant role in helping people to regain their physical and mental strength. It also involves research concerning human diseases and medicine. Care versus Cure Generally, it can be concluded that nursing is focused on providing care to the sick as well as the healthy while medicine is concerned with curing diseases that attack humans. Glasby and Dickinson (2009) have put it clearly that nurses are mainly focused on the person, as well as his capability to cope with diseases. They assist individuals to handle situations that are likely to cause disease, a condition that leads to the necessity of involving a doctor. This indicates a clear cut difference between a nurse and a physician. Nursing was seen as a significant field that improved the communities’ ability to prevent diseases thereby improving their quality of life. In nursing, the individual seeking services has to actively participate in making the interventions by the nurse successful. It may include a change of lifestyles, personal cleanliness, feeding, and other factors originating from the living environment of the patient. Nurses accomplish this through providing essential training to the clients. They are also involved in improving the healthcare environment in order to ensure that clients do not contact hospital acquired infections. Educational Aspects In terms of the courses studied in both sciences, there is a clear-cut difference. In medicine, courses such as medical physiology, medicine of the internal systems, surgery and extensive studies in regard to diseases, causes, development as well as the resultant malfunctions are studied extensively. The training that doctors acquire is mainly applicable to helping individuals regain their original state. It involves studies that enable them to understand how to carry out intricate operations on the body. These studies are offered in nursing but not as deep as in medicine (Karen et al 2009). They also do not possess the critical knowledge needed for the diagnosis of diseases and recommendation of drugs. However, this is not an indication that nursing is not essential in the provision of health care. Partnership in provision of essential healthcare is significant in ensuring that people achieve good quality life. Doctors, nurses and other professionals in healthcare contribute substantially to maintenance of good health amongst the population. Each is equipped with knowledge that is relatively unique. However, all are important in regard to the well being of the population (Glasby and Dickinson 2009). For example, physicians are mainly focused in curing diseases and therefore issues concerning perfect improvement of the quality of life in the public through education and offering essential care for example to children, the aged and pregnant mothers amongst other people who need care need to be left to the nurses. Other professionals in environmental health and such disciplines also have their role to play in maintaining a healthy population. This does not mean that doctors do not have knowledge in offering primary care, but they are not as competent as nurses. Participation of Client in Treatment In terms of the client’s participation in treatment, a major difference arises between medicine and nursing. In contrast to nursing, medicine is exclusively involved with the treatment of a sick person, as well as prevention of the adverse consequences of disease. It helps in the avoidance of abnormalities resulting from injury or disease through complex processes such as surgical procedures and scientific processes. The doctor uses his understanding in human medicine to diagnose a disease and recommend a cure. He is concerned with restoring the normal physical and emotional condition of the client. Karen et al (2009) observe that once a person has been taken ill, the level of sickness may at times inhibit communication, which eliminates his/her participation in the treatment process. In nursing, the interaction between the nurse and the patient is important. However, in such a situation, the doctor needs not interact with the patient, but has to perform particular actions in order to restore the condition of the ailing person, who does not need to be capable of communicating as it should be for a nurse to be capable of offering effective services. Most of the activities concerning medicine are performed in the hospital unlike nursing which may involve extension services to communities to improve their quality of life. There are cases whereby people have been faced with problems regarding coping with chronic diseases such as cancer. Without the necessary support and care, such people may be unable to live the desired quality lives. There needs to be a person in charge of ensuring that such conditions do not lead to swift loss of life (Szirony 2007). A nurse comes in handy to help the society to be capable of coping with such illness through offering essential advice on the best way to go about the day to day activities. On the other hand, medicine is involved in diagnosing and identifying the causes of conditions such as prolonged illness and the factors leading to weakness of the body and recommending the appropriate treatment. Values Nursing has certain values that focus on the improvement of health that are not practiced in medicine. For example, communication between the nurse and the client is usually wide-ranging. Glasby and Dickinson (2009) observe that an individual’s lifestyle is important for a nurse in order to establish the factors that are likely to inhibit recuperation. This may involve probing further in order to determine the most appropriate action to undertake. Conversely, medicine does not involve extensive interaction with the patient, and the doctor only refers to his knowledge and experience in restoring the patient’s condition. The medical practitioner recommends tests on the patient and makes a careful analysis guided by his knowledge in human medicine, which leads to a successful diagnosis of the disease. Once this has been accomplished, he/she recommends the appropriate therapy. He/she makes a follow up to ensure that professionals in treatment procedures administer the recommended therapy and also assesses the client’s progress to ascertain that the response to treatment is positive. Karen et al (2009) indicate that physicians are mainly concerned with the results of the recommended tests, as well as the effectiveness of treatment. Nurses on the other hand are mainly concerned with the long term adoption of their recommendations to the patient in regard to personal lifestyle or living environment. Human Growth and Development As indicated earlier, nursing is concerned with growth and development. It is therefore largely involved in the wellbeing of children from conception to acquirement of intelligence. Nurses play a major role in offering essential advice to pregnant mothers and also make a follow up after birth to ensure that the child’s growth and development is consistent with the guiding principles of growth. For example, they have particular reference curves that they use to determine whether the child is following a normal growth curve. As Johns (2009) indicates, people usually fail to maintain good health due to lack of essential information regarding their bodies. For example, an obese child may wrongly be considered the healthiest. Nurses come in handy in offering essential advice in regard to proper childcare. On the other hand, medicine is not concerned with caring for the children in regard to good health. Rather, it deals with fighting the causes of ill health, body dysfunctions or injuries caused by environmental factors. In general, a nurse has values such as empathy, encouragement as well as support while the medical practitioner needs to be an audacious, authoritative and risk-taker. Disease Prevention A nurse plays an essential role in preventing the need for treatment. This is achieved through organizing and training individuals as well as community groups in regard to healthy living. For example in there are rising cases of people living with chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and many others whereby the patient does not need to remain in hospital after treatment. Nurses provide essential knowledge to such patients in regard to living positively with the disease and taking the necessary measures that can help in the avoidance of escalation of the disease such as alcoholism, smoking, poor eating habits and such lifestyles that may cause death. This helps in prolonging the lives of the patient. Johns (2009) observes that in many occasions, a person suffering from diseases associated with his/her lifestyle can only be assisted through the intervention of a physician. He/she can evaluate such a case and prescribe medication that may be useful in countering the effects resulting from the unhealthy lifestyle. Conclusion Nursing and medicine are different in terms of roles and functions, as well as the courses studied in each. Nursing is mainly concerned with care of healthy as well as sick people. The healthy might be in need of essential information regarding healthy living such as the aged. The interventions of nursing are mainly focused on improvement of the quality of life in order to prevent ailments. Medicine is mainly concerned with diseases, which involves diagnosis through analyzing the symptoms, organizing tests and using medical knowledge to recommend drugs. The interactions between the nurse and the clients is usually extensive while the communication between the doctor and the patient is usually brief, mainly concerned with acquiring essential medical information from the patient. Most of the medical practices are confined in the hospital setting while interaction between a nurse and the patient may take place outside the hospital. Both disciplines have unique values different from each other, mainly defined by their designated tasks. In spite of the differences that exist between nursing and medicine, the two fields of healthcare are essential in the maintenance of the health of human beings. References Glasby J. and Dickinson H. (2009). International Perspectives on Health and Social Care: Partnership working in action, Wiley-Blackwell. Johns C. (2009). Becoming a Reflective Practitioner, 3rd Edition, Wiley-Blackwell. Karen S., Nicola C., and Molly C. (2009). “Nurse Prescribing in Dermatology: Doctors and non Prescribing nurses views”. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 65(4):851-859 Pierce, L., Thompson, T., Steiner, V. (2006). New Caregivers’ Experience of Caring, Faculty Publications, the University of Toledo. Szirony, T. A. (2007). Fundamentals of Nursing, 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkins. Read More