Choice and Relevance of the Name Healer to Refer Nurses - Research Paper Example

Choice and Relevance of the Name Healer to Refer Nurses Abstract Nurses have for a long time been subjected to play second fiddle to doctors, whom traditionally, hold the coveted name of healers. However, nurses have come up and shown all the attributes it takes to deserve to be called ‘healers’. This paper analyses the significance found in a name and tries to decipher one by one, the attributes that justify nurses to be called healers. We also have factors that contributed to the choice name of ‘healers’ to nurses, and discuss the relevance that this carries in reference to the motivation it gives to nurses in furthering their commitment. Nurses, given their delicate position and weird characters occupying the world, attract ridicule in order to undermine their work. This paper discusses some effects that these ridicules that include nicknames might have, and finds out some of the ways these could be avoided in order to pursue the nursing career in full swing. The identity that the name ‘healers’ gives to the nurses sure uplifts their image and the impact of this is also discussed. Lastly, various perspectives from various spheres of the term ‘healer’ are compared with the current scenario and a conclusion summing up the general ideas of the paper finalizes the paper. Thesis: The name ‘healer’ is well deserved to nurses globally as they have shown the quality, commitment, compassion and competence it takes to take part in the healing process of a patient, right from the beginning to the end. Introduction What rings in one’s mind with the mention of the word ‘Healer?’ The obvious guess would be the good doctor. Alternative answers would be the traditional doctor, religious leaders, and other healers according to the belief of a select group being asked. Would that answer be entirely true? Are doctors the real definition of ‘healers’? This food-for-thought is an issue that would form the basis of this paper. Many people dismiss nurses as mere helpers to doctors. This assumption comes from the belief that nurses have very minimal skills to show. A majority of individuals fail to realize the extra input that nurses dedicate to their profession to make sure that patients do get well. This is completely incomparable with time a doctor would dedicate to a patient unless he or she is so much needed in critical conditions. This argument may qualify the fact that indeed nurses are healers (Watson, 1985). A healer is defined as an individual who oversees the transformation of a patient from unsound or ill condition to a healthy form. Healing does not just comprise of putting one into a sound form, but rather, healing is an umbrella to many objectives that a patient should transcend on his or her way to recovery. These include psychological, physical and social healing. With the definition of healing looked at from this perception, one might rethink the reference of doctors as healers, and rather give that honor to the nurses. Nurses are professions in the medical world that carry the obligation of human care in the community, families or individual in order to foster recovery, maintain healthy condition and live a healthy life. They have the most responsibility in the world of medicine apart from just being the doctor helper. They truly deserve to be called ‘healers’ because they are involved with a patient right from the beginning, to that very moment that the patients depart from the hospital. This paper shall carefully analyze the weight that this name carries and try to find the basis of the whole process of naming and some of the factors that go along naming. The name ‘healer’ is well deserved to nurses globally as they have shown the quality, commitment, compassion and competence it takes to take part in the healing process of a patient, right from the beginning to the end. What’s in a name? Names go beyond the essence of just identity. Although identity defines the real objective of naming most beings or objects globally, we have more to naming than identity. Identity defines a set of character traits that a certain personality is associated to with the mention of his or her name. The name ‘healer’ in any given context defines a figure of great significance. Health conditions haunt numerous individuals the world over and ‘healers’ are always the key reference point. People have high expectations of ‘healers’, in this sense nurses, and they have no option but to live up to these expectations. Nurses have gone ahead to prove their position as healers of the sick by committing most of their skill, time and even life to health care work. Doctors, traditionally identified to be the healer, cannot come any step closer to where nurses stand when it comes to healing. Doctors only have the advantage of containing the sophisticated skill of treating major diseases and using some sophisticated equipment. They thus only come in during the whole healing process the part of administering a diagnosis and prescription. The rest of the workload falls on the hands of the nurse ‘healers’. It is, therefore, clear that at the mention of the word ‘healer’, a reflection of a nurse should hit the back of an individual’s mind (Sandra, 2008). Names entail the personality of an individual. Personality defines the diverse characters that an individual contains that include behavioral attributes, mental attributes, and temperamental attributes. The mention of the word ‘healer’ should carry along it a great personality, because this is what people anticipate from a person whose obligation is uplifting an individual’s health. The expected personality of a ‘healer’ may include humility, kindness, pettiness, good listener, openness, trustworthy, and committed. One question that could be ringing in one’s mind would be whether nurses, the ‘healers’, do exhibit these character traits. Most nurses are humble and have in the past treated their patients as their bosses, something that defines the real meaning of service. This humility is accompanied with kindness and pettiness, where the nurse is cautious to notice any change that might make the patient uncomfortable and call for an alert. They are also good listeners and are open yet trustworthy, characters that reassure patients of their security. Most of all, nurses are healers because they are committed to the obligation of ensuring any patient leaves a health institution in his or her best condition possible. Personality is thus key in defining nurses in the essence of calling them ‘healers’ (Johnson, and Webber, 2009). Acquisition of the name ‘healers’ could barely be dismissed as a mere name to nurses. However, unknown to many, this name carries with it a lot of responsibility. Along it comes an identity and personality, that many expect to see from nurses. Anything short of these two would degrade the essence of calling nurses ‘healers’ and dismiss the fact that they are at all healers (Sayre-Adams, and Wright, 1995). Choice and Relevance of the name ‘Healer’ to refer nurses Before any naming activity occurs, regardless of the subject, there are always factors considered for the main aim of determining the choice and the relevance of any given name. This is usually done to avoid the assignment of farfetched names to subjects that would not deserve the naming. The same criterion is always performed to baby names, domain names, brand names and place names. Relevance is always attached to the names given to the mentioned subjects, and one would simply draw out the meaning or rather the conditions under which the naming or the environment it occurred. This section of the paper will try and dissect the factors that lead to the choice of the name ‘healers’ to nurses and the relevance attached to these factors and the naming. The most traditional role of nurses has always been that of a caregiver. Care giving comprises of several functions that include the motherly care to patients, comforting patients, providing direct conditions that would ensure a patient experiences maximum comfort, show of concern for patients presented to them and showing sensitivity to issues that may bother the patients. These functions are key in ensuring the entire healing process of the patients. In most cases, the conditions of patients do not just require medicinal attention, but also require all that pertains the named functions of the nurses. Surprisingly, the above named functions can miraculously speed up the healing process of any given patient given the more than homely treatment given. This is one main reason why nurses deserve the name ‘healers’, because what they impart by these functions is nothing but healing. Healing comprise the process where the subject is taught some minor issues that may speed up the entire healing process. These include an encouragement to comply with medicinal prescription, therapy, teachings about living a healthy lifestyle and interpretation of complex information usually passed on from the traditional meaning of ‘healers’, doctors. At no time will doctors ever be found doing this sought of teaching to patients. Mostly, it is due to their presumed ‘busy’ schedule. Nurses will also be the power behind this very significant phase in the process of sickness or healthy living. These teachings are a great contribution to the healing process, and thus justify the choice of the name ‘healers’ to nurses. Nurses usually have the other great responsibility to counsel the patients. Counseling is supposed to be an entirely independent profession as it requires great skill and experience, yet nurses are able to handle this challenging task to a range of different population level. Counseling being referred to here entails psychological, emotional and intellectual counseling. Harder still is the part where nurses are subjected to the task of even guiding suicide attempters in developing better attitudes, and counseling other categories in the acquisition of improved sense of control in order to live healthier lives. Counseling is key in the healing process and anybody carrying out these tasks is a healer (Scanlon, 1997). Nurses usually play the overall position of overseeing a patient the entire time he or she usually stays at the health institution. This can be more directly described as managing a patient the entire period he transforms to healing. Managing involves planning, giving directions and monitoring entire processes that make a patient improve in health. This is the greatest part that encompasses the other processes. This somehow even makes nurses superior to doctors in a way that the doctor would only report with the red alert of the nurse. More reasons justify the name ‘healers’ to nurses. Nurses who have acquired a higher level of education sometimes act as clinical specialists. Clinical specialists contain enough expertise in clinical processes and are thus legible to apply there knowledge in diagnosing patients and prescription instructions. In this case, we discover that even the so considered ‘less skilled’ nurses have the ability to treat patients and at the same heal them by taking them through the other processes that are attributed as responsibilities for nurses. This gives more justification of the choice name ‘healers’ that is given to nurses. There is no doubt that the functions discussed above are the major phases that are involved in the process of healing. It is also demonstrated that all the functions are performed by nurses. The name ‘healer’ to identify any nurse is thus a powerful name that takes upon it the burden of taking up all the discussed functions. Nurses are, therefore, expected to uphold their work in fulfilling the tasks described, because that is what the power in the definition of the name ‘healer’ entails. Effects of other names given to Nurse ‘Healers’ Naturally, there exist individuals that might want to degrade nurses or rather, nursing as a professional. These may include male chauvinists that still believe in nursing as an only female profession, frustrated individuals and other haters. This category of individuals sometimes go ahead to look for names that could ridicule nurse ‘healers’, with the intention of despising them and the work they have committed themselves. These names can be in the form of nicknames, a term that is defined as a temporary moniker assigned to people on the basis of certain physical, religious or behavioral characters either for ridicule or easy identification (Chelia, 2009). Nurses are human, and given this state, they are bound to get hurt with the use of such ridiculing names. This section will deal with some of the effects that these names could impart on nurses and thus reflect the possible effects that this may reflect on their role as ‘healers’. Ridiculing nurses using various monikers can negatively affect them by reducing their self-esteem. Self-esteem can be defined as the confidence one finds within in doing a certain activity and having the confidence that he or she will succeed. With a drop in self-esteem, nurses are bound to lack the drive to perform their predefined tasks and thus perform below the expectations of many. This would automatically reduce the essence of the name ‘healer’ for them and rather take them back to the traditional belief that many had on nurses. Many nurses, though, given the calling, passion and commitment towards nursing as a career, would probably ignore these ridicule connotations and rather apply the cliché “sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me”. They would continue to exercise their responsibilities and uphold the justification of nurses being referred to as healers. Some nicknames may go ahead and affect the self-confidence of nurses. This could be done by ridicule names that would lower the dignity of nurses and try to describe them as less intelligent beings acting as zombies to their superior masters, doctors. Self-confidence issues could greatly impact the working of nurses as they would tend to skew towards the very state that the nicknames would want to sinuate. The solution to this, would as before, to ignore the ridicule. Additionally, nurses should reflect on the work they do and compare that with the claimed ridicule. This would help in dismissing any claims that nursing is an awkward career with the confirmation that many had gone through their hands in living a desired healthy life. However, on the optimistic side of the nicknames, some names given to nurses, such as in this case ‘healers’ could be a great motivation to their work. The name ‘healers’ would elevate nurses to a more responsible position in the medical world and thus motivate them in performing all that pertains healing in an expected way. Positively assigned monikers should be the focus to any individual wanting to give nurses a nickname. The main intent for this would be the delicate position that they hold where a change in mood could result into possible deaths and health deterioration as they hold the key to a healthy life. Neither doctors nor other health workers would ever be adequate in replacing the work that these God-sent professionals that none can ever escape an experience (Clark, 20030. Names, identity shaping and cultural values with reference to ‘Healer’ Identity defines a set of character traits that a certain personality is associated to with the mention of his or her name. Some character traits that identify nurses have been previously discussed. These include humility, kindness, pettiness, good listener, openness, trustworthy, committed, patience, compassion, and confidence. The first thing that ever comes to individuals’ mind at the mention of a name is the identity of a given individual. At the first mention, character comparison with a physical body immediately relates a person and identifies him or her as the person in question. Such is the power that a name could bear on someone. In cases where names would be similar, a single trait that could easily differentiate individuals would form the basis of identity of a given individual. The name ‘healer’ would most definitely relate to the above named characters that a nurse or rather a ‘healer’ is expected to exhibit. In the case that a nurse does not show the given qualities, there is a great tendency that the name would shape the character traits of the person in question. The psychological effect of names is a tricky issue. Names, including normal names given to individuals, usually have a psychological effect towards the way they are likely to behave. Many cultures, traditions, and religions adhere to this concept, thus many children usually get names that might end up inspiring them when they grow up. The naming of children, especially in the traditional setting, will therefore, strive to avoid the naming of children after notorious figures in the society. The usage of the name ‘healers’ for nurses is therefore, one strategy that could be utilized to prompt nurses to be more committed, hardworking, compassionate and confident in administering their duties in a way that would ensure optimal outcomes. Diverse cultures have different opinions and perceptions in the value they attach to various names. There are names that are usually considered a taboo in a society and are considered to bear bad omen. However, we have names that will always be associated with good. Such names included gospel spreaders, leaders and healers. The name ‘healers’ as nurses are referred in this context has never been associated with any wrong doing. Rather, the name ‘healer’ reflects the image of a life saver. This demonstrates the value that diverse cultures equally value nurses. i. Literature Literature is a field of study that revolves around written works of a given language depending on the location or context being referred. Being a field that deals with a wide avenue given the diverse literal cultures, there is a great chance that there could be more than one meanings of the term ‘healer’ in literature. The definition of the term ‘healer’ in literal works would most probably dwell on the traditional works. These described a healer as precisely the person that would instill back health to an ill person. ‘Healers’ were usually the consultants that would deal directly with patients, and ensure that he or she would be prescribed the right medicine and take them till fully recovered. A literature perception would thus dismiss the claim that a nurse was a healer, as a nurse would simply tend to the patient and wait for instructions from the healer, in this perception, the doctor. This description gets its content from the archaic literature. However, modern literature identifies the current nurses as ‘healers’ by simply recognizing the functions as named in this paper. ii. Linguistics Linguistics defines the study of the structure, variation and nature of a language. Linguistics strictly adhere to the set rules that govern the grammar in any language and thus put very little relevance in defining words, and worse, exploring the circumstances that surround a word to determine how the meaning came about into being. Drawing a conclusion from the explanation, the term ‘healer’ from a linguistics’ perspective would thus bring out the direct meaning of an individual who restores health to a previously ill person. iii. Economics Economics has a funny way of definition that always equates an entity in relation to its value in money. With mention of a name, economics is most likely to try and compare the marketability of the name before accepting or rejecting the name. This initial step would then be followed by estimating a value for the given name, after which risks, opportunities, strengths and weaknesses (SWOT analysis) are analyzed. After only these processes would a name be justified and fully assigned to the subject. From a nurse’s perspective, economics would first of all determine the investment it took to develop one. The output of the individual is then calculated, and the comparison made. A profit would automatically mean that the investment was worth and thus justified of all the current status. Comparing the intensity of work done by nurses, it could be well concluded that they deserve the term ‘healer’ as what they perform is way much of preserved value, compared to the initial investment of education. No investment quantity could ever be compared to the value of one life. iv. Anthropology Anthropology studies humanity in three fields, namely, social sciences, natural sciences and humanities. The probability is thus high that this field could have the highest number of perspectives of the term ‘healer’. Rather than, define healer in each of anthropology’s diverse subfields, it would be wise to focus on the other more independent fields. v. History History defines times that are already past the current world. Likelihood that this field would have an archaic meaning and rather a chauvinistic connotation to the word ‘healer’ is thus very high. History defined ‘healer’ as an individual who administered medication to ill individuals after a full diagnosis was done. This individual was mostly a male, and there was no way that a ‘healer’ would be a lady. Ladies had there role strictly tied to tending the sickly and maintaining their position in the minor duties of the society. This is unlike the contemporary world where women and men compete at the same level on virtually all aspects of life. vi. Theology Theology defines the study of that superior being and whatever revolves around Him. Theology is sometimes alternatively referred to as religion. Theology based its understanding of the term ‘healer’ to religious leaders who would work miracles and make the sick, go back to stable health. The ultimate ‘healer’ was Jesus. Reference of nurses as ‘healers’ in theology would be a farfetched idea. Modern theology has however come out to preach equality. This gives the possibility that after all, given the functions that nurses do in their line of duty, the name ‘healers’ might be appropriate enough to describe them (Van Gennep, 1960). Conclusion Nursing, despite being an overlooked profession in the medical world, is one of the noblest positions that contain a lot of responsibilities in the medical world. A career in nursing would require commitment, passion, compassion, confidence, patience, and all those character that entail a ‘healer’, because this is what nurses deserve to be called. Over time, nurses have evolved from the mere position of simple tending of patients to the stature of managing a patient’s tenure in hospital, giving counseling tutorials, administering prescription, and other many responsibilities that comprise a healing process. These character traits dismiss the low esteem that nurses have persevered for some considerable amount of time to the elevation of being referred to as ‘healers’, a title that has always been jealously owned by doctors. Many challenges, however, accompany this name given the responsibility it entails. Nurses are expected to reach the standards expected of healers, expected to have the character traits of a healer, and further more, be able to ignore any ridicule that may be directed to them in order to undermine their esteem. These justifications leave us no doubt, but to declare that nurses are the new generation of ‘healers’ and respect should be preserved at all costs for this crop of nurse ‘healers’. References Watson J. (1985). Nursing: Human Science and Human Care. Norwalk: Appleton Century- Crofts. Watson J. (1999). Postmodern Nursing and Beyond. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. Van Gennep, A. (1960). The Rites of Passage. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Taylor B. J. (1994). Being Human: Ordinaries in Nursing. Melbourne: Churchill Livingstone. Sullivan L. E. (1989). Healing and Restoring: Health and Medicine in the World’s Religious Traditions. New York: Macmillan. Scanlon J. M. (1997). Developing the reflective teacher. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 25: 1100- 1121. Sayre-Adams, J., and Wright, S.G. (1995). Therapeutic Touch. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. Clark, J. (2003). Naming Nursing. Zurich: Verlag Publishers. Tiffany, C.H. (1997). 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