The Road to the Advancement of Professional Nursing - Research Paper Example

? The Road to the Advancement of Professional Nursing Introduction The term psychiatrist refers to a health physician who majorly deals with diagnosis and treatment of mental diseases. Psychiatrist in positive essence is an instrumental component in the health care sector. It is important to note that in the past days the profession of psychiatric selectively belonged to men. There were no nurses in hospital playing the roles of psychiatrists. Hildegard Peplau, the mother of Psychiatric Nursing marked a very sharp turning point in the history of the world when she furthered her carrier to become the first female psychiatrist in the entire world. The events that took place in her life made her to develop the desire of becoming a nun. Her later experiences in life earned her more determination to become a health psychiatrist. It is from her experiences in life that made her to become the current leaning wall for most of the practicing nurses. Worthy to mention is the fact that she was the first nurse in world history to attain degree, masters, PhD and doctorate in the profession of nursing. Hildegard Peplau opted for nursing carrier by the nature of her family during her growth. Callaway (2002) mentions that Hildegard’s family was full of frustrations and unrest, which made Peplau dislike making a family of that nature. In the reports of Callaway (2002), Hildegard’s father was a tyrannical man who never let his family any chance for peace. Her mother was a homemaker who enjoyed little peace and comfort in her own family. Hildegard’s intelligence and ambition are among the factors that continued to award her confidence of making a difference from other girls of her age in the society. She was disturbed with the stereotypes of her society that let women to decide the way of life between education and marriage (Callaway, 2002). According to Callaway (2002), Hildegard worked as storekeeper, payroll clerk and a bookkeeper. All these functions she accomplished in her hometown Reading. According to Callaway (2002), Hildegard enrolled in a nursing school after completing her course in business where she trained as nurse. On completing her nursing course, Hildegard joined Bennington College as a nursing staff (Callaway, 2002). Being under the driving influence of curiosity and determination, Callaway (2002), confirms that Hildegard managed to get a sponsorship to carry on with degree studies in nursing. Upon graduating with degree in nursing psychology, Peplau used the World War II as an advantage to secure employment in the US Army where she operated as a nurse. Being a holder of degree in Nursing Psychology, Hildegard secured a chance in a military hospital in the war torn England where she worked as a psychiatrist. While in England, Callaway (2002), reports that Hildegard invented unique techniques of diagnosing and administering psychiatric health to emotionally frustrated and exhausted soldiers from war. Her great achievements in the military hospital made her to clinch additional higher steps in the profiling among successful healthcare providers. Luckily, Hildegard on returning from the war met a rare opportunity of continuing with her education to postgraduate degree under the sponsorship of G.I. Bill. According to Callaway (2002), Hildegard had to join Columbia University’s Teachers College in the New York. However, Callaway (2002) mentions that societal stereotypes stood on Hildegard’s way but she managed to ignore them and pursue her education. Callaway (2002) mentions that at the time Peplau had to join university for her postgraduate degree course in nursing psychology, she already had a child whom she cared for. Sociologically, being a single parent contracted the social orders and this posed dire threat to her nursing career. Callaway (2002) speculates that Hildegard lived a life out of wedlock and managed to bring up her child in line with pursuing further education. In addition, Callaway (2002) cites that even though Hildegard had no husband to support her, she single handedly managed to cater for her entire family needs with a small salary. Hildegard displayed the character of a loving mother as she could be seen traveling with her daughter to various parts of the world. Callaway (2002) depicts that the close relationship that existed between Hildegard and her daughter, enable her to investigate and study the various development stages of a child. Exhibiting confidence and courageous values, Hildegard could confront her workmates fearlessly whenever things went wrong. Her straightforwardness and uncompromising state made challenge reservists masculine colleagues by making serious demands for changes in the nursing profession. Hildegard is coined as a woman of ranges of personalities having displayed positive pictures in teaching, publishing and parentalcare. Appointed to head a number of social organizations, Hildegard displayed unfading intents to promote courses on nursing psychology. She spread her information to various individuals through her lectures and writing of variety of scholarly articles. In fact, Callaway (2002) proves that Hildegard worked closely with International Council of Nurses in advocating for improvement in the quality of education offered to trainees in the nursing profession. She also worked as an advisor of the World Health Organization (WHO). During her service with WHO, Hildegard fought for promotion of psychological nursing in various education systems worldwide. She also used her privilege in WHO to visit various universities in the world to provide guidance on Health Psychiatrist Nursing. It is fresh to date that Hildegard transformed the profession of nursing by confirming to the public that nurses ought not to be providers of therapy but therapy to the patients (Elder, Evans & Nizette, 2010). It is noteworthy that while working as a consultant to the US Surgeon General, US Air force and National Institute of Mental Health, Hildegard contributed to the making of policies that natured health in the line of Psychiatrist Nursing. It is worth commending that Hildegard’s literary works concerning the field of nursing are in use today in most of nursing schools across the world. Her persistent claims that nurse ought to be with patients rather than doing to the patients (Elder, Katie & Nizette, 2010) have helped in fostering closeness of nurses to patients. In fact, in the current health care system, nurses form the basic point of diagnosis and treatment of the patients. In addition, nurses of the current days have adopted the counseling and guiding strategies to help them retrieve feelings and emotions of particular patients. In the view of Elder, Evans and Nizette (2010), Hildegard considered the use of psychological model among nurses to help them shift from disease centered issues to examining events, feelings and behaviors of the patients. According to Fitzpatrick et al (2010), Hildegard used her privilege as a board member of the International council of Nurses to advocate for help for people who were in need. She also worked hard to fight for the rights of individual who succumbed to mental disorders. Fitzpatrick, et al (2010) further mentions that Hildegard contributed to the development of nurses of psychiatrist patients by publishing and writing several books on the field. In addition, Hildegard earns much appreciation in promoting psychiatrist nursing through organizing of several workshops intended to enlighten people on the need to support psychiatrist nursing. In the view of Austin and Boyd (2009), Hildegard’s book, Interpersonal Relation in Nursing largely has improved the relationship between nurses and patients. For this reason, , there is much mentioning of Hildegard especially in reference to her leading role in the provision of Psychiatrist and Mental Health Nursing (PMHN) in the war to free nurses from custody care to Psychiatrist and Mental Health (PMH) care. In addition, Hildegard regarded interpersonal relations between persons and nurses. This desire was driven by her unfading interest in feeling what others feel whenever fall seek. Austin and Boyd (2009), confirm that her interest to be close to the patients is what drove her to demand for a position of psychiatrist nursing. Austin and Boyd (2009), elucidates that Hildegard has kept encouraging nurses to maintain close contact with the patients as it could help in excavating serious but hidden feelings from patients. According to Austin and Boyd (2009), Hildegard’s campaign for Psychiatrist Nursing relied on the nurses’ desire to investigate the psychology of the patients and offer assistance by addressing patients’ point of insufficiency. Hildegard’s fight for psychiatrist nursing also attributed to the need of nurses to measure and address anxieties faced by the patients to restore coolness. In conclusion, it is worth alluding that Hildegard Peplau played a significant role in transforming the nursing profession. Despite the fact that she faced enormous challenges, Hildegard being a woman determined to change her society never withdrew from battle. She fought in a series of ways until she achieved her dreams. Hildegard’s interpersonal relationship is worth emulating not only the nurses but also by every sensible individual in the society. Her persistent war for integration of nursing to cover Psychiatrist Nursing is a clear show of a caring and a concerned individual. Worth of more praise is her genius to publish a number of books and several articles currently used to train nurses. It is also imperative to realize Hildegard’s determination as she used every single chance in leadership to spread her message of transforming nursing profession. References Austin, W. & Boyd, M. (2010).Psychiatric and mental health nursing for Canadian practice. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Publishers. Callaway, J. (2002). Hildegard Peplau: psychiatric nurse of the century. Broadway, NY: Springer Publisher. Elder, R., Evans, K. & Nizette, D. (2009).Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. Marrickville, AU; Elvsevier Publisher. Fitzpatrick, J. et al (2010).Giving Through Teaching: How Nurse Educators Are Changing the World. New York; Springer Publisher. Read More