The Job of Leader of Nursing - Essay Example

Nursing Leadership The job of leader of nursing The work of a leader in the field of nursing is mainly to influence others to work together in order to accomplish a specific goal. An effective leader should be able to understand the needs and goals that motivate individuals, and be aware of how to apply leadership and interpersonal skills to influence other people. More so, nursing leaders should support societal members as well as other health professionals. In addition, a leader in nursing identifies the client’s problems and then communicates the matter to other health team members. Standard to care of nursing Providing the best standard of care in nursing requires individuals to be competent, and use the best available evidence. More so, it requires nurses to ensure that they are well equipped with recent and updated skills and knowledge to be able to practice safely and effectively without supervision. In addition, it involves keeping clear and accurate records to help in future references and avoid unnecessary confusion. Systemic review A systemic review is where several trials of similar intervention are conducted to create an outstanding outcome. It aims at coming up with the best available research on a given issue by synthesizing the results of various studies. It makes use of transparent methods to identify, analyze and combine the results of any relevant study. Systemic reviews have become acceptable in health care setting and other disciplines. Philosophy of nursing Philosophy of nursing refers to the core values and beliefs that a nurse upholds when performing their professional duties. It is the belief that every patient, regardless of their race, economic status, or disease they are suffering from, should receive high quality health care with the highest regards to compassion, integrity and respect that they deserve. Personal philosophy nursing includes the nurses’ feelings and perceptions on ethical issues of nursing as well as the patient’s basic human rights. What nursing is expected to do Nursing is an important profession that mainly deals with individuals’ health care. It involves provision of holistic and quality healthcare for the sick and infirm. Nurses are expected to offer quality care and create awareness about different health conditions among the patients as well as the public. More so, they empower every patient concerning the delivery of a holistic treatment approach. Nevertheless, nursing helps in providing necessary support to different patients and their families. What nursing is all about Nursing is all about providing quality health care to those who are in need. It is about maintaining a good relationship with the patient, being a patient advocate, and treating every patient with dignity and respect. Nursing is a relational practicing profession that makes use of scientific knowledge and personal experiences (Brencick and Webster 2000, p.8). More so, nursing focuses on how to promote health and well being of societal members. Further, nurses assist in attaining optimal patient care outcomes and establishing a safe healing environment which benefits all societal members. Aim of nursing There are four main aims of nursing and these include promoting health and well being which is the most important one. In addition, nursing focuses on how to prevent illness, restore health, and provide unconditional love and care for the sick. Nursing is a profession that focuses on the care of individuals, families and communities in order to attain, recover, and be able to maintain optimal health and quality life among societal members. In addition, nursing aims at providing coping mechanism such as palliative care to help ease pain and symptoms of certain diseases. What people expect from nursing Individuals and the society expect a lot from nursing but mainly promotion of health and well-being of individuals. Moreover, people expect nursing to provide quality health care to everyone without any form of discrimination so as to protect everyone from illness. In addition, individuals especially patients expect health care providers to respect their opinions about their medical care. Theory of nursing There are many theories of nursing but the most common one is Watson’s Theory of Human Caring. According to this theory, one can demonstrate and practice caring in an effective manner at an interpersonal level. Caring comprises of various carative factors that it possible to satisfy the needs of an individual. Sensitivity to self and others, and human needs assistance are some of the carative factors listed by Watson (Basford and Slevin 2003, p.50). Watson posits that the practice of caring is central to nursing and that effective caring helps in promoting health and individual growth. Models of nursing Basically, a model is “a set of concepts and the assumptions that integrate them into a meaningful configuration” (McKenna 2006, p.12). All the nursing theorists including Fawcett cover the basic dimensions of nursing such as person, environment, health and nursing (Mcgee 1998, p.22). In brief, a person is the recipient of the nursing actions; environment refers to the patient’s specific surrounding; health is the wellness or illness state of an individual; and lastly, nursing encompasses actions taken by nurses to promote the patient’s health. Training for nursing A person needs to hold a degree in nursing and be registered to be able to practice. Nursing training involves various areas of study including adult, mental health, and pediatric among others. Therefore, interested persons can chose any of the four branches of nursing which they would like to train for. In the process of training for nursing, individuals will learn the safe and effective delivery of nursing care, and study main areas of competence such as professional values, communication and interpersonal skills, nursing practice, and leadership among others. Application of nursing The application of nursing is facilitated by various nursing models. For instance, these models provide a framework to generate knowledge and new ideas. In addition, these theories also assist in establishing criteria for measuring the quality of healthcare. More so, nursing theories assist in providing a rationale to be able to collect appropriate and valid information concerning individual’s health status. Personal development for nursing In nursing profession, it is necessary for individuals to review personal development on a regular basis by reflecting on their progress and also identifying and setting up goals to be able to achieve their learning needs. More so, personal development is possible if individuals engage in useful activities such as individual guidance tutorials among others. For instance, initiatives such as personal development plan have been designed to allow nurses identify their own training and development needs. Nightingale and her application in nursing Nightingale is one of the most respected nursing theorists that have brought significant contribution in the nursing discipline. Nightingale’s concerns for sanitation, military health as well as hospital planning formed a solid foundation in nursing that are still practiced today. According to her, proper hygiene and sanitation, a good diet, and fresh air are some of the main issues that should be considered in every hospital. Nightingale proposed the environmental theory, and in this theory, she argues that putting a patient to external conditions such as cleanliness, ventilation, and light can help to prevent or suppress diseases. This theory aimed at restoring the patients to their optimal state of health, and Nightingale suggested that an individual’s surrounding could be used to promote their recovery (Raingruber 2014, p.75). References Basford, L., and Slevin, O. 2003, Theory and practice of nursing: an integrated approach to patient care, Cheltenham, U.K., Nelson Thornes. Brencick, J. M., and Webster, G. A. 2000, Philosophy of nursing: a new vision for health care, Albany, State Univ. of New York Press. Mcgee, P. 1998, Models of nursing in practice: a pattern for practical care, Cheltenham, S. Thornes. McKenna, H., 2006, Nursing Theories and Models, London: Routledge. Raingruber, B. 2014, Contemporary Health Promotion in Nursing Practice, Burlington, Mass: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Read More