Using in Practice Discussion - Research Paper Example

Research in Practice Discussion Research in Practice Discussion In my role as a day staff nurse within an intensive care unit, I have noticed numerous possibilities that would make for an interesting research study. As many patients are in the intensive care unit, their access to physical touch from loved ones is rather limited. There are obvious medical reasons for this, but this does not negate the reality that humans rely on physical intimacy from an early age in order to develop self confidence and, to a great degree, their feeling of self worth.

Within the intensive unit itself, in fact, most patients are not allowed to be visited by anyone other than immediate family members. This makes for a short visitor list, and it becomes even short if the family is not really involved or expresses little interest in the patient. As such, as a nurse, it is our role to provide compassionate care for all of our patients. It is also important to play particular attention to patients that might not have anyone close to them, even if that patient is not cognizant of their surroundings, or even aware of where they are at.

They could still benefit from the soothing words and hand holding that a nurse is welcome to provide, even if immediate family have not yet arrived at the hospital, or for whatever reason are simply unable or unwilling to visit. The compassion theory of nursing is certainly not new. Numerous scholars have analyzed the manner and extent to which nurses can actually aid in the healing process of their patients simply by the actions that they undertake in the routine operations of the profession (Georges, 2013).

Not a great deal of research has been published, however, specifically targeting the nurses role in this area when it comes to the intensive care unit and the patients that are healing there. Such a study would be useful in determine how, and to what extent, the gentle touch and healing words that a nurse provides goes towards the speed at which a patient eventually heals from their injuries. The implications of this, naturally, would be immense. Nurses do view themselves as being the helping profession.

That much is given. What many nurses might lose sight of, however, is just how important they are to a patients emotional healing, in addition to the physical aspects of their job. When a patient is non-responsive in the intensive care unit, for example, nurses might not think much about the importance of their touch or words said to the patient. They may simply perform their job related tasks and then move onto the next patient. A research project such as this one could serve to shine light on the important role that nurses perform outside of their daily assigned job duties (Polit & Beck, 2014).

It would be interesting to hear comments from my classmates on this issue to determine the efficacy of conducting such a study within an intensive care environment and how one might go about getting started. ReferencesGeorges, J. M. (2013). An emancipatory theory of compassion for nursing. Advanced Nursing Science, 36(1), 2-9. Polit, F. D. and Beck, T. C. (2014). Essential of nursing research: Appraising evidence for nursing practice (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.