Nursing as a Human Science - Essay Example

Nursing as a Human Science Affiliation: Question What is meant by nursing as a human science? The concept related to caring and nursing has been a subject of synonymous thoughts. The majority of individuals that opt to pursue nursing as a career make their decisions on the basis of interests into helping other people. In this regard, offering of care services among these individuals led to the creation of a number of theories in relation to care. There are two most known theories that were subject to develop back in 1970s. These theories were the Leininger’s Theory of cultural care while the second theory was the Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring (Watson & Watson, 2012). Basing on the Jean Watson’s theory, it describes nursing as a science basing on the concept that it encompasses the humanitarian together with the human science orientation. It same concept of nursing also encompasses the process of human caring, with also occurs in the form of a phenomenon, or occurs through experiences. In this case, caring science entails the art and humanities together with science. A caring science perspective builds on the ground of a relational ontology whereby one has to be in unity and connectedness to all. Therefore, caring science embraces on the equity that could be reflective, subjective, and interpretive, hence justifying with the reference to nursing as being a science. Question 2: How does the philosophy of the Department of Nursing at Lehman College relate to human science? The philosophy that governs the Department of Nursing at the Lehman College encompasses the belief that the faculty has on the concepts of education, nursing, persons, environment, and health. The philosophy thus provides a framework that directs the nursing curricula through the undergraduate and the graduate programs. In this case, the faculty has a belief that professional nursing education should occur in higher learning institutions since the nursing programs builds upon the liberal arts and sciences. The outcome is a critical thinking essential for one to provide the nursing care in the society, and also essential for developing the nursing profession (Lehman College: Department of Nursing). Combining all of these platforms creates the image of which the college’s philosophy relates to human science. Question 3: Define and discuss one (1) concept related to nursing as a human science Interpersonal Relationships – The term ‘interpersonal relationships’ in nursing is about establishing and maintaining the caring therapeutic relationships that are rooted in the deep understanding of other individuals, clients, groups or communities. The process reflects upon the usefulness of having effective communication techniques. Therefore, those individual conducting nursing care need to ensure that their clients do receive and understand both relevant and current information that concerns health care (Charalambous et al., 2010). Without any exception, the experiences that patients receive are subject to influence by the manner of which care is on offer. Through good interpersonal relationships, it will be possible to measure and put a patient at ease, and take their views more seriously. Good interpersonal relationships help understand the patient’s illness more fully, be able to voice the fears and concerns of patients, and be motivated into following the medical procedures. Therefore, a good interpersonal relationship goes beyond delivering quality and patient-centered care, as it also acts as a vehicle under which the patients receive treatment with respect. The first example that makes me remember of interpersonal relationships in nursing is the scenario involving my grandmother. At my young age, my grandmother passed away in Ghana after she was hit by a car on her way to church. She could not get treatment in hospital because no family member was present to own the responsibility of paying the medical bill, hence leaving her to succumb to her injuries on the hard cold hospital floor. The pain that my grandmother went through made me question on why some people might be hurtles to the extent of not helping a dying person. I really wish I was present and in position to help my grandmother at the time she wanted help the most. Her pain and suffering remains to be a key motivation in my nursing profession, whereby it directs on my compassionate and need for helping others, hence reflecting on level of interpersonal relationships that I have towards other people. I decided to do nursing with the purpose of ensuring that I bring care and compassionate feeling to my patients. It has to be the same care that my grandmother did not receive at the time she needed it most. The second example that makes me remember of interpersonal relationships in nursing is the video named “Sentimental Women Need Not Apply.” The video of sentimental women need not apply talks about the time when Florence Nightingale first opened the school for the nurses in 1861. Some of her criteria were that the women had to be single, plain looking, and not sentimental. It made me laugh because looking at these criteria alone in todays modern world; it would have turned away many people from nursing and me being among those people. Such forms of selection are hilarious and not rational in any way. I see it as a mockery to the nursing profession in that selection should rely on looks and relationship status. To me, nursing is all about intelligence and being able to think critically and getting the job done. All people need to be compassionate and sentimental, especially those serving in the nursing profession, rather than having nurses with look and distinguished relationship status that lack compassion towards others. Having these characteristics in the nursing practice reflects directly to the concept of interpersonal relationships. Question 4: Discussion on how the concept of Interpersonal Relationships reflects the values and meanings that I hold with respect to my practice of nursing The World Health Organization (WHO) (2000) together with the Department of Health (DH) (2004) has always put emphasis on the significance of patient-focused communication taking place between health professionals and the patients. Interpersonal relationships are subject to view as being vital towards achieving patient satisfaction, which includes that making of decisions in regards to care and offering of efficient health service. In a good health care setting that uses a patient-centered approach to the interaction of nurses and patients, the care outcome would lead to a number of positive results. Some of these outcomes include, but not limited to, patient satisfaction, adherence to patient options, and patient health. I consider effective communication in nursing practice to be essential to improving interpersonal relationships (Arnold & Boggs, 2011). Therefore, I believe that a person’s interpersonal relationship could be motivated by techniques such as open-ended questions, being able to listen, showing empathy, and being assertive to the patients and others. In respect to my practice of nursing, the value and meaning that I hold in this profession is tremendous. I consider nursing as a caring profession that requires honoring as being spiritual and the spirit-filled practice. I have a belief that nursing is a calling for a specific spiritual person that has the heart of being compassionate to other people. In this regard, the humanistic nature involved in the nursing practice reflects itself through the caring model and interpersonal relationships. In this regard, the interpersonal relationship is subject to consider as being the central concept in the nursing practice. It is hard for me as an individual to imagine nursing that has no concept of interpersonal relationships. Therefore, Interpersonal Relationships reflects the values and meanings that I hold with respect to my practice of nursing. References Arnold, E. & Boggs, K. (2011). Interpersonal relationships: Professional communication skills for nurses (6th ed.). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co. Charalambous, A., Katajisto, J., Välimäki, M., Leino-Kilpi, H., & Suhonen, R. (2010). Individualized care and the professional practice environment: nurses’ perceptions. International Nursing Review, 57, 4, 500-507. Department of Health (DH). (2004). Getting Over the Wall: How the NHS is improving the patient’s experience. London: Department of Health. Lehman College: Department of Nursing. Philosophy of the Nursing Department. http://www.lehman.edu/academics/health-human-services-nursing/nursing/nursing-philosophy.php Watson, J., & Watson, J. (2012). Human caring science: A theory of nursing. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. World Health Organization (WHO). (2000). World Health Report 2000 – Health Systems: Improving performance. Geneva: WHO. Read More