Nursing and Caring: Ethics of Care - Essay Example

"Nursing and Caring: Ethics of Care" is a worthy example of a paper on care.
Caring is the act of feeling and showing concern and compassion for others. It is universal and has an implication on people’s cognitive processes. According to the author of the article “caring in nursing,” caring is the focal point of nursing. A nurse should strive to build a caring relationship with the patient (Swanson, 2012). Based on the Watson caring theory a nurse should examine the uniqueness of the patient to all extent in order to preserve the nurse-patient bond. The article provides an analysis of a number of theories on caring and nursing

Ethics of Care

According to the author, the theory of ethics of care has evolved considerably over the past decade into three key versions. Critics of these theories of ethics of care perceive care to be a necessary standpoint for moral responses and sensitivity. However, they consider other tools vital for moral problem-solving. Care is crucial to the patient-nurse relationship and the profession as a whole. Care in nursing is necessary for maintaining the patient's emotional, physical, and social wellbeing (Bennet, 2011).

According to the author, there are three primary elements of examining caring in nursing are cognitive, emotional, and behavioral/ action strategy. The nurse first identifies the need of a patient, for instance, a pain relief medication. Later, the nurse finds the responsibility to respond to and take the necessary action by either administering a dosage or calling a physician. The nurse continually assesses the condition of the patient and responds instantly if another need arises. Caring defines nursing in the way that curing defines medicine (Swanson, 2012). Nurses respond to the susceptibility of their patients, primarily since the needs of the patients have a likelihood of creating dependency (Brown, 2011).

Effective caring in nursing requires certain traits: skill and attitude. Additionally, good care encompasses certain traits of the patient and the knowledge of the patient's condition. Therefore, the nurse's past experience with a patient provides knowledge of the patient's needs. the article provides four other elements of nursing care that include attentiveness, competence, responsibility, and patient responsiveness. Attentiveness involves the identification of the patient’s need. Failure of the nurse to recognize and comprehend the need results in the lack of care. Attentive nurses are forced to step out of their personal preference and assume that of the patients. As a result, nurses are able to comprehend patient real-life conditions. In the US, most hospitals have put up measures to foster nurse’s attentiveness to the patient’s need. The nurse code of ethics stipulates that the nurses have the responsibility of providing adequate care to the patient. As such, certainty exists with regard to responsibility as the second component of caring in nursing. However, the author questions the scope of the nurse’s care responsibility. The third element examines is competence (Bennet, 2011). Effective care requires the utmost competence of the nurses. The nurse should have adequate knowledge of the health profession. For the adequate provision of care, the nurse should continually update their competence, particularly in skill and knowledge.  Patient responsiveness is an important element in caregiving. Patients are susceptible to the nurse’s inaction or action. Therefore, the nurse should verify that patient's caring needs are met.

Conclusion

An individual choice to become a nurse comes with a moral commitment to provide care to all patients. Caring in nursing should not be taken lightly irrespective of the patient's health condition. A nurse should respect the dignity and the rights of the patient.