Sociology of Work: Nursing - Essay Example

Sociology of work: Name: Name of the institution: Work in sociology can be defined as the carrying out of duties; it involve the use of mental and physical effort with the objective of producing tasks and services that caters for the needs of people Therefore, the sociology of work is a study of the nature and importance that work plays to determine the quality of people’s daily life. In order to understand the true nature of the sociology of work concept I as an academic have to undertake the study of how the work has evolved through the ages. I therefore, examine Nursing industry and occupation that nurse’s work in thus incorporating the effects workplace participation and workplace diversity (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, 2000). To start with, the professions of a nurse have many faces and numerous applications especially in modern medicine. Each type of nurse has its own responsibility; Nurse practitioners, head nurses, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, nursing home nurses, nursing aides and home health nurses. Because of many shared chores nursing professions special skills ad different levels of patient interactions is very necessary. This means that they need to be qualified enough in order to serve better. The first groups are the registered nurses and they are the biggest group of healthcare workers. In order to be a registered nurse the students have to be able to deal directly with patients and their families. This is because they are the meeting point of contact between the patient and the world of health care whether in the bedside or if in an out-patient settings. Their job description is to conduct patient evaluations which include monitoring, perform procedures like the IV placement and administer medication among others. They are also required to develop day-to-day nursing care plans in the hospital and for the care after the patient is discharged (Curtis et al, 2011). To perform these duties they are supposed to hold a three year diploma or 3 to 4 years degree course in the field of nursing. The more educated the bigger the privileges. The second group of nurses is the nurse practitioners known as the prime caregivers. Their job description comprises of; being the first in line to diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries, prescribe certain medications though this varies by state. They also have to take some secondary care responsibilities such as anesthesiology, midwifery and clinical nurse specialists (Kucia & Quinn, 2009). They are mandated to have a certain level of qualification; Educational requirements to become a Nurse Practitioner often require a Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN), followed by extra training, and sometimes it requires a Masters in Nursing (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, 2000). The third groups are the head nurses; their job description is to supervise nursing activities in various settings, to set and assign duties to the nursing staff and make sure that all members of the nursing team have adequate training. They are also responsible for the performance of the nurses in the team. Therefore, they should ensure that nursing records are correctly maintained (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, 2000). They should be holding a certificate or a diploma in nursing before they can be accepted as head nurses. In addition, they are supposed to continue attending some in-service courses to keep them updated on the welfare of the patients. The fourth group of nurses is the licensed practical nurses also known as the Licensed vocational nurses and here follows their job description; they do provide the patient care on a personal level. They report directly to physician and they take responsibility to take vitals and monitor in and out volumes, treat common like bedsores, prepare and perform numerous procedures such as dressing, wounds, bath and give enemas among others. They also help the patient to cope with their illnesses. In some states they can administer prescribed medicines or start IV fluids (Curtis et al, 2011). For the qualification they are to have a three year diploma or 3 to 4 years degree course. However, there are other graduates who have a degree in other relevant subjects such as the social science, life or health and so they can take a shortened course of two years as a postgraduate diploma course. The fifth group of nurses is the home nurses their job description is to offer the nursing care especially for the residents with conditions such as fracture and Alzheimer disease. They do administrative and supervisory tasks, they assess residents’ health conditions, develop treatment plan under the supervision of licensed practical nurses and the nursing aides, and start intravenous fluids. In addition, they work in specialty –care departments; for example they can work in long-term rehabilitation centers for the patients who are suffering from head injuries and strokes. In addition, Home Health Nurses provide periodic services to the patients in their homes, they care for patients and their families these patients include those recovering from illnesses and accidents, cancer and childbirth. They also supervise home health aides (Kucia & Quinn, 2009). Similar to the licensed practical nurses they should have these qualifications a three year diploma or 3 to 4 years degree course. However, there are other graduates who have a degree in other relevant subjects such as the social science, life or health and so they can take a shortened course of two years as a postgraduate diploma course. The last group of nurses is the nursing aides also known as the geriatric aides, unlicensed assistant personnel, nursing assistants or hospital attendants do routine tasks. Their job description allows them to perform these tasks under the supervision of nursing and medical staff. They answer the patients call bells, serve meals, deliver messages, make the beds as well as help the patients to eat, bathe and dress. They also provide skin care to patients, help the patients to get in and out of bed, take temperature, pulse, respiration and blood pressure. Moreover, they are the ones who escorts patients to operations and examination rooms, tidy the patients rooms, do the setting up of equipments and assists with some procedures. They also observe patients equipments, observe their physical, mental as well as emotional conditions. They are also responsible for reporting changes to the nursing and medical staff (Kucia & Quinn, 2009). These kind of nurses though have so much to do are allowed to perform their duties even though they only have a little education on the nursing field, therefore, they can attend a home based care workshop and community service program to get a technical know how about the patient. However, so many institutions demands them to have a 2yr certificate and above in the nursing field. Nursing job is a very interesting one; nevertheless it has its own challenges and difficulties and so it needs a passionate person. This means nursing should be a vocation and not just a career to earn a living. This is the conclusion gotten from the interviews. Rashid Abu-Bakr and Sadie Asmal are nurse aides who make a team in Seha Emirates Hospital in Abu Dhabi, Capital of the United Arab Emirate. Rashid has been working there for 10 years while as Sadie has just joined the team. Rashid seems to be a very committed nurse aides and he has performed so many duties in the hospital. He is one person who can be termed as an asset for he does his job with zest and zeal. On the other hand, Asmal seems to be so much exhausted with her new work she looks and sounds like a person who has a power within to continue with her work given a little reinforcement and affirmation. The following is just the information gotten from the actual interview. At the moment Rashid is working in the psychiatric ward; you can imagine how hard it is with mentally disturbed people. But Rashid says that he feels fulfilled while dealing with these kinds of patients. He has worked in many other units in the hospital but this is where he has found consolation and fulfillment. He said that these patients are not only mentally sick but emotionally disturbed and so he has to give them emotional support apart from other recommended duties. He spends extra time with each one of them as he shares with them and listens to them even when they seem to not make any sense. He said that the job its tiresome but there is nothing that he cannot handle. Rashid is a qualified nurse aide for he has a diploma and he is already enrolled for a degree. He says that he is willing to study further in order to be of use to the ailing community and other employees who might feel disappointed in their duties. Rashid was so much discouraged by the attitude of the nurses who were treating his old grandmother. He felt so bad and this made him to decide to become a nurse so that he can bring change in nursing field and also bring hope to patients. This could be seen in the manner that he conducted his duties with audacity. He does not despise any patient and he does all his duties very well; he said he is not after salary but for the welfare of the patients. On the contrary, Asmal has to be pushed here and there and she seems to be working because she has to do it. She was forced to become a nurse due to circumstances. She said that she wanted to become a doctor in order to serve the patients but mostly for status; he mother could not afford to pay for medical course so she took her to do a degree in nursing. She feels so agitated while these patients keep on calling her. She says that sometimes she has a feeling that they are just mere pretenders who are seeking attention. However, Asmal says that she continues to work in this job due to the motivation he gets from Rashid and other nurse aides who work with enthusiasm. She declares that given time she will change her attitude and perform her duties very enthusiastically. I could see this in her speech and she was determined to work selflessly as time goes by. To conclude, we can see that nursing is not an easy job for it is very demanding. Therefore, it requires a person to have the vocation to be a nurse; the duties are many and some of them are even humiliating but with a call to do so it is possible. This is very perceptible given a person like Rashid who works so hard no matter the kind of patients he is dealing with. In my opinion, education is nothing without a passion of the job a person is engaging with. References Curtis, K., Lord, B., & Ramsden, C. (2011). Emergency and trauma care for nurses and paramedics. Chatswood, NSW: Else Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. (2000). Australian family physician. Sydney: Australian College of General Practitioner Kucia, A., & Quinn, T. (2009). Acute Cardiac Care: A Practical Guide for Nurses. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. Read More