Becoming a Healthcare Professional - Essay Example

Becoming a Healthcare Professional Total Number of Words 505 Table of Contents I. Introduction …………………………………………………………….. 3 II. The Role of a Nurse …………………………………………………… 4 III. Nursing Ethics and its Legal Issues ………………………………… 5 a. Ethical and Legal Issues Related to Autonomy ………. 5 IV. Importance of Effective Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication in Nursing Profession …………………………………………………….. 7 V. Three Professional Attributes Required in Professional Nursing particularly in Children’s Ward ……………… 8 VI. Conclusion ……………………………………………………….......... 8 References ………………………………………………………………………9 - 10 Introduction Since nursing profession deals not only with humanities but also has its own scientifically tested body of knowledge, the study of nursing is not only considered as an art but also a science.1 Nurses should provide holistic care for sick patients. Nurses are also responsible in the promotion of health prevention and health education not only within the hospital setting but also within the community areas.2 According to Radcliffe (2000), “nursing is more than treating sick patients; it is more on nourishing, problem solving related to easing the patients’ sufferings and pain through medical intervention or death.”3 To give us a better insight on the nursing profession, the researcher will assess the role of a nurse aside from discussing the nursing ethics and legal issues including the importance of effective verbal and non-verbal communication as a way of establishing relationships within the nursing practice. Along the way, the researcher will also describe three professional attributes that is required in professional nursing particularly in children’s ward. The Role of a Nurse Nurses should provide a holistic approach when dealing with the patients’ fear and worries about their current health situation.4 Aside from providing care for the patients, nurses should implement health promotional activities particularly on educating the patients with the adverse effects of using drugs, smoking and excessive alcohol intake5 to the health of a person; the impact of proper nutrition in fighting childhood obesity6; and the importance of physical activities towards one’s health.7 In line with the health promotion, nurses should regularly conduct new research findings and develop a useful strategy in order to fight and prevent fatal diseases that are highly preventable.8 Nurses should also render proper treatment and care to critically ill patients. This includes prevention of further health complications.9 In line with the proper treatment and care, nurses should closely monitor the health condition of the patients by regularly checking and recording the result of the blood pressure test, body temperature, pulse rate, and other necessary physical examination. Nursing Ethics and its Legal Issues Ethical and Legal Issues Related to Autonomy The ethical principle of autonomy is important in nursing profession.10 Basically, nurses should allow the patients in making decision for his preferred treatment and inform them with the process of their treatment and care. Before making a judgment, nurses should consider the legal dimension of informed consent and the ethical consideration of health care practices. For consent to be legal, the consent should be given voluntarily by the informed individual whose age is 18 and above.11 In case the patient is below the age of 18, healthcare professionals should seek a parental guidance from the patients’ parents especially before giving any major intervention on the health care service given to the patients.12 In case this principle of autonomy is violated for any reason, the patient(s), patient’s family and relatives, and/or the rest of the health care professional body may subject the particular health and social care provider(s) to a legal action.13 In some cases, the entire group of health care providers may also be held liable for the particular violation of their staff.13 In the absence of providing the patient, family or relatives the nature and purpose of the treatment procedures could make the health care professionals liable for an act of negligence in case the patient suffers from harm due to the care and treatment the patient has received.14 To avoid some future miscommunication about the patients’, the family or relatives’ decision on the care and treatment of the patients, all information regarding the informed consent including the decline on certain care or treatment should be recorded.15 As the rule of thumb, each patient has the legal right to either agree or disagree on certain care or treatment based on their religious belief or value system regardless of whether the health and social care practitioners view the patients’ decision to be irrational.16 Patients’ decision on his/her desired care and treatment should always be treated with respect by their health care provider(s). Importance of Effective Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication in Nursing Profession A verbal communication is essential in the nursing profession in order to prevent errors in the documentation as well as in the proper care and medication needed by the patients.17 According to Arnold and Underman Boggs (1999), a two-way communication between the nurses and the patients could enhance the development of relationship between the two in order to hasten the recovery period of the patients.18 In line with a therapeutic communication line between the nurses and the patients, the nurses will be able to determine the specific needs of each patient.19 Burnard (1997) explains that listening should not focus only what the patient has to say but also listen to the timing, volume, pitch and accent including the non-verbal aspects of communication such as the facial expression, body posture and gestures.20 In addition to this matter, Mitchell (2002) state that nurses should have good listening skills while carefully observing the non-verbal cues in order to enable the nurses to assess the patients’ information needs.21 In the process, nurses could lessen the burden and anxiety on the part of the patients. Three Professional Attributes Required in Professional Nursing particularly in Children’s Ward Nurses’ confidence in their profession is important in gaining the trust of the patient and his/her family members. With the presence of trust between the two parties, nurses could easily enable them to follow the necessary care and medication as prescribed by the physicians. On the other hand, commitment in the nursing profession will enable the nurses to deliver a better quality care to the patients. Nurses should also be compassionate as a sign of showing sincerity when rendering care to the patients.22 Conclusion Nursing profession is unique since it focuses on the study of humanitarians and medical sciences. For a nurse to be competitive, continuously updating his/her current knowledge is essential in order to meet the latest nursing standards required in the nursing profession. Also, nurses should also have a strong knowledge on nursing ethics and its legality in order to avoid having legal problems in the future. *** End *** References: Arnold, E., & Underman, B. K. (2004). Interpersonal Relationships: Professional Communication Skills for Nurses in Rogan Foy C. and Timmins F. (ed) Improving Communication in Day Surgery Settings. Nursing Standards , 19(7):37 - 42. Brage, S., Wedderkopp, N., Ekelund, U., Franks, P., Wareham, N., Anderson, L., et al. (2004). Features of the Metabolic Syndrome are Associated with Objectively Measured Physical Activity and Fitness in Danish Children: the European Youth Heart Study. Diabetes Care , 27(9):2141 - 2149. Burnard, P. (2004). Effective Communication Skills for Health Professionals in Rogan Foy C. and Timmins F. (ed) Improving Communication in Day Surgery Settings. Nursing Standard , 19(7):37 - 42. Capriotti, T., & McLaughlin, S. (1998). A Revitalized Battle Against Diabetes Mellitus for the New Millenium. 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