This paper focuses on the developed personal philosophy of nursing, that nursing is not just a gig paid job but a profession the provides care and empathy to patients through inter-personal relationship, caring, compassion and concern for the dignity and care of patient by the application of knowledge obtained through clinical excellence despite diverse cultural backgrounds.
The nursing profession is a very high stress and over worked profession, with increased patient to nurse ratios due to short staffing and staffing restrictions. There are people who go into nursing only for a job and a paycheck or because they think it is a glorious profession, then quickly realize the cons out weigh the Ross because they don’t have a key element to survive in the profession, which is caring. Caring is detrimental characteristic to possess as a professional nurse. It will help with establishing interpersonal relationship, as well as communicating therapeutically with patients and family members, being a proficient patient care advocate despite diverse cultures, and are included in all aspects of patient care assessment, treatment and recovery. Inter-professional relationships are easier to establish between nurse and patient with a caring empathetic nurse.
Patients will be more inclined to expression their concerns and comfort needs. Woman (2004), reports several characteristics of a caring nurse: “ being open and perceptive for others, being genuinely concerned for the patient, being morally responsible, being truly present for the patient, and being dedicated and having the courage to be appropriately involved as a professional nurse” (p. 424).
In Jacksonville University School of Nursing four-point star philosophy, caring is the center component of their star philosophy for as everything begins with caring and live caring is an embedded trait of nursing. Many theorists have formed theories based on the concept of caring. Watson Human Caring Theory is based on “ care and love” is essential component to balanced psychic state, endurance and sustenance of humankind. Lingerer’s Culture Care Diversity and Universality Theory, is based on the concept that care and culture are connected and are both required to provide care to diverse cultural group. In essence, caring is the defining component of nursing. Compassion and concern for the dignity, privacy and care of patients is another important aspect of nursing and is accomplished by the application of knowledge obtained through clinical excellence and experience despite diverse cultural backgrounds. “ Clinical excellence encompasses professionalism, effective communication and interpersonal skills, diagnostic acumen, skillful negotiation of the health care system, a scholarly and caring approach to clinical practice” Jacksonville University, 2012, paragraph 8).
Clinical excellence is achieve by the application of education and knowledge learned in theory courses with developed procedure skills and effective therapeutic immunization in the clinical setting in various health care facility. Knowledge is gained through experience and continued education. Cultural background is aspect of patient care that is over looked and at times dismissed because of stereotypes, lack of knowledge about a specific culture and their beliefs about health care and simply not caring. The emergency room is area that treatment is provided to diverse cultures, but due to time restraints that are placed on doctors and nurses to expedite care to decrease attentions’ wait time, cultural beliefs are rarely considered. This may be perceived as not caring by patients and family members thus effecting patients care, treatment and recovery outcome.
In conclusion, caring and how patients and family members perceive care has an overall effective on the outcome of care. Caring is the essence of nursing. It is not a quality that is developed over time or with experience, you have it or you don’t.
