...MY NURSING CAREER AND LIFE PLAN As written by Walter Mosely, “America now stand on a fiscal precipice and right now our money is worth less daily as our children’s potential is dwindling, our medical insurance, Social Security and ability to make choices about when and if we retire are eroding”. So I decided to become a nurse, to have health insurance, paid vacations, 401k pension plans and security of tenure. The need for a career that is not just a JOB, but a career that can make me financially stable (no more paycheck to paycheck), a career which will bring joy to both me and those I help nurture back to health. Even as a small child attending Elementary School, I had this vision of becoming a Nurse and working in as hospital assisting the sick and needy. Not just a nurse trying to make money, but also that nurse who shows caring and understanding for all patients young or old, rich or poor, and of course the one that would see beyond a patients color. Life doesn’t always take you in a single direction, so even though I have worked in numerous industries including the healthcare field, dreams got pushed aside as other interests were pursued. Today I can say that I have taken that first step; that giant leap to achieving that dream. Finally, I have registered and started classes which will lead to me graduating with an Associate of Science degree and ultimately becoming a Registered Nurse after 2 years of study and also being successful in the State Licensure...
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...concept, quality of life, as used in nursing theories, is presented in a historically situated context. This approach to concept analysis was selected to illuminate the subjective, contextual, and fluid nature of the concept. Based on this review, quality of life is defined as an intangible, subjective perception of one’s lived experience. From a review of Peplau’s, Rogers’, Leininger’s, King’s, and Parse’s conceptualizations of quality of life, it is concluded that it may be viable to replace health with quality of life as a meta-paradigm concept for nursing. There are numerous definitions of quality of life that exist. Described as experiences of life (Meeberg, 1993), satisfaction with life, and well-being (Ferrans, 1996; Haas, 1999; (Meeberg, 1993), the definition of quality of life lacks precision and specificity. Consistency is important because “differences in meaning can lead to profound differences in outcomes for research, clinical practice, and allocation of health care resources” (Ferrans, 1996, p. 294). Nurses have made important contributions to understanding this concept. The quality of life has been examined in groups of people experiencing a particular illness or health deficit, such as cancer or heart disease (C. R. King, 1998). Quality of life concept analyses have focused on existential aspects of the concept. However, these efforts have met with limited success (Ferrans, 1996) due to multiple disciplinary perspectives of quality of life researchers and...
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...Professional Moral Compass Ethics, a branch of philosophy refers to the values for human conduct, considering the rightness and wrongness of actions and motives. As nursing profession is an integral part of the health care environment, the nursing ethics provides the insight to the values and ethical principles governing nursing practice, conduct, and relationships. The Code of Ethics for Nurses, adopted by the American Nurses' Association (ANA) is intended to provide definite standards of practice and conduct that are essential to the ethical discharge of the nurse's responsibility (American Nurses Association, 2012). A nurse cultivates personal ethics through personal, cultural and spiritual values which becomes a moral compass for their professional ethics. Personal ethics in combination with the code of ethics often assist the nurses in personal and social decision making during ethical dilemma. This ability prompts them to better respond to needs of the suffering patient and their own well-being. This paper will discuss the personal, cultural, and spiritual values contributing to nurses’ individual worldview and philosophy of nursing and the moral and ethical dilemma being faced in this profession. Values Contributing to Individual’s Worldview and Philosophy of Nursing Born in a Christian middle class South Indian family, the strict traditional values helped to embed the concept of service, trust, respect, integrity and responsibility through family, friends, education...
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...The Comfort Care Concept at End of Life Introduction End of life is a concept that is often ignored despite the fact that everyone will die some day. It is because death is a part of life that people are familiar with comfort care given at the end of life. Comfort care is offered when someone is dying, and when the end is predictable. Comfort care is an essential part of nursing care at the end of life. It is care that helps or soothes a person who is dying. The goal is to prevent or relieve suffering as much as possible while respecting the dying person’s wishes (NIH, 2012). The goal of comfort care in nursing is the immediate state of being strengthened by having the needs for relief, ease, and transcendence addressed in the four contexts of holistic human experience: physical, psychospiritual, sociocultural, and environmental (Kolcaba, 2010). I have worked in the oncology field of nursing for 16 years and have seen several patients go through the end-of-life process. I have seen the better outcome of the dyeing process take place, this is when all four holistic human aspects are met, but sadly I have also seen a few complete the process without having one or more of the holistic context met. I must emphasize that delivering exceptional nursing comfort care to the patients who are in their final days or even hours prior to death, is just as vitally important as delivering critical care to the acutely or critically ill patients. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate...
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...A Day in the Life of an Elder in a Nursing Home Bailey A Walker Ivy Tech Community College Nursing homes and convalescent centers have often received a bad reputation throughout the years. Some of these negative stereotypes were perhaps well earned, even though they unfairly placed this negative light on well managed and caring nursing homes. This certainly is the case for Salem Crossing nursing home where I volunteered. During my time at Salem Crossing I was able to learn the types of people that resided there, the reasons they are there, as well as the daily routine that one goes through while living in a nursing home. There are many different groups of people who need the assistance of a nursing home. Elders that have to live their life in a nursing home are normally physically and mentally disabled people who need 24-hour care and cannot live on their own. They live in a home with around 100 other residents that have a variety of needs. Typically they eat all of their meals there while also participating in some forms of therapy and rehabilitation. Full time nurses are there to administer their medications daily. Most nursing homes are located in towns that have a hospital nearby in case of an emergency. According to Foundation Aiding the Elderly, “nearly 6 percent of older adults are living in a nursing home,” (History of Nursing Homes). There are different types of rooms and lengths of stays available for a nursing home and your medical needs. For instance, A Place...
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...A Life Mission Marjorie G. Rizzo Southeastern Louisiana University College of Nursing and Health Sciences NURS 333 September 28, 2015 LIFE MISSION 2 A Life Mission Choosing to pursue a career in nursing represents the commitment I have to live in accordance with my values. A nursing career constitutes a large part of my overall mission in life. A mission that acquires more dimensions as I learn more of what nursing entails. Experiences and Decisions My experiences have taught me the wisdom of living my life in a manner that provides me with the things that give my life meaning. Experience has taught me to make decisions based upon my values. Challenges Life presents challenges that require either creating a way to change the circumstances that present themselves or adapting to those circumstances. In the process of changing and adapting, I learned that I can use the strengths, skills, and creative thought processes I’ve developed and to apply these skills to other areas in my life. Direction I have moved towards different careers based upon my natural talents and inclinations, but found that they left me unsatisfied. I realized the dissatisfaction was due to the lack of altruistic components in the fields I was pursuing. I researched different career options and decided that nursing encompassed all the things that have meaning for me. Mission Statements My personal mission in life is in line with my view of life as a continuous growth process. At the core of my...
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...exploring perceptions of reiki therapy in end-of-life care amongst nursing students. Some people do not believe reiki to be an effective form of therapy, or may not even know what reiki is to begin with. I am curious to research how much nursing students know about reiki and to what extent they believe it is effective in end-of-life care. Caring for patients at the end of life is a special kind of nursing, as nursing skills and priorities may contrast from those regularly seen in typical medical-surgical settings. Reiki helps people and animals transition from their bodies with grace and ease....
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...Nursing Philosophy Fredy M. Calderon-Ventura Lehman College Abstract Philosophy of nursing states our thoughts on what we believe to be true about the nature of the profession of nursing and provide a basis for nursing activities. It endorses ethical values we hold as basic and bases our beliefs in theory. Nursing philosophy is based on both professional organization and individual definitions. Many factors both intrinsically and extrinsically influence one’s personal perceptions of the great profession called nursing. Every nurse is accountable for maintaining her own knowledge and education after completion of a nursing program. With a focus on personal professional growth that intellectually stimulates and promotes individual autonomy with her given specialty of practice, a nurse can greatly improve her self-confidence and professional motivation, thus providing a firm foundation on which to base her nursing judgment. Nursing Philosophy One strategy nurses can use to affirm that their practice is in harmony with their value system is to write a personal philosophy statement. This might be general in nature, such as a philosophy that relates to life values; it could be a philosophy statement related to beliefs about the profession of nursing; or it might be a philosophy specific to school nursing. In each case, this activity will encourage nurses to clarify their values and then examine how their philosophy fits with their professional practice. Articulating a philosophy...
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...Historical Development of Nursing Timeline 1850s The history of theoretical and scientific approach in nursing evolution rooted in mid-1800s by the founder and pioneer of modern nursing; Florence Nightingale. She was considered “The Lady with the Lamp” and “The Mother of Modern Nursing “. Florence Nightingale was born in Florence Italy on May 12, 1820. She grew up with the belief that her religious calling was to take care of other people. She started her work during the Crimean war. Her amazing management skills and her ability to provide nursing care to the healthy and wounded soldiers, using her great base knowledge and understanding about the cause and effect of disease and the influence of the environment in healing process, provided a major impact in healthcare and started the beginning of the nursing profession. Her satisfaction however did not end alone in taking care of her patients. She broadened the concept of nursing by research and studies on how to come up with more effective care using statistics, cases and data. Her dedication and the positive outcomes influenced many peoples around the globe and inspired the continuation of her great work. In 1859, Florence Nightingale published her views on nursing care in “Notes on Nursing”. The basis of nursing practice was based on this theory. 1960s Theorist Year Nursing Theories V. Henderson 1960...
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...Chamberlain College of Nursing Instructor Jodi Protokowicz 7/16/15 A nursing theory provides a view or window into the reality of nursing (CCN, 2015). Nursing theories are basic concepts that define nursing practice and provide the explanation to why nurses do what they do. I have given no thought to the use of nursing theory until taking this nursing class and this assignment is proving very difficult to follow. I have utilized nursing theory in my everyday work of nursing. A nurse will use multiple nursing theories during the scope of their day. These theories guide how nurses treat their patients, how tasks are performed and assessments or interventions are carried out. Critical thinking skills start by studying nursing theory. Nursing theory is theoretical practices to gain insight and knowledge on a particular concept. The theory I have selected to use is the Roy adaptation model which is a grand theory. The purpose of this assignment is to identify a nursing theory which is the Roy adaptation theory, analyze the importance of the selected theory to the nursing profession and summarize key concepts and relationships among the concepts of the selected nursing theory. I will analyze how the Roy Adaptation Theory relates to nursing education. Importance of Nursing Theory Nursing theories were developed to help define the unique practice of nursing as its own separate profession. If it wasn’t for early theorists like Florence Nightingale, the nursing profession wouldn’t...
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...to the American Nurses Association (ANA), the nursing code of ethics provides a framework for nurses to use as a guide to help them in ethical decision making (ANA, 2001, p. 3). There are many provisions to the nursing code of ethics, but the intent of the document remains consistent. Our own ethics, morals and values contribute to our personal philosophy of nursing and shape our nursing practice. There are often conflicts of a nurses own values, morals and ethics causing dilemmas within her, but referring back to the code of ethics can help guide her like a compass on the correct path for each patient. Morals are what dictate right and wrong to a person, including nurses. As a nurse, doing anything to harm a patient is immoral. Keeping that in mind when we talk to a patient or family, we do not want to cause any harm, be it physical, emotional or psychological. It is in this way that our moral compass guides our actions and words. As with morals, values also contribute to our decisions and philosophy of nursing. Moral values refer to thoughts and ideas which we hold dear, have meaning to us, or describe beliefs that guide us to make decisions in our person and professional lives. When we run into a dilemma with our morals, this is where ethics steps in. Ethics involves questioning our morals, and moral decisions in life and in our nursing practice. This questioning of moral decisions causes ethical dilemmas. Human life should be valued above all else, this is one...
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...Philosophy of Nursing Lindsay Prestwood, RN Georgia Southern University Spring 2012 NURS 3139 Philosophy of Nursing A philosophy is a person’s value statement composed of that person’s ideologies and characteristics. It is my personal opinion that a philosophy is strongly influenced by a person’s upbringing, their life experiences and is an evolving moral belief in an area of their life. There are differing opinions and statements that can define a philosophy. My philosophy in nursing is built on a firm belief that I should always maintain integrity, honesty and a heart to help health the sick and those in need, while laying aside my own personal biases do only what is right of a prudent nurse. Being a strong and prudent nurse is one that esteems the patient’s needs above their own needs. Nursing is the foundation to the practice of medicine in our nation. I will share one definition of a philosophy according to Yoder-Wise: A nursing philosophy statement outlines the vision, values, and beliefs about the practice of nursing and the provision of patient care within the organization. The philosophy statement is used to guide the practice of nursing in the various nursing units on a daily basis. (Yoder-Wise, 2011, 282) As I stated in my original philosophy, being a strong and prudent nurse who places a patient’s needs as top priority is the part of what encompasses my philosophy of nursing. Concepts and Beliefs When I stated in my philosophy that one must place the...
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...Running head: MY NURSING PHILOSOPHY My Nursing Philosophy and How Nursing Impacts My Life Liza Guillen Broward College My Nursing Philosophy and How Nursing Impacts My Life In order to fully understand my personal nursing philosophy I had to first begin to research the meaning of the word philosophy. Philosophy: the rational investigation of truths and principals of being, knowledge or conduct (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/philosophy). Nursing can be defined differently by each individual. The word nursing comes from the Latin word nutricius, which means “nourishing.”(Nursing Today). To nourish is to provide any type of care necessary to promote; maintain life and growth. But what does care really mean? Well caring is defined as “feeling and exhibit concern and empathy for other” (the free dictionary). A nurse incorporates all of these meanings into not only patient care but to a way of life in order to truly believe and live by his or her own philosophy of nursing. Dr, Jean Watson’s caring theory incorporates three main elements of caring into her theory which are carative factors, the transpersonal caring relationship, and the caring occasion/caring moment (Watson, 2001). These elements describe the trusting relationship a nurse must create with the patient, the time and space to do so, and the how a nurse extend beyond their own sense of self to understand and care for others as unique beings. I believe these elements guide nurses to serve...
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...Importance of Nursing Theory Chamberlain College of Nursing Theoretical Basis Adv Nursing NR501 July 20, 2015 Importance of Nursing Theory Theory is an arrangement of thoughts meant to describe something. These thoughts and ideas usually have basic principles that validate the purpose of the proposed theory. Nursing theory is a well thought out scholarly structure of concepts. These concepts are created to help guide nursing practice. They explain the fundamentals of nursing care. Multiple clinical decisions are based upon nursing theories. There are many different types of nursing theories developed primarily by nurses. Nursing theorist’s main goal is to examine nursing practice and explain the working or non-working parts of nursing. Theorists frequently use their academic and clinical experiences when producing theories. A very popular and influential nursing theorist in the twentieth century was Virginia Henderson. The development of her Nursing Need Theory has greatly impacted nursing practice today (Waller-Wise, 2012). This paper will include four sections. Section one will examine how theories have an impact and importance to the nursing profession. Section two will review the relationships among the concepts of Henderson’s Nursing Need Theory. Section three will examine two real-life examples illustrating the views of Henderson’s Theory. Section four will contain a summary and conclusion along with the knowledge gained from writing this paper. Section...
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...Introduction When one thinks about the historical developments in nursing research and research utilization, the statement is indeed true… that nursing has evolutionalized. This brief journey into historical research has been described by LoBiondo – Wood and Haber (1998) as ‘the systematic compilation of data, resulting from evaluation and interpretation of facts regarding people, events and occurrences of the past’ History is where we come from, who we are, and where we are going. History may not always repeat itself exactly, but knowledge of history can serve as a guide to avoiding pitfalls or mistakes similar to those in the past (Rees and Howell, 1999) Developments covered will include the work of Florence Nightingale, the development of the Nursing Science Journal and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the identification and development of the first nursing diagnosis conference and the development of the Healthy People 2010. Florence Nightingale is best known as the person who founded modern nursing. She chose nursing despite the disapproval of her family. Her choice to rebel against the traditional woman’s role as a wife and mother helped her as she started her initial research role by focusing on the patient’s physical and mental wellbeing and promoting a healthy environment. She is noted for her collection and analysis of soldier morbidity and mortality data during the Crimean War. The research enabled her to change the attitudes of the military and...
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