A Reflection Of The Professional Socialization Of Nursing

Professional Socialization to Nursing
Student Nurse
Hartwick College

Reflection
For some time I was under the great misconception that nurses play a relatively small role when it comes to patient care. Various T.V. shows that I had watched emphasized the role of doctors and portrayed nurses as more of a handmaiden than anything else. This outlook was forever changed when my grandmother was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Being a vibrant and quick-witted seventy-nine year old, she made it clear to our family that a nursing home was not in the cards for her. Our next option was hiring a home health nurse. At first my grandmother struggled with the idea of having regular assistance since she had always been such an independent individual.

Furthermore, the core concept behind many nursing theories is caring. A nurse could have the best clinical skills and exhibit expertise in the application of knowledge, but if that nurse fails to communicate a caring atmosphere to his or her patient, all is lost. As registered nurse Jane Tanking (2010) states, “Caring is important for many reasons, but it is considered very crucial for quality healthcare. It is a key component in the patient's satisfaction in the healthcare environment,” (p. 1). This research article in particular surveyed any discrepancies between nurses and patients regarding important caring behavior. Patients and nurses alike were asked to rate what caring meant to them using the Caring Behaviors Inventory (CBI) system which includes the following subscales: (1) respectful deference to others; (2) assurance of human presence; (3) positive connectedness; (4) professional knowledge and skill; and (5) attentiveness to other's experience (Tanking, 2010). The top responses from nurses were from only the following three categories- respectful deference to others, assurance of human presence, and professional knowledge and skill. However, patients rated all five categories to be an integral part of nurse care. This shows that nurses must be aware of their positive connectedness as well as their attentiveness to another person’s experience, since both

Nursing is a career that requires one to be caring and empathetic, two attributes that I consider myself to have. This viewpoint on nursing has only been solidified as I have read more nurse caring articles and participated in class discussions regarding how to properly care for a patient. Since I am a very caring individual, I think that I will make positive contributions to the world of nursing. Furthermore, job security within the field is something that brings me great peace of mind. Being able to thoroughly enjoy my career and know that I am likely to always have job opportunities is something that I very much look forward to in my professional