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The Importance of Nursing in American Culture Nursing is a field of work that so many people find themselves fascinated with, as well as harboring a degree of respect. We look to nurses with a sense of admiration and reverence, and look to them for security in times of need. What makes nursing such a desirable and enthralling field to other people? Despite the fact that doctors are normally under the spotlight, nursing is of profound importance in American culture. Nurses provide comfort and security, as well as a knowledge of medical aid. The field of nursing has the benefit of coming from a field that is ancient, yet timeless and has blossomed throughout history to make a large impact on our culture today. A nurse’s role in our society today is exceptionally significant. Nurses are somewhat idolized and looked to as our everyday “superman”. “The mission of nursing in society is to help individuals, families, and groups to determine and achieve physical, mental, and social potential, and to do so within the challenging context of the environment in which they live and work” (“The Role of a Nurse/Midwife”). Many Americans turn to nurses for delivery of primary health care services and health care education (Whelan). In our country, there is constantly someone in need of health care. There will always be a baby being born or a person dying, someone becoming ill or growing old. Some people due to their physical and/or mental state of health are completely dependent on a nurse and wouldn’t be able to get through the simple obstacles of every day, or achieve the necessary requirements of a simple day without their aid. Not only do nurses help, and assist you when you’re sick, but also act to promote good health to others. They end... ... middle of paper ... ...s or concerns”(Campbell). The profound importance of nursing in our culture begins with the little people and the forgotten importance of the school nurse. Works Cited Barnet, Diane, RN. "What Does It Mean to Be a Nurse?" Working Nurse. N.p., 2014. Web. 04 May 2014. Campbell, Shannon. RN. Personal Interview. 01 May. 2014. Nurses: If Florence Could See Us Now. Dir. Kathy Douglas. Perf. Karen Daley. Marilyn Chow. 2012. Film. "Nurse." Merriam-Webster. Merriam -Webster, n.d. Web. 04 May 2014. "The Role of a Nurse / Midwife." Irish Nursing Board, An Bord Altranais. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2014. Weatherford, Doris. "National Women's History Museum." About. N.p., June 2010. Web. 01 May 2014. Whelan, Jean C. "American Nursing: An Introduction To The Past." American Nursing: An Introduction To The Past. Penn Nursing Science, n.d. Web. 02 May 2014.
Often time, nurses has been viewed by patients, their family members and the medical team as basic emotional care givers, pill crushers or cart pullers and not as healthcare professionals who are more interesting in health promotion, disease prevention and better patient outcomes. They also often forget the emotional, physical, mental, and caring part that is involved with the profession. And to make matters worse, nurses are continued to be viewed as a threat by doctors more than ever before especially with the opening of Nurse Practitioners programs.
In today’s society nursing is seen as both a vocation and a profession. It requires knowledge, compassion and skill and is not for the faint of heart. Nurses are respected and trusted, as well as relied upon by people when they are at their most vulnerable. However this has not always been the case, as Florence Nightingale once put it nursing was left to “those who were too old, too weak, too drunken, too dirty, too stupid or too bad to do anything else” (1). It was not until the mid-1800’s that nursing was thought to require both skill and training and was not a respected profession (2). Opportunities for nursing outside the home were very limited as before 1880, the hospital treatment of illness was fairly rare. Where home services were adequate, a sick person was attended to by the family doctor and nursed at home either by female family members or highly trusted servants (2).
Angelou once said, “The people may forget the nurses name, but they will never forget how that nurse made them feel.” Nursing is a profession. Unfortunately, nursing does not always get the credit it deserves because of these stereotypes. Nursing is not a gay profession for males. Due to the shortage of nurses, our society needs more nurses now than never. Nurses make a difference in almost every person’s lives just not in hospital rooms but also in schools and clinics. Nursing in not easy job but somebody has to do it. There has to those individuals who must take on this challenge and be the difference in someone’s life. People could not care if someone considers them a failure for being a nurse and not a doctor. Most doctors could not do their job effectively without the help and assistance of nurses. The money is there for those who think nurses does not get paid that much. Healthcare is one of the biggest factors in our world, and for our world to progress further, an increase in employment for nursing is necessary. These stereotypes should not and will not stop the field of nursing from
Nursing’s development from an occupation to a profession follows the devotion and sacrifice of many amazing women throughout history. Considered to be one of the oldest professions, women have performed what could be considered nursing duties since the beginning of time. Although there have been many events and many individuals who have contributed to nursing’s evolution from the occupation it was once considered to the profession that now exists, the development of formal education opportunities and scholarly resources and the women who created them is what fascinates me most. Without knowing, each of the following five women helped lay the groundwork for what Lucie Kelly, RN, PhD, FAAN, eventually termed the eight characteristics of a profession
Nursing is one of the oldest professions. It isn’t a static occupation, as it has changed frequently over time. Its development and evolution has changed differently depending on the historical influences. As of today the nursing profession is changing and becoming larger and greater. Nursing has gone from being a career that did not require an education, to being one that is very respected and demands a high education.
Individuals cannot be thought of exclusively without the consideration of their families and communities that surround them. A nurse’s care must extend beyond the patient and must involve the patient's entire support network.
Before this class, I always thought nursing was a respectable and challenging profession. I know in today’s society, nurses are overworked and don’t really get the appreciation they deserve for their hard work. However, I never would have thought that in the 1800s, nursing was not even seen as a profession. Before learning of Florence Nightingale, we learned of a woman called Martha Ballard and her role in Midwifery. Later on, we learned about Florence Nightingale and her contributions to the nursing profession. Even though most of her contributions to the nursing profession were good, others were not so great. Her idea of a nurse as a middle class white woman only would affect the nursing profession for men and nonwhite women in the United States. The United States would also face a massive nurse shortage and the
Nurses of the past and present have struggled for recognition as knowledgeable professionals (Cherry & Jacob, 2008). Florence Nightingale played a major role in bringing about changes in nursing. As society changes so does the role of the nurse. The quality of health care cannot be compromised to patients. Nurses must continue to play major roles in future health care initiative (Cherry & Jacob, 2008). A defining feature of professional nursing practice is the focus on health promotion and risk reduction. Advances in science and technology will continue to emerge, which will help to predict future health problems (The Essentials of, 2008). Nursing is a profession because it requires an extended education of its members as well as a basic liberal foundation (Potter, & Perry, 2009). Nurses with bachelor degrees are providers of direct and indirect care. In this role, nurses are patient advocates and educators (The Essentials of, 2008). Patient advocacy is a hallmark of the professional role and requires that nurses deliver high quality care, evaluate care...
The nursing profession is a multidimensional field. The nurse’s role has changed over many years and the role of nurses has evolved tremendously. The twentieth century brought us Virginia Henderson (first lady of nursing) who defined nursing as “the unique function of the nurse is to assist the individual, sick or well, in the performance of those activities contributing to health or its recovery (or peaceful death) that he would perform unaided if he had the necessary strength, will or knowledge. And to do this in such a way as to help him gain independence as rapidly as possible” (Burggraf, 2012). Today, we view the nursing role much differently due in large part to nursing theory. Hildegard Peplau believed that nurses should be more cognitive of the needs of the patient versus just performing the needed tasks.
Anyone who has any doubt of what a nurse can do should read “I’m just a nurse” poem, which summarized the major benefits of nurses and nursing as a whole. As I felt impressed with the variety of things a nurse could involve in and assist the health care, everyone’s believes would change to the better after reading it. Moreover, I believe that nursing is getting known more and more and with time, there will be no one thinks about nursing in a negative way. For nurses who don’t realize the role of nurses, they should empower themselves with lifelong learning to be more appropriate to the nursing
But there is so much more to nursing than the simple definition given to us. Nursing is an especially rewarding career. Nurses not only care for people through illness but also promote health, prevent disease, and educate people on safe ways to live. “All nurses have at least one thing in common – they want to help people. Nursing isn’t the career to have just to earn a paycheck because there are plenty of other jobs out there with bigger paychecks. Nurses take on the role of caretaker, friend, confidante, and even trusted advisor. It takes an amazing kind of person to fill all of those roles the way nurses do,” Marci told me during our
This fundamental core of caring and responding to human needs has been a guiding instinct that has driven the practices of nursing from one generation to another. Nursing starts from the inner desire that is driven by human nature of nurturing and caring. Prior to the time of Florence Nightingale, nursing was in the “Dark Age” because nursing was considered a low job for women of low social classes. A job met for the uneducated people and for those who were desperate to work. These women were of lower social status, untrained helpers of low reputation and were unmarried
Mcferran, T.A. (2014) Oxford Dictionary of Nursing. Edited by Elizabeth A. Martin and Jonathan Law. Sixth edn. pp. 10-11. United Kingdom.
While completing my undergraduate studies at Long Island University, I became heavily involved in volunteering, which led to my admiration for nursing. Before learning what nursing actually entails, I held a common misconception that nursing was only about giving medication to patients and nothing else more. Luckily, I was proven wrong
Nursing profession is constantly evolving and how we are making an impact on the future with the transformation of education, practice and leadership. The nursing workforce is not stagnant nor ever was but the changes in the last decade or so has seen dramatic transformations in how society views nurses as a profession. We have come a long way since Florence Nightingale opened the first nursing school in London in 1860. However, our process of learning is far from over nor is it perfected. Since the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was passed in congress in 2010, our demand for nurses has increased since the availability of healthcare for everyone has begun.