Nursing

The word Nursing  comes from the Latin  word "nutrix" meaning to "nourish or cherish" 

Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life.

Nursing  Definition 

• Florence Nightingale “The act of utilizing the environment of the patient to assist him in his recovery" (Nightingale, 1860). Nightingale considered a clean, well-ventilated, and quite.
• Verginia Henderson "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 to peaceful death)".

• "Nursing is an art and science. It may be defined as service to the individual which helps him/her to obtain or maintain a healthy state of mind or body and the relief of pain and discomfort."-Hemmer and Henderson

• "Nursing is a dynamic, caring, helping relationship in which the nurse assist the client to achieve and obtain optimal health. [According to Canadian Nurses Association (CNA)
•  Nurses Association (ANA) " Nursings is defined as a  direct service, goal directed, and adaptable to the needs of the individual, the family, and the community during health and illness" (ANA, 1973).

• The use of clinical judgment in the provision of care to enable people to improve, maintain, or recover health, to cope with health problems, and to achieve the best possible quality of life, whatever their disease or disability, until death.(Royal College of Nursing (2003))

The Nursing Metaparadigm-
Four major concepts are frequently interrelated and fundamental to nursing theory: person, environment, health, and nursing. These four are collectively referred to as metaparadigm for nursing.

1. Person
Person (also referred to as Client or Human Beings) is the recipient of nursing care and may include individuals, patients, groups, families, and communities.

2. Environment

Environment (or situation) is defined as the internal and external surroundings that affect the client. It includes all positive or negative conditions that affect the patient, the physical environment, such as families, friends, and significant others, and the setting for where they go for their healthcare.

3. Health
Health is defined as the degree of wellness or well-being that the client experiences. It may have different meanings for each patient, the clinical setting, and the health care provider.

4. Nursing
The nurse’s attributes, characteristics, and actions provide care on behalf of or in conjunction with the client. The ultimate goal of nursing theories is to improve patient care.

Purposes-

• To maintain and promote health.
• To prevent illness.
• To assist recovery
• To meet needs.
• To restoration of health.
• To reduce stress.
• To improve quality of life.
• To maintain well-being.
• To develop interaction between nurse and clients.
• To facilitate independence.
• To provide service to individual families and societies.
• To care of clients.

Aims/Objectives of Nursing -

Four broad aims/objectives of nursing practice can be identified in the definition of nursing-

• To promotion of health
• To prevention of illness
• To restoration of health
• To facilitating coping with disability or death

1. Promotion of health-

Health promotion is a framework for nursing activities. Health is a state of well-being. Nurse considers patient's self awareness, health awareness and use of resources while providing care through knowledge and skill. Promote health is facilitating that enhance the quality of life.

2. Prevention of illness -

The goal of illness prevention activities are to reduce the risk for illness, to promote good health habits and to maintain optimal functioning. Nurse prevents illness primarily by teaching, which includes educational programmes for promoting healthy habits.

3. Restoration of health-

Focus on the individual with an illness  and range from early detection of disease for rehabilitation and teaching during recovery. Promoting diagnostic measurements for early detection of disease and providing direct care to the ill person.

4.  Facilitating coping with disability and death- Altered function decreases an individual's ability to carry out activities of daily living and the expected role. Nurses facilitate patient and family coping with altered function, life crisis and death.

Principles of Nursing-

Nursing Principles:-

1. Safety -

It means prevention of mechanical, thermal and chemical injuries to the client and the workers. E.g. While giving a hot water bottle, the temperature of the water should be checked. The bottle should be covered and prevent burns.

2. Comfort:-

Gives comfortable position to the patient. Comfort gives satisfaction to the client and the workes. E.g. Before and after procedure the client should be left in a comfortable position.

3.Therapeutic Effectiveness-

It is to achieve the purpose for which a procedure is done. E.g. :- Observe the effect of therapies to the patient.

4.Use of Resources-

It implies the right use and the economy of time, energy and material.

5.Good Workmanship :-

It is an art and skill while giving treatment. Practice of procedures repeatedly develops the skill.

6. Individuality :-

The needs and problems of a particular client are to be considered. When a nursing procedure is applied, the client is considered as an individual.

B. Scientific Principles :-

• Microbiology
• Anatomy and Physiology
• Chemistry
• Psychology
• Physics
• Sociology

Scope of Nursing

Nurses provide care for three types of clients: individuals, families, and communities. Theoretical frameworks applicable to these client types, as well as assessments of individual, family, and community health.

Nursing practice involves four areas-

1. Promoting health and wellness

2. Preventing illness

3. Restoring health

4. Caring for the dying.

 

1. Promoting Health and Wellness

Wellness is a process that engages in activities and behaviors that enhance quality of life and maximize personal potential Nurses promote wellness in clients who are both healthy and ill. This may involve individual and community activities to enhance healthy lifestyles, such as improving nutrition and physical fitness, preventing drug and alcohol misuse, restricting smoking, and pre- venting accidents and injury in the home and workplace.

2. Preventing Illness

The goal of illness prevention programs is to maintain optimal health by preventing disease. Nursing activities that prevent illness include immunizations, prenatal and infant care, and prevention of sexually transmitted disease.

3. Restoring Health

Restoring health focuses on the ill client, and it extends from early detection of disease through helping the client during the recovery period.

Nursing activities include the following:-

• Providing direct care to the ill person, such as administering medications, baths, and specific procedures and treatments.

• Performing diagnostic and assessment procedures, such as measuring blood pressure and examining feces for occult blood.

• Consulting with other health care professionals about client problems.

• Teaching clients about recovery activities, such as exercises that will accelerate recovery after a stroke.

• Rehabilitating clients to their optimal functional level following physical or mental illness, injury, or chemical addiction.

4. Caring for the Dying

• This area of nursing practice involves comforting and caring for people of all ages who are dying. It includes helping clients live as comfortably as possible until death and helping support persons cope with death.

• Nurses carrying out these activities work in homes, hospitals, and extended care facilities. Some agencies, called hospices, are specifically designed for this purpose.

 

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