Purpose Statement
When one advances in professional practice, especially, at the leadership level perceptions regarding roles and responsibilities converge adapting to that stage of development. However, it is not an immediate process, but occurs in stages. The following pages of this document will outline how adaptations towards training are forging the development of new paradigms for me as a professional nurse.
Introduction
My definition of nursing at this point of my career goes beyond merely caring. I would embrace a distinct holistic approach to include that nursing is considering clients/patients from the perspective of what they reveal during an assessment; observing verbal/nonverbal ways they respond or react to an interview or interviewer; the level of knowledge the possess regarding their condition and the associating social factors responsible for it.
Further yet when attention is removed from client/patient interaction nursing embraces collaboration and team work. There it is the science of working together as a team to address the needs of patients/ client from a holistic paradigm. Hence, the converging definition encompasses observation, implementation and evaluation of patient intervention from a collective approach.
Purpose Statement
When the foregoing definition is taken in its true sense for a purpose statement to be designed the ideological premise is that the purpose of nursing is to evaluate a patient/client’s nursing needs and provided intervention collectively. No single nurse can cater effectively for a single patient/client much more a number of them.
Professional and personal values inherent in the definition
Rassin (2008) conducted studies evaluating professional and personal values nurses’ hold sacred. The purpose was to identify factors affecting those values. It was discovered that culture, education, professional seniority, position and field of expertise were the major variables responsible for the interplay between professional and personal values (Rassin, 2008).
Reflecting on this study in relation to the above definition it is clear that inherent in this description of my nursing concept are my culture, education, professional seniority and position of expertise. It means adhering to the culture of holistic intervention dispensed at the appropriate professional education level, seniority and expertise from a teamwork ideological approach.
Examples of how this definition is reflected in my practice
My professional practice involves functioning in the capacity of a rehabilitation nurse at the leadership level, which accounts for my expertise; professional educational level and seniority. In this function collaboration of patient/client intervention becomes inevitable.
First it begins with assessing patients admitted or those receiving outpatient services using holistic measurements. Often at the nursing assessment level even though a physical as well as psychological assessment is conducted; nurses due to shortage of staff may miss many issues facing the client/patient. This could prove detrimental to the outcome of therapy or medical surgical intervention.
The extent to which a limb or affected part of the body is used depends not only on the damage done to a nerve or ligament. In many cases clients/patients have preconceptions of how they must function once a particular diagnosis was made as the sociology of illness factor surfaces. This might be in relation to what someone who was diagnosed with the same condition told them or they observed. By inculcating this holistic dimension to my definition and practice my goal is to observe what other cultural or psychosocial barriers exist that would either hinder or progress the rehabilitation process.
As the leader on my team these values have to be translated into professional practice to members of my team. It must not be achieved through coercion, but implicit education and modeling. Also, I must be educated professionally enough to realize that in the same way I have professional and personal values others on my team have too. Therefore, there must be a process of alignment as we collaborate in the best interest of our clients and patients.
In my practice as a rehabilitation nurse team leader coordination of care goes beyond nurses on a team. Often specialists have to be considered as extended members of the rehabilitation team. It is important that my nursing team is educated to interpret specialists’ orders such as referrals and execute them efficiently. There are different levels of nurses and various specialists in this field. They include neurologists, physical therapists and surgeons. Hence, the ability to work across disciplines is integral to functioning as team leader in a rehabilitation nursing setting.
Conclusion
Compare and contrast definition from N444.
My original nursing concept embraced the Calgary Health Region Framework concept that ‘professional nursing is a commitment to compassion; caring and strong ethical values’ (Girard et.al, 2005). It involves continuous self-development taking into consideration the same for others on the team. The requirement of accountability and responsibility for insightful practice is advocated. Importantly, professional nurses demonstrate a spirit of collaboration and flexibility (Girard et.al, 2005).
Reflecting on my advanced interpretation it embraces a distinct holistic approach to include that nursing is considering clients/patients from the perspective of what they reveal during an assessment; observing verbal/nonverbal ways they respond or react to an interview or interviewer; the level of knowledge the possess regarding their condition and the associating social factors responsible for it. Also, it entails team work and management.
The common philosophical premise lies in a collaborative team work concept. However, marked differences in approaches to the caring phenomenon have been revisited. Distinct modifications relates to a holistic paradigm to assessment and intervention as against a caring typology unrelated to other elements of the client/patient’s well-being.
References
Girard, F. Linton, N., & Besner, J. (2005). Professional Practice in Nursing: A Framework.
Nursing Leadership, 18(2), 0-0
Rassin (2008). Nurses' professional and personal values. Nurs Ethics, 15(5), 614-30
