Nursing

Nursing

As a child, I loved to play nurse with my siblings, where they were always the patients and I was the nurse. I never missed an opportunity to be of help to my family members when they were unwell; it gave me immense joy to see them regain their health under my care. I may not have realized it back then, but helping people is my greatest source of fulfillment. As a nurse, my job is not only to take care of the patients but also to establish their trust in me, and to do everything possible to ensure that at the end of the day, they are in a better state. I am always happy to make a difference and leave a positive impact on someone’s life by caring for him or her.

Nursing is divided into four metaparadigms, which include person, health, environment and nursing. The person paradigm refers to the sick person that requires care, as a person and not just a patient. The nurse should realize that the patient is not just a medical case but also an individual who plays many roles in the society. As a nurse therefore, I should respect, care for and listen to each of the patients who are placed under my care. I can apply this paradigm by being available to my patients physically, mentally and when need be, emotionally. The nurse should also be kind and sensitive when communicating with the patient, in order to provide comfort, especially where the patient is in a dire or critical condition (Bitts & Rich, 2010).

The second nursing paradigm is health. As a nurse, my primary concern is the well-being of the individual. I should be concerned with not only the physical health, but also the psychological, spiritual and emotional health of the individual. The health paradigm also entails viewing myself as a medical professional and not a doctor’s assistant because such a perspective might make me slacken. This means that I should also hold myself responsible for the patient’s well-being and progress. In some situations where the patient’s healing is not guaranteed, my role is to alleviate suffering by providing quality care and attention.

The environment metaparadigm refers to the effect of the patient’s environment on his recovery. This metaparadigm is divided into two that is the internal environment and the external environment. The internal environment occurs within the individual’s body and includes his physical pain, mental state, his motivation to recover and his religious beliefs. The external environment may include the technological, social and economic environments. When the internal and external environment of the patient is stable, this increases his likelihood of recovery. My role as a nurse is to alter the patient’s negative internal environment where possible. For instance, by easing the physical pain and encouraging the patient not to give up or lose his desire for recovery. As a nurse, I can also reduce the patient’s interaction with the negative elements in his external environment (Basford & Slevin, 2003). The nurse should provide comfort against environmental stressors that may cause the patient’s health to deteriorate further.

The nursing metaparadigm explores the primary concepts of the nursing profession. As a nurse, this entails reminding myself why I became a nurse, especially during periods where I might feel overwhelmed or demoralized by a situation. According to Neuman, nursing is a series of actions that involve assisting individuals with the sole aim of enhancing wellness. He divides the nursing process into three (Reed, Shearer & Nicoll, 2004). The first process is nursing diagnosis where the nurse conducts a careful evaluation of the patient. The second stage is nursing goals process, where the nurse together with the patient determines what the desired objectives of the nursing process should be. The third stage is the nursing outcomes process; this involves conducting primary, tertiary and secondary interventions in order to fulfill the outlined nursing goals. The nursing metaparadigm also involves being persistent in acquiring new knowledge about nursing, which entails researching and studying intensively. The nursing metaparadigm seeks to improve the quality and level of care that I provide as a nurse.

References

Basford, L. & Slevin, O. (2003). Theory and practice of nursing: an integrated approach to patient carer. Cheltenham, UK: Nelson Thornes.

Butts, J. B. & Rich, K. (2010). Philosophies and theories for advanced nursing practice. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Reed, G. P., Shearer, N. B. C. & Nicoll, L. H. (2004). Perspectives on nursing theory. New York, NY: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.