How The Nurse Can Provide Safe And Effective Care

Nursing as a profession is an incredibly varied field, with as many opinions on how and why as there are nurses. It is therefore incumbent on each nurse to determine what aspects of nursing research and history will influence her practice. This work is presented as a Professional Nursing Mission Statement for the author. In the following pages, the governing bodies, ethical code, professional traits, nursing theorist and theory, and historical figure that guide personal nursing practice are presented with scenarios demonstrating their effects. Providing the building blocks for an individual approach to nursing will result in a deeper understanding of practice.

Nurses who understand the history of advocacy that our founding nursing leaders encouraged and practiced are better prepared to take of the challenges of our present changing paradigm of healthcare .The rich history of nursing founded by “The Mother of Nursing “Florence Nightingale was credited for helping to develop nursing education programs.( Nickitas, Middaugh & Aires, 2016,p.4

In this paper we will explore many different things that effect and have contributed to the profession of nursing including but not limited to different agencies, nursing theories, and historical figures that have impacted the nursing profession.

Florence Nightingale was an immense impact on nursing, who “became famous for her revolutionary work as a nurse during the Crimean War” (Kent 30). “She dedicated her life to improving conditions in hospitals, beginning in an army hospital during the Crimean War,” (3 Registered). Her actions were then used by “concerned individuals, rather than by professionally trained nurses” during the Civil War, (Registered 279). Many of Nightingale’s ideas were brought into modern times, but with the improvement of technology and licensed nurses. With the influence and patience of Florence Nightingale, nursing has evolved into an outstanding career.

Nurses who appreciate the history of advocacy that our founding nursing leaders encouraged and practiced are better prepared to take on the challenges of our present changing paradigm of healthcare .The rich history of nursing founded by “The Mother of Nursing “Florence Nightingale was credited for helping to develop nursing education programs.( Nickitas, Middaugh & Aires, 2016,p.4 ) She was one of the first nurses to advocate and utilize the political system to accomplish her goals of improving the nursing education system . In addition , she started what is now known as the Modern Nursing Movement .(Nickitas, Middaugh & Aires 2016) Other nursing leaders have advocated change in the health field and suffered the ill effects such as Margaret Sanger who went to jail and was convicted for her support and beliefs in the planned parenthood program. Lillian Wald another health care innovator, Organized nursing organizations to “Protect the public from uneducated nurses, and to develop standards for nursing education and practice “(Nickitas, Middaugh, Aires, 2016, p. 4). Nurses

Inspire people Motivate others Caring and supportive Influential Attributes to Nursing Florence Nightingale Believed the mind and body were separate entities Sophia Palmer Editorials help guide nursing thought and shape Madeleine Leininger Nurses should be mindful to cultures Challenges

Casarett, Spence, Clark, Shield, and Teno (2012) outline the unique safety needs and concerns of the hospice population and why a culture of safety specific to hospice care is needed. Safety measures from other healthcare settings can cause conflicts, decrease quality of care and cause problems for hospice patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals (Casarett et al., 2012). Safety measures for preventing morbidity and mortality intended for patients with years of life expectancy, and assigning

Safety is a small measure that can make a big impact on a patient in the clinical setting. In some cases, it can even cost patients their lives. According to the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, safety is defined as a tool to minimize risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance (Barnsteiner, 2011). Safety problems can range from the nurse not knowing how to work certain equipment, or the nurse recording values wrong because he or she is distracted. Either way, these safety issues impact the clinical setting in a negative way. In order to have a functional, safe clinical environment, time and money must be spent to keep the hospital in working order and the nurses in the correct mindset.

The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) initiative is a newer project within the nursing realm. It began in 2005 with funding from the Wood Johnson Foundation. The overarching goal of QSEN “has been to address the challenge of preparing future nurses with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) necessary to continuously improve the quality and safety of the healthcare systems in which they work,” (CRWU, 2014). Many nurses are still unaware of the initiative, and hospitals are slowing starting to recognize the initiative and employ its goals and competencies into their policies and procedures. This paper will focus on two selected competencies as they are found in practice at Los Alamitos Medical Center, including safety

The nursing profession has shifted away from caring for the ill and has focused its attention on health promotion. The nursing profession has disassociated from such notions as the “handmaiden” persona to a profession that can stand apart. The implications of this shift on the healthcare profession, and the patient itself was evaluated. This shift occurred when nurses attempted to define, legitimatize, and increase the social standing of nurses. Many nursing organizations have defined the competencies of nursing to centre around education, research, and policy, however they have failed to mention the patient or their illness. This article gives an enlightened view of the nursing profession and provides a further understanding of the history

She died over 100 years ago but her theory of cleanliness is still a major factor in the way nurses of today are taught hand washing and cleanliness to promote health and well-being. The local hospital I work for has an Infection Control department that monitor hand-washing of employees. The department gives a monthly grade to each department. Florence Nightingale is the mother of nursing, she continues to impact nurses and the nursing profession every day. F. Scenario

Background: Parkland Memorial Hospital is located in Dallas, TX; it is the biggest county hospital in the state. The hospital was cited many times for ethical violations; consequently, it was under federal and state investigation for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) fraud, substandard patient care, and safety problems. In May 2013, the hospital entered into a five year corporate integrity agreement (CIA) with the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (OIG) to correct its ethical violations and patient safety problems.

While it is important to be able to care for patients who are ill, Florence felt that is was even more important to be able to prevent the health problem from existing in the first place. As such, she is a pioneer of public health as well. Public health utilises an upstream approach where the main goal is preventing the health problem from even existing. It has increased in popularity as its long term approach saves both money and resources that the healthcare system utilises. The focus of disease prevention as well as health promotion were a primary goal for Florence Nightingale and those she worked with. Modern nurses places an even greater emphasis on public health than in previous eras due to today’s population and health needs. Florence Nightingale pioneered a new methodology of nursing which continues to have impact today (McDonald, 2010).

Throughout Notes on Nursing, Florence Nightingale expresses the importance of proper care to patients. Another factor of nursing that was effected by Nightingale is the professionalism of nursing and how nursing is not only a science, but an art. Nightingale states how numerous subjects in nursing should be improved upon. The specific chapters that show how Nightingale has improved nursing within Notes on Nursing were Light, Personal Cleanliness, Chattering Hopes and Advices, and Ventilation and Warming. In chapter 9, Light, Florence Nightingale emphasizes the impact of sunlight on the patient and how it improves their health. Personal cleanliness was reviewed in chapter 11. Nightingale explores the importance cleanliness has on a patient. Within chapter 12, Nightingale states how to properly advise the sick, as well as give hope to patients. In chapter 1, Ventilation and Warming, Nightingale states the need for pure air within a patient’s room. These chapters express the importance of properly taking care of patients. The focus of this paper is how it was applied during Nightingale’s time and how it is still relevant today in nursing practice. The chapters within Notes on Nursing have had a profound impact on the practice of nursing today.

Nursing is a profession that has been around in one form or another since the beginning of civilizations. It has moved from an art that was handed down from generation to generation to the formal education and training programs of today. During this evolution, nursing has been influenced by four main themes: the folk, religious, military and servant images (Ellis, 2012, pp. 3-45, 71).