A Systematic Review Of The Existing Literature On Nursing

For centuries the development of nursing knowledge has been influenced by numerous theorists and their respective theories. These theories have influenced, and continue to influence, nursing education, practice and research. (Johnson & Webber, 2005)

I already knew that Nursing is a health care profession that involves taking care of another person in which a person needs the formal education and training in the art of science of nursing. Nurses help individuals, families, and groups to achieve health and prevent diseases, and they care for the sick and injured using procedures based on

“Nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well and in all settings. Nursing includes the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and the care of ill, disabled and dying people. Advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping health policy and in patient and health systems management, and education are also key nursing roles” (ICN 2010)

The career of a Registered Nurse has changed since the beginning in 1905. Before the year of 1905 Nurses weren’t required any specific training or schooling. In 1905 the Board of Registered Nurses was given permission to set standards, administer exams, administer educational programs, issue official nursing certificates and revoke certificates as well. Today, before becoming a Registered Nurse, you must earn a diploma, an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), or a Bachelor Degree in Science of Nursing (BSN) (2008 National)

Nursing science has been defined by Faye Glen Abdellah as “a body of cumulative scientific knowledge, drawn from physical, biological, and behavioral sciences that is uniquely nursing” (Abdellah, 1969). From the legendary Florence Nightingale to Hildegard E. Paplau, the science of nursing continues to grow with the information, technology, and culture. This paper will discuss the history of nursing science, development and maintenance of the science, application into mainstream practice, the incorporation of outside disciplines into nursing science, and the two paradigmatic perspectives.

These seven roles of the professional nurse will expand my responsibilities from the practical nurse. It will involve more evidence based planning, evaluation of interventions used and changing interventions that have not met client goals. It will also require more involvement in the politics of nursing as a profession, becoming a more active participant in change. Developing more critical thinking, collaboration, planning, intervention, and assertiveness skills to advocate for the patient and their rights as an individual.

According to the American Nursing Association, “ Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations” (Association, Scope and Standards of Practice, 2010).

Nursing is about providing the best possible holistic care for the patient and family. At the same time there’s an imbalance of patient care regarding education and knowledge being provided by nurses. As a nurse I believe we all owe it to ourselves, the profession, and the patient to provide the best possible care. According to American Nurses Association (ANA) online article “Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations.” In order to better achieve the nursing ideals of the American Nurses Association we must improve patient care by requiring hospital nurses to become BSN nurses.

“The main purpose of the journal is to publish original manuscripts focusing on nursing theory development, nursing theory--guided practice, and quantitative and qualitative research related to existing nursing frameworks” (Ovid, 2008, p. 1).

ANA defines nursing as “The protection promotion and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury alleviation of suffering of human response, and advocacy in the care of individual, families, communities and population” (ANA, 2013).

The Canadian health system is a growing and evolving field. According to the varying health needs of the Canadian community the health system is also improving. The health system involves theatre specialist, occupational therapist, respiratory therapist, speech and language therapist, paramedic, etc. When compared to the earlier days there is an increasing need for meeting the health needs but there is a decrease in the number of physicians. Hence the need for nurses who are specialised and educated in various fields are necessary in improving the health of people and also in meeting the growing health needs. According to the International Council of Nurses “Nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well and in all settings. Nursing includes the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and the care of ill, disabled and dying people. Advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping health policy and in patient and health systems management, and education are also key nursing roles”. There is a requirement for specialty nurse with speciality education in meeting the needs of the demand of health care. Clinical Nurse Specialist is an important personnel who has a huge role. According to the International Council of Nurses (2008), advanced nursing practice is an umbrella term comprising the roles of the Clinical Nurse

Nursing is one of the most popular professions in healthcare. To become a professional nurse, one must acquire certain level of education, whether it is at associate or baccalaureate degree level. Once becoming a nurse a number of professional standards must be maintained to stay abreast with the profession. In that respect, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in its 2010 report had suggested many recommendations focusing on the future of nursing. The aim of the report is to put forth recommendations that allow nurses to “(1) ensure that nurses can practice to the full extent of their education and training (2) improve nursing education, (3) provide opportunities for nurses to assume leadership positions and to serve as full

Nurses are known as the heart of health care. Being a nurse is a demanding job that requires commitment, but does not lack rewards. A fact stated by the American Association of Colleges of Nurses claims that “Nurses comprise the largest single component of hospital staff, are the primary providers of hospital patient care, and deliver most of the nation 's long-term care” (“Nursing Fact Sheet”). With many roles throughout the healthcare system as a whole, nurses are a large, very important role that interacts with every other part of the health care system. They have great qualities that not everyone has. They are highly compassionate, caring, professional, diligent and understanding individuals. A nurse experiences people at their worst and still care for patients in a way that no one else would. All these honest points prove that nurses are the most important members of the health care system because, nurses spend the most time with patients, nurses are the managers of patient care; they are teachers and are great with conflict resolution.

The salient point in Henderson’s definition is describing the duty of a nurse as one that cares or assists an individual whether sick or well in obtaining a state of health in order to live an independent lifestyle (paraphrased). Henderson also described the independent and dependent role of nurses and the importance of a collaborative work with the other members of the multi-disciplinary health care team especially the doctors (Henderson, 1966). The Royal College of Nursing, on the other hand, described nursing as the utilization of clinical judgement in extending the care necessary for the people to maintain and achieve an optimum state of life throughout their lifetime (RCN, 2003). Other significant definitions of nursing were those given by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Nurses Association (ANA).

Nurse’s roles are expanding according to the need of the patient and society. A nurse has to play roles from bed side nursing to the prevention of disease and illness, educating patient, families and collaboration with different healthcare teams. Howell (2012) indicated