The principles and role of the professional nurse

¶ … Professional Nurse

I see a bright and challenging future for myself based on the roles outlined and examined in this course. Personally, I would like to work on developing my capabilities as a therapeutic person in the patient's life -- something which can definitely manifest itself in a variety of ways. However, I believe that once I internalize and make a concrete habit of some of these tactics, they will come as second nature to me, and I will engage in these healing and helpful actions without thinking about them. For example, "Success of therapeutic relationships relies on nurse consistency in demonstrating deep respect, listening intently, and affirming client thoughts, concerns, and needs throughout all phases. As the relationship unfolds, client dependence on the nurse decreases, and the professional nurse role changes primarily to one of offering support" (Hood, 2009). This to me seems like the fundamental foundation of how the nurse-client relationship should work. Yet at the same time, so many nurses don't do these very basic things consistently or at all. Listening intently to the thoughts, worries, and concerns of patients is something that can make a world of difference in their experience, and is yet something that many nurses don't do adequately. Patients are in such a vulnerable position in an often strange environment and the need their experience to be as soothing as possible. One way to make it soothing is to demonstrate that you care about what's going on with them. Thus, I've been working to change my practice so that there's more an underlying base of therapeutic listening skills.

Another manner in which I will adjust my current nursing practice is that I will strive to make it more culturally competent. "With the increase in global mobility of people, the patient population has become more ethnically diverse, while the nursing forces remain virtually unchanged. Nursing staff work with patients from different cultural backgrounds. Consequently, one of the challenges facing nurses is the provision of care to culturally diverse patients. Hospitals and healthcare agencies must accommodate these needs by initiating diversity management and leadership practices" (Coe, 2011). Thus, in order to provide this crucial, soothing environment, nurses have a responsibility to engage in a fundamental education of cultural differences. Nurses need to be prepared and aware of the differences between cultures and how to relate to people from different cultures and what the expectations are. For example, so many cultures have very strict expectations about gender roles and what's appropriate and what isn't and while these thoughts might seem very old-fashioned or foreign to the modern nurse, violating these ideas will only make the patient uncomfortable.

Having such cultural competency requires active endeavors on my part, such as reading about different cultures, taking seminars in diversity, and putting a strong focus on effective, gentle communication, and active listening. Steps such as these can be epically effective in bridging the gaps between cultural backgrounds and providing more cohesive care.