Mindful Nursing Practice: Professional Development Guide

The Importance of Mindful Practice in Nursing

Why is it important for nurses to be mindful when they practice? It is a given that the modern nurse will have far greater exposure to new medical methods, pharmaceutical interactions, and techniques than many nurses of the past. In fact, one widely cited definition of modern nursing describes it as "the use of clinical judgment in the provision of care to enable people to improve, maintain, or recover health, to cope with health problems, and to achieve the best possible quality of life, whatever their disease or disability, until death." With such a vast amount of clinical information required, combined with the stress of a busy hospital environment and the various insurance and legal considerations involved, many contemporary nurse managers find it helpful for nurses to utilize a medical checklist as a tool for improving patient care.

In the contemporary healthcare environment, a more holistic approach is preferable — one that sees the patient as more than their disease and that advocates for the patient's proper care and assistance when they are unable to do so themselves. This perspective, combined with a new paradigm of communication, allows the nurse to serve both sides of the medical relationship: the physician and hospital culture on one side, and the patient and their family on the other. The modern nurse is in a unique position to help patients take greater responsibility for their own healthcare by providing both advocacy and meaningful information.

The modern nurse occupies a uniquely important position due, in large part, to the significant changes in the healthcare paradigm over the past few decades. Not only have medical technology and treatment options grown more complex, but the myriad insurance and HMO issues surrounding even routine healthcare have made navigating medicine a literal maze at times. The modern nurse is unique because of the multiple roles they fill simultaneously: clinician, advocate, both independent and dependent practitioner, holistic caregiver, and frontline agent of social change.

What Makes the Nursing Profession Unique

As a working professional, the goal in nursing education should be to serve as an advocate and facilitator — bringing compassion, empathy, and expertise into the profession. This means showing compassion to the client and to the patient's family, and attending to the dynamic needs of individuals while still considering holistic outcomes. Medical professionals also have the opportunity to be more publicly engaged in ways that can accomplish meaningful social change: through publication in both the scholarly and popular press, through media contacts and seminars given to the general public, and through teaching and interacting with students — particularly by training younger minds to remain open to diverse possibilities and viewpoints.

Given the extent and complexity of the societal problems that modernity has brought to the forefront of public attention, there is real potential for the medical professional to be actively involved in alleviating oppression and injustice on any number of fronts. In terms of personal development, the medical professional has the opportunity to touch many people on a daily basis — through their ability to mediate conflict, engender trust, advocate for more inclusive viewpoints, and act as a living example of social change. A medical professional can also contribute through pro-bono work, particularly those who come from challenging backgrounds and are therefore able to serve as a meaningful example to others.

Nursing as a Vehicle for Social Change

However, one of the most powerful ways of enacting social change is to transform one's own paradigm. Rather than simply speaking about how to live and interact with humanity, the medical professional can act as a powerful agent of change by living that example each and every day.

There are any number of things a nurse can do to support their own growth as well as the broader professional development of their field. The following are some practical options to consider:

Partnership with local community service groups: Organizations such as the Lions, Elks, Kiwanis, and other civic service groups are often eager to participate in awareness and fundraising programs that benefit the community. Nurses can leverage these relationships to promote health literacy and public wellness initiatives.