Nursing as a Calling: Metaparadigm and Personal Purpose

Introduction: Why Nursing

Nursing is one of those professions that provides the opportunity not only to further oneself on a professional level, but also on a personal level. It provides the individual with the opportunity to connect with others through a platform of healthcare, while also offering a helping hand that promotes not only short-term healing, but also long-term well-being. This makes nursing one of the most caring professions, as it gives the nurse the opportunity to apply his or her skills and to contribute beyond the duties of simple physical healthcare. In this way, nursing extends to caring for the whole person rather than the physical being alone. This is one of the major factors that has attracted me to the profession throughout my life.

The Four Concepts of the Nursing Metaparadigm

According to Limon (2007), there are four central concepts that comprise the metaparadigm of nursing: the person or client, the environment, health, and nursing. The person or client refers to the individual receiving nursing care. This includes not only individuals, but also families, groups, and communities who are affected by the care provided. The environment refers to the internal and external surroundings of the client. This encompasses not only the physical environment, but also the people within it who could affect the client and his or her health, such as family members, friends, and significant others. Health refers to the degree of well-being currently present within the client. Finally, nursing refers to the nurse providing care, defined in terms of his or her attributes, characteristics, and actions.

These four metaparadigm elements interact in complex ways to provide the nurse with the tools necessary to promote healing for the client. When all four are in harmony, health and healing are far more likely than when they are not. To help the client achieve health, the nurse is often required to act not only as a physical healer, but also as a teacher, patient advocate, and counselor, among other roles. When a client's environment does not support his or her health, for example, it becomes the nurse's responsibility to do what he or she can to create a more healing environment.

How the Metaparadigm Elements Interact in Practice

In a counseling capacity, a nurse might act as a mediator between a well-meaning family and a client who is failing to achieve health because of misguided actions on the family's part. Conversely, family members can also provide valuable information about the client's needs and most effective care approach, which calls on the nurse to become a learner as well (Kocisko, 2010). Furthermore, nurses must continually update their skills and knowledge through ongoing research in order to maintain a strong knowledge base. Only by regularly refreshing their expertise can nurses provide truly excellent care in a world of constantly evolving knowledge, especially in the field of healthcare.

Personally, I have always been drawn to the healthcare profession, not least because I grew up in a medical family. This background gave me more opportunities than most to engage with the medical field, both through my family's influence and through my own drive to learn and contribute. I have worked as a medical assistant, an infertility specialist, and an ultrasound technician. In each of these roles, the most rewarding aspect of the work was the ability to provide a sense of positive change and improved health to people, however modest my contribution. This is what I want to carry forward into my nursing career.