Nursing as a Profession

Prepared by:
RONARICA BENDICIO - DIONES, RN, RM, MAN
Profession – is a calling that requires special knowledge, skill and
preparation. An occupation that requires advanced knowledge and skills and
that it grows out of society’s needs for special services.

▪ A profession is an organization of an occupational group based on the

application of special knowledge which establishes its own rules and
standards for the protection of the public and the professionals
▪ A profession implies that the quality of work done by its members is of
greater importance in its own eyes and the society than the economic
rewards they earn.
▪ A profession serves all of society and not the specific interest of a group.
▪ The goal of a profession is altruistic rather than materialistic.
 Criteria of Profession:

1.To provide a needed service to the society.

2.To advance knowledge in its field.
3.To protect its members and make it possible to practice
effectively.
 Characteristics of a Profession:
1. A basic profession requires an extended education of its members, as well as a basic liberal
foundation.
2. A profession has a theoretical body of knowledge leading to defined skills, abilities and norms.
3. A profession provides a specific service.
4. Members of a profession have autonomy in decision-making and practice.
5. The profession has a code of ethics for practice.
Nursing is a profession. A profession possesses the
following primary characteristics:
1. Education. A profession requires an extended education of its members
2. Theory. A profession has a theoretical body of knowledge leading to defined skills,
abilities and norms
3. Service. A profession provides basic service
4. Autonomy. Members of a profession have autonomy in decision making and in practice.
5. Code of Ethics. The profession as a whole has a code of ethics for practice. A profession
has sufficient self-impelling power to retain its members throughout life. It must not be
mere stepping stone to other occupations
6. Caring. The most unique characteristic of nursing as a profession is that, it is a caring
profession.
▪ Professional Nursing is an art and science, dominated by an ideal of
service in which certain principles are applied in the skillful care of the
well and the ill, and through relationship with the client/patient,
significant others and others and other members of the health team.
▪ A professional nurse is one who has acquired the and science of nursing
through her basic education, who interprets her role in nursing in terms of
the social ends for which it exists – the health and welfare of society and
who continues to add to her knowledge, skills and attitudes through
continuing education and scientific inquiry (research) or the use of the
results of such inquiry.
 DEFINITIONS OF NURSING
▪ NURSE – originated from a Latin word NUTRIX, to nourish.
▪ “The act of utilizing the environment of the patient to assist him in his
recovery” (Florence Nightingale).
▪ Nightingale considered a clean, well-ventilated, and quiet environment
essential for recovery. Often considered the first nurse theorist,
Nightingale raised the status of nursing through education. Nurses were
no longer untrained housekeepers but people educated in the care of the
sick.
 DEFINITIONS OF NURSING

▪ “The unique function of the nurse is to assist the individual,

sick or well, in the performance of those activities contributing
to health or its recovery (or to peaceful death) that he would
perform unaided if he had the necessary strength, will, or
knowledge, and to do this in such a way as to help him gain
independence as rapidly as possible” (Virginia Henderson)
Some other theoretical definitions of nursing:

➢ Nursing is caring
➢ Nursing is an art
➢ Nursing is a science
➢ Nursing is client centered
➢ Nursing is holistic
➢ Nursing is adaptive
➢ Nursing is concerned with health promotion, health maintenance and
health restoration
➢ Nursing is a helping profession
 DEFINITIONS OF NURSING

▪ “Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of

health and abilities, preventions 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” (American Nurses
Association, 2010, p. 10)
 RECIPIENTS OF NURSING
▪ The recipients of nursing are sometimes called consumers, sometimes patients and
sometimes clients.
▪ Consumer – an individual, a group of people, or a community that uses a service or
commodity. People who use health care products or services are consumers of health
care.
▪ Patient – a person who is waiting for or undergoing medical treatment and care. The
word patient comes from a Latin word meaning “to suffer” or “to bear.”
▪ Client - a person who engages the advice or services of another who is qualified to
provide this service. The term client presents the receivers of health care as collaborators
in the care, that is, as people who are also responsible for their own health.
Nursing practice involves four areas:
1. Promoting health and wellness – Nurses promote wellness in clients both
healthy and ill which may include activities to enhance healthy lifestyles
such as improving of nutrition and physical fitness, preventing drug and
alcohol misuse, restricting smoking and preventing accidents at home and
in the workplace.
2. Preventing illness – its goal is to maintain optimal health by preventing
disease. Activities that prevent illness include immunizations, prenatal
and infant care, and prevention of sexually transmitted infections

***Three types of clients: individuals, families and communities

Nursing practice involves four areas:
3. Restoring health – focuses on the ill client and it extends from early detection of disease
through helping the client during the recovery period. Nursing activities include the
following:
➢ Providing direct care to the ill person, such as administering medications, baths, and specific procedures and
treatments
➢ Performing diagnostic and assessment procedures, such as measuring blood pressure and examining feces for
occult blood
➢ Consulting with other health care professionals about client problems
➢ Teaching clients about recovery activities (e.g. exercises for post-stroke)
➢ Rehabilitating clients to their optimal functional level following physical or mental illness, injury or chemical
addiction.
4. Caring for the dying - it involves comforting and caring for people of all ages who are dying.
CHARACTERISTICS OF NURSING:

1.Nursing is caring.
2.Nursing involves close personal contact with the
recipient of care.
3.Nursing is concerned with services that take humans
into account as physiological, psychological, and
sociological organisms.
CHARACTERISTICS OF NURSING:

4. Nursing is committed to promoting individual, family,

community, and national health goals in its best manner
possible.
5. Nursing is committed to personalized services for all persons
without regard to color, creed, social or economic status.
6. Nursing is committed to involvement in ethical, legal, and
political issues in the delivery of health care.
 PERSONAL QUALITIES OF A NURSE:

❑Must have a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing.

❑Must be physically and mentally fit.
❑Must have a license to practice nursing in the country.

A professional nurse therefore, is a person who has completed a basic nursing education program and is licensed
in his country to practice professional nursing.
 Qualities and Abilities
of a Professional Nurse
1. Has faith in the fundamental values that underlie the
democratic way of life. Ex. respect for human dignity, self-
sacrifice for the common good, strong sense of responsibility
for sharing in the solution of the problems of the society.
2. Has a sense of responsibility understanding those he/she works
or associates with through utilizing relevant basic concepts of
psychology and working effectively through therapeutic
relationship.
3. Has faith in the reality of spiritual and aesthetic values and
awareness of the value and the pleasure of self-development
through the pursuit of some aesthetic interests.
4. Has the basic knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to
address present-day social problems, realistic, incisive and
well-organized thoughts through the use of critical thinking.
Critical thinking is securing, appraising and organizing
evidence.
5. Has skill in using written and spoken language, both to develop
own thoughts and to communicate them to others.
6. Appreciates and understands the importance of good health.
7. Has emotional balance. Is able to maintain poise and
composure in trying situations.
8. Likes hard-work and possesses a capacity for it.
9. Appreciates high standards of workmanship.
10.Accepts and tries to understand people of all sorts, regardless
of race, religion and color
11.Knows nursing so thoroughly that every client will receive
excellent care.
 PERSONAL
QUALILIFICATIONS
OF A NURSE
A. Philosophy in Life

▪ It is concerned with those basic truths that contribute to

personal growths in a systematic fashion and with those
principles that relate to the moral value that shape the facets of
the character.
▪ Every person must develop a personal philosophy of life and
plan for expanding his personal life.
▪ Theories of nursing can be taught, but not a philosophy of life
or philosophy of service.
B. Good Personality
▪ Personality consists of the distinctive individual qualities that
differentiates one person from another
▪ It refers to the impression one makes on others which will include more
than that which meets the eye.
▪ It consists of deeper traits which come from the heart and which infiltrate
the real person if one wishes to exert a magnetic influence on others
▪ It is a result of integrating ones’ abilities, desires, impulses, habits and
physical character into a harmonious whole.
 HOW TO DEVELOP ONES’
PERSONALITY
1. Warmth of manner, a ready smile, sincere laugh, genuine
interest to others
2. Complete sincerity
3. Sympathetic grooming: neat hair style, appropriate dress,
sufficient make-up and expressive hands; being ever-mindful of
the people who see you
COMPONENTS OF
PERSONALITY
1. Personal appearance – posture, grooming,
dress and uniform
a. Posture – as a nurse, you must be responsible for practicing a
physical regimen that helps to develop and maintain good
posture and physical fitness
b. Grooming – should be neat, clean and well-arranged, it also
includes personal hygiene and cleanliness.
c. Dress and uniform
➢ Street attire is expected to be appropriate and to give you a sense of
security in official or social situations
➢ You must respect the uniform. It is part of the nurse’s public image
➢ Wear the uniform only during working hours.
➢ It should not be worn with jewelry, except a school pin or name plate.
➢ The nurse’s cap must always be clean and like the uniform, wear it
with respect and dignity.
2. Character

➢ Refers to the moral values and beliefs that are used as guide to
personal behavior and actions
➢ It is what a person is inside
➢ The nurse is basically a “good person”
 FOUR VIRTUES FROM THE PRACTICE
OF CHARITY
1. Justice. The quality of being righteous, correct, fair and
impartial
2. Prudence. Permits us to live with good sense and perspective.
Guides ones’ choice of action
3. Fortitude. Assists in the control of feelings, thoughts and
emotions in the face of difficulty.
4. Temperance. Encourages constructive use of the pleasure of the
senses.
ATTRIBUTES OF CHARACTER

1.Honesty 5.Reliability
2.Loyalty 6.Motivation
3.Tolerance 7.Resourcefulness
4.Judgment 8.Moderation
3. Attitude. A manner of acting, thinking or feeling that is
indicated by ones’ response toward another person, situation or
experience

EIGHT BE – ATTITUDE OF A NURSE

1. Acceptance 5. Permissiveness
2. Helpfulness 6. Limit Setting
3. Friendliness 7. Sincerity
4. Firmness 8. Competence
4. Charm
• To acquire charm, the following traits should be cultivated:
➢ Voice – modulated with clear enunciation
➢ Manner – courteous, attentive, patient, receptive
➢ Heart – never show indifference, empathetic, understanding and
tolerant
➢ Intelligence – active mind, recognize beauty, accepts new idea from
others, exchange opinion with others
➢ Poise – equanimity, calmness, composure, evenness of temper, self-
control
Roles of a Professional
1. Caregiver/ Care provider

▪ the traditional and most essential role

▪ functions as nurturer, comforter, provider
▪ “mothering actions” of the nurse
▪ provides direct care and promotes comfort of client
▪ activities involves knowledge and sensitivity to what matters
and what is important to clients
▪ show concern for client welfare and acceptance of the client as
a person
2. Teacher

▪ provides information and helps the client to learn or acquire

new knowledge and technical skills
▪ encourages compliance with prescribed therapy.
▪ promotes healthy lifestyles
▪ interprets information to the client
3. Counselor

▪ helps client to recognize and cope with stressful psychologic or

social problems; to develop an improve interpersonal
relationships and to promote personal growth
▪ provides emotional, intellectual to and psychologic support
▪ focuses on helping a client to develop new attitudes, feelings
and behaviors rather than promoting intellectual growth.
▪ encourages the client to look at alternative behaviors recognize
the choices and develop a sense of control.
4. Change agent

▪ initiate changes or assist clients to make modifications in

themselves or in the system of care.
5. Client advocate

▪ involves concern for and actions in behalf of the client to bring

about a change.
▪ promotes what is best for the client, ensuring that the client’s
needs are met and protecting the client’s right.
▪ provides explanation in clients language and support clients
decisions.
6. Manager

▪ makes decisions, coordinates activities of others, allocate

resource
▪ evaluate care and personnel
▪ plans, give direction, develop staff, monitors operations, give
the rewards fairly and represents both staff and administrations
as needed.
7. Researcher

▪ participates in identifying significant researchable problems

▪ participates in scientific investigation and must be a consumer
of research findings
▪ must be aware of the research process, language of research, a
sensitive to issues related to protecting the rights of human
subjects.
 EXPANDED ROLE AS OF THE NURSE

1. Clinical Specialists- is a nurse who has completed a master’s

degree in specialty and has considerable clinical expertise in
that specialty. She provides expert care to individuals,
participates in educating health care professionals and ancillary,
acts as a clinical consultant and participates in research.
 EXPANDED ROLE AS OF THE NURSE

2. Nurse Practitioner- is a nurse who has completed either as

certificate program or a master’s degree in a specialty and is
also certified by the appropriate specialty organization. She is
skilled at making nursing assessments, performing P. E.,
counseling, teaching and treating minor and self- limiting
illness.
 EXPANDED ROLE AS OF THE NURSE

3. Nurse-midwife– a nurse who has completed a program in

midwifery; provides prenatal and postnatal care and delivers
babies to woman with uncomplicated pregnancies.
4. Nurse anesthetist- a nurse who completed the course of
study in an anesthesia school and carries out pre-operative
status of clients.
 EXPANDED ROLE AS OF THE NURSE

5. Nurse Educator- A nurse usually with advanced degree, who beaches in

clinical or educational settings, teaches theoretical knowledge, clinical
skills and conduct research.
6. Nurse Entrepreneur– a nurse who has an advanced degree, and manages
health-related business.
7. Nurse administrator– a nurse who functions at various levels of
management in health settings; responsible for the management and
administration of resources and personnel involved in giving patient care.
 Fields and Opportunities in Nursing

1. Hospital/Institutional Nursing – a nurse working in an

institution with patients
• Example: rehabilitation, lying-in, etc.
2. Public Health Nursing/Community Health Nursing –
usually deals with families and communities. (no confinement,
OPD only)
• Example: brgy. Health Center
3. Private Duty/special Duty Nurse – privately hired
 Fields and Opportunities in Nursing

4. Industrial/Occupational Nursing – a nurse working in

factories, office, companies
5. Nursing Education – nurses working in school, review center
and in hospital as a CI.
6. Military Nurse – nurses working in a military base.
7. Clinic Nurse – nurses working in a private and public clinic.
8. Independent Nursing Practice – private practice, BP
monitoring, home service.