The Philosophy of Nursing Essay

In simple definition terms, nursing is the work of caring for those individuals who are injured, ill, or infirm (Timofeeva, 2002). It incorporates collaborative and self-directed care of people of all communities, families or ages in all settings. Some of the key nursing roles include research, promotion of a safe environment as well as participation in management of patient and health systems (Potter & Dawson, 2001). On the other hand, nursing philosophy is a conceptual structure that provides a frame of reference meant for use by nurses in guiding their observations, practices, thinking as well as interpretations.The Philosophy of Nursing Essay

In the past, the nursing profession was considered to be female dominated only but recently, it has been observed that more and more males are willing to join in this particular line of profession, without having feelings of inferiority or shame as far as the society’s opinions are concerned (George, 2002). A nurse’s main responsibility is to care for the sick or injured and ensure they recover or maintain optimal health as well as functioning (Potter & Dawson, 2001). Other responsibilities include provision of intellectual, emotional and psychological support, promotion of what best suits a client and ensuring that all his/her needs are catered for. In addition, nurses are responsible for the provision of direct care and promotion of comfort for the client and provision of useful and important information that assists clients to acquire new knowledge as well as technical skills and learn in the process (Timofeeva, 2002).