Part One
Nursing as a profession has been in existence for several years. However, there has been an evolution in both the profession and the role of the nurse over the years. One way in which the role has evolved is in the nurse work environment. In the earlier years, nurses were mainly working on the battlefield or at home, with home visits a common phenomenon. This has evolved, and these days, nurses work in several medical settings such as military bases, schools, assisted living facilities, doctors’ offices, and hospitals (Egenes, 2017). Nursing roles are also more enhanced with the current technological advancements, which help the nurses to prioritize care and save more lives in comparison to the previous years.
The responsibilities of the nurse have also changed a lot in the evolution period. In the early years, the nurse’s responsibility was like a list of things that had to be accomplished. However, with the more extensive training, nurses are taught what was initially only meant for physicians (Mackey & Bassendowski, 2017). The perception about nursing has also dramatically changed as nurses can obtain bachelor’s degrees and even higher to enable them to undertake more complex care tasks. The nurses also take many more responsibilities in the care environment since they now have extensive schooling. It is known that there has been a growing need for better patient care due to the increasing number of patients; hence, nurse responsibilities have also evolved to handle medical emergencies without requesting help from physicians. They are not seen as assistants to doctors anymore.
My role as a nurse has also changed throughout my career. For example, I am in a better position to handle patients more confidently and competently. This has resulted from a considerable duration of the experience. Therefore, the changes in the roles have come up based on the experience. Some other changes have also come due to the health care system. For example, to gain a specialty in practice, various licensure exams have to be taken.
References
Egenes, K. J. (2017). History of nursing. Issues and trends in nursing: Essential knowledge for today and tomorrow, 1-26.
Mackey, A., & Bassendowski, S. (2017). The history of evidence-based practice in nursing education and practice. Journal of Professional Nursing, 33(1), 51-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2016.05.009
Part Two
Nursing is one of the scientific disciplines that are based on the theoretical foundations for practice. The theories, therefore, offer a framework upon which the nursing practice is built. In addition, these nursing theories can be applied in specific situations in nursing practice (Alligood, 2017). For example, Jean Watson’s theory of care can be applied in my practice in various ways. The theory of human caring was formulated by Watson. This theory has been widely used in nursing and is also taught in many institutions.
This theory can be applied through the caratas process or the carative factors. The theory describes ten carative factors, including being open to spirituality, caring for the basic needs, creating healing environments, engaging in a genuine teaching-learning experience, learning the caring experience, caring–healing practice, and practicing loving-kindness, among others (Younas& Quennell, 2019). From the carative factors, this theory can be applied in my nursing practice by engaging in emotions in caring relationships. The implication is that I would be open to new emotional and spiritual experiences when looking after the patient’s health and physical needs.
Jean Watson’s theory of caring focuses on the transitional practice of empathy and caring as well as enhancing an open and emotional approach to offering care to the patients. The implication is that I would also engage spiritually and authentically with the patients and their families. Such engagement is key to supporting a more positive experience in the healthcare environment (Younas& Quennell, 2019). In addition, such an engagement also benefits both the patient and the professional. As such, it is important to learn about the nursing theory and have an idea of how to implement or use them in nursing care to enhance patient experience and ensure that the patients have better outcomes as related to their respective illnesses.
References
Alligood, M. R. (2017). Nursing theorists and their work-e-book. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Younas, A., & Quennell, S. (2019). Usefulness of nursing theory‐guided practice: An integrative review. Scandinavian journal of caring sciences, 33(3), 540-555. https://doi.org/10.1111/scs.12670
Assignment Description
Primary Task Response: Within the Discussion Board area, write 250 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. You are required to use 1 scholarly resource in addition to your textbook. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.
Part One
Technology is continuing to evolve in health care. This evolution of technology keeps nurses continuously learning.
Describe a technological change in your workplace and how this change has affected your everyday nursing practice.
What new technology would you like to see implemented in your workplace? Explain your choice.
Part Two
Health care reform in the United States has been largely controversial. Choose 1 of the following topics, and visit the corresponding Web site to review the implications of the current legislature that may be important for nurses to know:
Pre-Existing Conditions
Locate information about pre-existing conditions under the Related Links column on the left-hand side of the page.
Strengthening Medicare
Explore the benefits of these services.
Reducing Health Disparities
Choose a program designed to reduce health disparities, and review the information.
After you have selected 1 of the above topics, address the following:
Summarize this area of the law in your own words.
Discuss how it may affect the practice of nursing overall and more specifically, in your workplace.
Responses to Other Students: Respond to at least 2 of your fellow classmates with at least a 100-word reply about their Primary Task Response regarding items you found to be compelling and enlightening. To help you with your discussion, please consider the following questions:
What did you learn from your classmate’s posting?
What additional questions do you have after reading the posting?
What clarification do you need regarding the posting?
What differences or similarities do you see between your posting and other classmates’ postings?
Discussion Board Rubric
The Discussion Board Grading Rubric is a scoring tool that represents the performance expectations for the discussion. This Discussion Board Grading Rubric is divided into components that provide a clear description of what should be included within each component of the discussion. It’s the roadmap that can help lead your discussion. Discussion Board Grading Rubric
For assistance with your assignment, please use your text, Web resources, and all course materials.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2016, October 3). Strategies for reducing health disparities: Selected CDC-sponsored interventions, United States, 2016. https://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/strategies2016/index.html
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). (n.d.). Strengthening medicare.https://www.cms.gov/apps/files/medicare-savings-report.pdf
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). (2017, January 31). Pre-existing conditions. https://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/about-the-aca/pre-existing-conditions/index.html
