Principles and Paradoxes in Modern Nursing

It is disheartening to see the value of care giving seems to be at an all-time low whether it is clinical (bedside) or for any one attending the day care or even the outpatient department. Currently, individuals who pass away any opportunity for themselves to care for another individual instead are considered weak and/or unmotivated. Thus, it is not astounding that present society often fails to respect or regard the nursing professionals to the extent of playing down their assets, skills, and even clinical perspicacity.

While qualities such as kindness, team spirit, working any time, and willingness to get their hands dirty are the core of this profession, nursing professionals have a complex variety of set duties, involving drug dosage, trouble-shooting, ongoing patient monitoring, handling difficult patients and their families, and providing holistic comfort and support to the sick and needy. The nursing profession was historically developed by Florence Nightingale, along with the educational system that evolved from it. Beyond the classical role, the nursing professional has currently ventured into other roles as well, as a nurse practitioner, administrator, researcher, or even an educator. Thus, considering the wide spectrum of duties performed by nursing professionals, we do deserve more status and power rather than just be considered and treated as mere care taker of the ward who has to do all mundane tasks for which she/he has not spent his/her 4years of hard university training. The most obvious factors responsible for this sorry state of affairs range from ancient mind set of nurses’ role in patient care, rigid hospital traditions and weak nursing leadership, lack of back up support. Even several other factors like, lack of good public perception, workload, poor work gratification etc are the stumbling blocks for the nurses to become a well-known and true contributor to the health services. We are often treated as someone to be considered but not to the extent of being part of any decision making aspects, but later made to work in the scenario where the decision is taken by someone else. Every time we are hailed as the largest working force, angles of health care, but our voice is raised very shrilly in segments and hence it is unheard many a times; even when raised is suppressed with dire consequences. With all the limitations and drawbacks we are working at various levels of health care set ups and it is very disheartening to see that the nurses of toady gradually loosing -lost the humane approach that we nurse are called to provide to the ailing client under our care. Nursing is a tough profession, is physically, mentally, and emotionally draining at times.Are we shifting our frustrations and anguish in the form of getting detached from the “patient first approach”? If so let us not go away from the central point of nursing, patient, but prove our worth by practicing with “patient first” approach and get our needs met with collective bargaining with team approach.

Let us not let down the profession at any juncture but raise the professionalism with our caring approach. Discovery of basic values and reaching an agreement on clinical ethical values are essential with regard to constant changes in nurses’ social class and role. The regulatory bodies are trying varying means to ensure that the professionals who are attending the patients-who are weak, are cared by well-educated qualified nurse so that they are at safe hands with good professional care. Let us demonstrate with our professional approach in rendering care to the ailing with sincerity but be firm in our commitment to the profession.