Nursing and Caring

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses caring as hope and commitment. The paper quotes Margot L. Nelson, writing for the American Nursing Association, who concludes that caring "is a genuine concern and desire to optimize the quality of life for another individual, a family, or a community." The paper also examines the essay, "Theory of Human Caring" by Dr. Jean Watson, Distinguished Professor of Nursing at the University of Colorado. The paper relates that this is a Renaissance woman who sees "caring" as a far deeper topic than merely an emotion put into perspective as a professional practice utilizing humanitarian skills. The paper also discusses the issues that emerge during the actual delivery of caring nursing services.

From the Paper:

"Care: "To feel concern or interest; to have a regard for; be inclined." The Oxford Universal Dictionary on Historical Principles.
"The essence of caring in the nursing profession is poignantly expressed in the RN Journal (Vance, 2003) as "hope and commitment." Also, Vance writes that "Hope [is] more than mere wishful thinking, but [it is] an awareness of the moment alive with possibilities."
"And, taking "hope" further into the definition of caring, Vance asserts that "hope may be the only crutch a patient has to keep their optimism. Nurses care enough to honor that hope and support the patient."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Anonymous Author. (2006). It was a privilege to comfort a severely troubled patient. NursingStandard. 20(26), 21.
• Bates, Jane. (2006). Accolades All Around. Nursing Standard. 20(27), 29.
• Bolmsjo, Ingrid Agren; & Sandman, Lars; & Andersson, Edith. (2006). Nursing Ethics. 13(3),250-261.
• Kim-Godwin, Yeoun Soo; & Alexander, Judith W.; & Felton, Gwen; & Mackey, Marlene; & Kasakoff, Alice. (2006). Prerequisites to Providing Culturally Competent Care to MexicanMigrant Farmworkers: a Delphi Study. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 13(1).
• Nelson, Margot L. (2004). Caring as the Essence of Moral Imagination in Nursing. AmericanNurses Association.

More papers on Nursing and Caring:

• Term Paper # 145987 : "Nursing and Spiritual Care"
• Case Study # 113485 : "Nursing and Collaboration"
• Term Paper # 147159 : "Nursing and the Theory of Human Caring"

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