Essay Sample on Perception of Caring in Nursing

Introduction

Nursing is primarily established on the concept of caring, and this is the ability to show care and comfort fellow humans who are inflicted by disease or injury. Caring is part of human nature, and it is the basis of relationships between humans (Savvas, 2017). In nursing, caring is the basic principle although in this case at a professional level and accustomed to the patient needs. This means that caring is not unique to nursing and should be the fundamental element defining the relationship between a nurse and the patient. Caring in nursing is made possible by both the intuition and the actions of a nurse which makes it possible for the nurse to make assessments on the patient needs skillfully. Caring should be accompanied by empathy, respect, and emotions that co-exist to give value and direction to care.

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Caring in nursing practice is guided by a set of values that promote the universality of care as well as professionalism by defining boundaries and accepted practices (Kitson, Conroy, Kuluski, Locock, & Lyons, 2013). In this case, caring occurs in respect to the respect of the values, culture, way of life and the convictions of the patient. Healing from the patient is more than medical attention and nurses should make sure that they show the patient humanness through caring which should be culturally competent to be acceptable to both the patient and the nursing care provider (Savvas, 2017). Therefore, good nursing practice should have essential elements such as commitment, comportment, compassion, and competence. Caring should be holistic by integrating medical treatment and empathy towards the patient which help create a sense of safety and healing environment.

Importance of Caring to Nursing Practice and Profession

Caring is an integral part of healthcare and nursing because it seeks to patient's psychological needs through empathy and existence of a collaborative relationship with the patient. Nursing as a practice and profession cannot be complete without a degree of compassion and empathy towards the patient (Papastavrou, Efstathiou, & Charalambous, 2011). The patient and the nurse relationship that results from caring is critical in promoting positive patient outcomes. Communication is crucial towards proper diagnosis and treatment that is focused on the patient-centered care which makes caring very important in nursing care by promoting nurse and patient, professional relationships (Papastavrou et al., 2011).

Definition of Caring

Caring in nursing is the ability to show compassion and empathy to the sick people through genuine concern and kindness (Christovam, Porto, & Oliveira, 2012). Patients in healthcare organizations are engulfed in pain, and evidence-based research has shown that caring in nursing is a basic approach towards achieving holistic care and patient recovery. In holistic care, nurses are supposed to integrate self-responsibility towards the patient recovery by attending to their spirituality (Papathanasiou, Sklavou, & Kourkouta, 2013). As such, holistic caring involves healing the mind, body and the soul of the patient by continuously assessing the patient beyond the body by incorporating their mind, emotions, spirituality, and personal relationships in focus in the course of providing care.

Artistic Expression of Caring Explanation and its Representation of Caring

Caring is the apparent empathy and humanness incorporated in nursing care which involves developing relationships that help the nurses to show compassion and kindness to the patients. Caring in nursing is universally acknowledged as the acceptable approach of nursing practice, and nurses should have ethical and cultural competency to be able to deliver patient-centered care (Savvas, 2017). Caring in nursing involves both social and moral contexts and should complement physical medication by creating a sense of empathy and safety in patients.

Conclusion

Caring in nursing is instrumental and vital in providing holistic care which meets diverse patient needs which are integrated into the daily patient life. Caring in nursing practice is made possible through relationship and the interconnectedness between the patient and the nurses which promote holistic healing. Nurses have a duty to provide holistic care, and the healthcare institutions should be able to offer competent care education to equip nurses with values and ethics necessary in nursing care. Nurses should provide culturally competent care through a patient-centered approach in which the care needs for patients vary from one patient to another.

References

Christovam, B. P., Porto, I. S., & Oliveira, D. C. D. (2012). Nursing care management in hospital settings: the building of a construct. Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP, 46(3), 734-741. Retrieved from http://www.scielo.br/pdf/reeusp/v46n3/en_28.pdf

Kitson, A., Conroy, T., Kuluski, K., Locock, L., & Lyons, R. (2013). Reclaiming and redefining the Fundamentals of Care: Nursing's response to meeting patients' basic human needs. The University of Adelaide. Retrieved from https://thesis.library.adelaide.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/2440/75843/1/hdl_75843.pdf

Papastavrou, E., Efstathiou, G., & Charalambous, A. (2011). Nurses' and patients' perceptions of caring behaviours: quantitative systematic review of comparative studies. Journal of advanced nursing, 67(6), 1191-1205. Retrieved from https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00614191/document

Papathanasiou, I., Sklavou, M., & Kourkouta, L. (2013). Holistic nursing care: theories and perspectives. American Journal of Nursing Science, 2(1), 1-5. Retrieved from http://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajns.20130201.11.pdf

Savvas Karassavidis, R. N. (2017). Nursing students' perceptions of caring: a qualitative approach. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 10(3), 1148-1157. Retrieved from http://www.internationaljournalofcaringsciences.org/docs/5_petrou_original_10_3.pdf