When asked what words come to mind when you hear the word nurse some of my non-nursing student peers responded: “sweet caring and smart”, “under appreciated” , “caring compassionate and helpful” , “very tolerant” , “really caring people, people who take care of patients of all kinds” , “nurturing, friendly, protecting” and “selfless, dedicated, resilient and strong interpersonal skills”.
Each of those responses alludes to the aspect of nursing that isn’t the countless hours of studying, exam prep, time at clinical, preparing for labs or studying for NCLEX exam that is often what nursing students do with their time. The art of nursing can be taught to an extent, being lectured on how to compassionately care for patients, learning what interventions can be done to establish rapport and role-playing to practice giving assessments, but there needs to be a drive within the student nurse to want to pursue this field. What is known as the most trusted profession, nursing and nurses are who they are because of their work-ethic, ability to genuinely want the best for their patients and advocate for them to successfully create a care plan that respects their wants, abilities and beliefs. As seen in the painting above, the nurses behind the focal point are the individuals actively with the patients, ensuring their safety, promoting health, continuously assessing their care plan and being a support system. Nurses leave their home life at the door and quite often forget to care for themselves because their full focus is on the patient. Art of nursing is compassionate, genuine, individualized and focused care to promote health and wellness.
Becca, this is a telling depiction of healthcare today. You can see a variety of team members providing care and there seems to be an urgency in what is happening. Nursing is all about competence but the foundation is compassion. It is not an easy career as caring for those who are suffering and afraid can be less than ideal. Still, the connections that can be made between the patient and the nurse can be life-sustaining for the nurse. Nicely done Becca!