Defining Nursing Essay

Definition of Nursing

In today’s world nurses can operate in any of numerous professional fields. A nurse can practice independently as a practitioner, run a healthcare organization as a manager and of course, work the floor in a hospital unit. The question then not only remains, but broadens, what is nursing? The purpose here is to explain the core, universal values that create and live within every nurse. We will define key terms that help shape the definition of nursing, explore personal and professional values, and relate these values to the Regis Mission. In a sincere and industrious attempt to build an answer an exploration is needed into the grand universe of the professional nurse.

Definition of Terms In our sincere attempt to define nursing we must first define some important terms often associated with nursing. We will begin by defining the basic terms of: nurse, patient, health and environment. It is important that we define these terms as they are the foundation of the interaction called the therapeutic relationship that exists between nurse and patient. Further, it will bring a concrete base to words that have long been assumed, but rarely defined.

Nurse

A nurse is a healthcare

258). All humans, including nurses, hold some type of values. In fact, Black touches on the nature of human values and describes how the process of valuing comes about. First a person must choose a value freely from all other alternatives, next they will prize the value and feel good about holding it. The final phase is when the person acts out their value publicly and consistently (p.258). Nurses can hold several values in their professional lives depending on their background and experiences. Important values a nurse should have no matter the occasion or situation are competence and