Nursing Professionalism

The journey to becoming a professional nurse involves a number of complex processes and concepts. Two imperative concepts of nursing are professional identity, otherwise known as professionalism, and patient and family centered care. In order for a nurse to become a professional they must understand what it means to be a professional and the process of becoming a professional. Similarly, a nurse must not only understand patient and family centered care, but also understand how to practice it everyday.

When thinking about the description of professionalism in relation to the nursing profession, professionalism is how you conduct yourself as a nurse. how the nursing profession along with its norms and values influences who someone is so greatly

Doing is simply what nurses do. Being means that you are doing what you are supposed to at all times – even when nobody else is there to hold you accountable. They go on to say acting ethically means doing what is right. Flourishing means doing your job in a manner that promotes positivity and gives you a chance to excel (Godfrey, Crigger, 2016). It is important to understand that doing is a part of professionalism because a large part of being a professional means having competency of required skills. Being is invaluably important to professionalism because a nurse can have the required skills, but how they do it is just as, if not more important. Acting ethically is a part of professionalism that determines if the nurse upholds the values of the profession. Flourishing as a part of professionalism is imperative because a nurse must be able to grow. A nurse must understand all aspects of professionalism in order to be a professional nurse.

Professionalism relates to the Benedictine value of hospitality. Hospitality involves listening and welcoming others while being sensitive (The College of St. Scholastica, 2015, para 2). Incorporating hospitality into professionalism as a nurse means being welcoming of others no matter their background or physical features. Being a professional nurse means you listen to your patients and are sensitive to any

Reflection is a powerful tool in that a person can see their strengths and weaknesses. Through active and frequent reflection, I will look at what I did right and continue to do it and look at what I did wrong and find how to improve it. I can ask myself if I respected the patient’s beliefs to improve my patient – centered care. I can ask myself if I did the right thing even when nobody was watching to improve my professionalism. Reflection should not stop when a person becomes an RN or has a few years of experience, it is an ongoing process that is beneficial to everyone who engages in it. I can continue to develop the attributes, skills, and knowledge reflected by professionalism and patient – centered care by utilizing reflection throughout my career. This may include asking myself not only if I respected the patient’s beliefs, but if I upheld their beliefs during care. Reflection is a tool that allows every nurse to improve and become the best nurse they can