Professionalism In The Nursing Profession

Professionalism is a powerful word that has many meanings to different people. Some people think it is the way of doing; others think it is the way you act, and some think it is the way you present yourself. Professionalism is unique to each profession. When it comes to the nursing profession, what is professionalism? According to Potter, Perry, Stockert and Hall (2015) “Nursing is a profession. A person who acts professionally is conscientious in actions, knowledgeable in the subject, and responsible to self and others” (p. 6). The profession of nursing is not an easy field to work in. One has to devote their self to helping others, while being trustworthy, respectful and caring towards the patients. Moreover, nursing is also defined as

The way the nurse communicates with the patient will affect the therapeutic relationship of the patient with the nurse. For example, if the nurse calls the patient by his/her name each time she sees the patient, then the patient is more likely to trust the nurse. The patient will feel cared for, and the fact that the nurse remembers the patient’s name each time she walks in the room will make the patient feel more individualized, rather than just “patient in bed one”. Even if the nurse is delegating her patient’s care to the CNA, she should still use the patient’s name and not refer to the patient as “this guy” or “this woman”. Communication is also important among the staff members. Being professional means communicating with your team at all

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Potter, P., Perry, A., Stockert, P., Hall, A. (2015). Essentials for nursing practice (8th Ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby

Watkins, L. M. (2015). Professionalism in Nursing. Mississippi RN, 77 (2),