Nursing as a discipline essay
Rachel Adejoh RN BSN
Coppin State University
Helen Fuld School of Nursing
Theoretical Foundation for the Practice of Nursing
Nur 620
Dr. Arlene Johnson
January 9, 2013.
Occupation
Occupation is a career that requires special training in order to have a set of skills or
knowledge, proficiency to be employed to practice and earn a living. In addition to the above
definition, occupation can be regarded as positions that require a set of skills that may be used in
a number of work areas or settings. Examples of occupation are, writers, dancers, physical
therapist, occupational therapist, lawyers, medical doctors just to mention a few. Occupation can
be synonymous to a trade, a vocation, or a calling and may or may not need a professional body
or a licensure.
Nursing is an occupation that requires trained personnel to care for the sick or healthy
individual to perform functions that a person or individual cannot render to themselves at that
particular time due to an alteration in the body mechanism in a variety of settings. An occupation
may not need prerequisites for enrollment unlike a profession which now called for an action for
nurses to take their advance knowledge passed the level of an occupation to a profession.
My rationale for defining nursing as an occupation has its meaning as far back as in the
time of the mother of modern nursing Florence Nightingale. During her era, she recruited people
and teach them the basic skills needed to care for the sick. There is no extensive study of the
body mechanism from its microscopic structure of cell, to tissue, organ, and organ systems. Also
disease processes and the various applicable treatments were not taught because of lack of formal
education. This lack of formal education exposes nursing occupation to various enormous
external challenges especially from medical doctors. Doctors believes that nurses are not well
trained enough to be regarded as a profession, because of lack of scientific theory, skills,
methods, and professional body.
However, the dynamics of nursing has greatly changed from the era of Florence
Nightingale to the present modern nursing. Now nursing has equipped professional body,
professors, institutions of higher learning and training, laboratories and qualified students with
vigorous academic exercises of academicians that propel them to a professional level.
Profession
Profession can be defined as a collective body of trained skillful personnel that are
engaged in a particular calling, and are usually governed by a professional body with licensure.
Nursing is a profession in that it has skilled, qualified, trained personnel from various academic
accreditation institutions with a professional body that regulates their practices.
My rationale for defining nursing as a profession is that it is a body that requires special
attributes, ethics, skills, preparations, and advanced knowledge to practice in the society.
Nursing as a profession provides abroad variety of care in a specialized field and in a systematic
approach that focuses on her client or patient.
Nursing professional body has specific criteria as well for its member such as:

Autonomy to practice with their intellectual reasoning in health care delivery
system

Constantly researching to improve knowledge that has scientific basis.

Application of the acquired knowledge to care for the individual, family, and
society at large.

Entrusting its education to a professional institution of higher learning.

Have opportunity for professional growth like advancement of careers.

Lead the organizational body by way of legislation.
Roles of a nurse practitioner
1. Nurse practitioner in practice function as a primary care provider, and it is patient,
practitioner, and organizationally focused. Nurse practitioner assess the patient, diagnose, plan,
and manage disease a particular process that is cost effective to the patient and the organization
in which such practice is carried out.
2.
Nurse practitioner function as an educator is patient, practitioner, and organizationally
focused. Nurse practitioner coaches, advocates, teach healthy life style changes for optimal
health of the patient that is cost effective to the organization. For example, nurse practitioner
spends most of her time to identify learning opportunity. Educating the patient on disease
prevention, inspire the patient to know various ways to understand.
3.
Nurse practitioner functions as a researcher that is patient, practitioner, and
organizationally focused. Nurse practitioner actively participates in research by enrolling,
recruiting, data collection, analysis, for new innovations. Also protect human subjects to make
sure correct procedures for informed consent are followed according to the international review
board (IRB) recommendations.
4.
Nurse practitioner is a consultant as he or she participates in health promotion activities
by timely referral to appropriate discipline to avoid disease progression. Nurse practitioner
makes referral to speech language pathologist (SLP) gastroenterologist, pulmonologist just to
mention a few for complicated management.
5.
Nurse practitioner collaborates with other allied health professional like
nutritionist/dietician, case management, social worker, occupational therapist, physical therapist
just to mention a few for quality health care delivery that if practitioner, patient, and
organizationally focused.
6.
Ethical decision making is one of the roles of a nurse practitioner. Patient focus aspect:
The nurse practitioner guides and direct patients on ethical dilemmas for appropriate decision
making. Also advocate for the patient, make them aware of their rights, and maintain privacy
Nurse practitioner focus aspect: honesty, reliability, transparency to gain both patient and
organization trust.
7.
Leadership; patient focus; the nurse practitioner takes the initiative to start care,
informing the patient of current treatment regimen. Practitioner focus: The nurse practitioner is
actively involved in constant lobbying for legislation affecting his or her practice.
Organizational focus: it adds to the organization reputation to have a proficient professional
practicing in their organization.
Reference
Alligood, M. & Tomey, A. (2010) Nursing Theorist and Their Work (7th Ed).
Missouri: Mosby/Elsevier.
Burns Nancy, Grove Susan K. (2009). The Practice of Nursing Research.
Appraisal, Synthesis, and Generalization of Evidence. (6th ed ) Saunders
Missouri.: Elesevier.
Medical Dictionary (2012). Retrieved from www.nih.gov/medline/ dictionary.html