Concept of Caring-Artistic Expression

Concept of Caring-Artistic Expression

Chamberlain College of Nursing

NR500: Foundational Concepts and Applications

The concept of caring is now becoming an important characteristic to have when it comes to giving quality care. Since the beginning of time in the Florence Nightingale days, nurses have been at the forefront of providing care holistically. At my current organization I practice the concept of caring daily due to the patient population, I encounter. Some of the ways I display concept of caring is by assisting a patient who may not have health insurance to the person who can assist in making sure the patient obtains health coverage. Another form of concept caring would be contacting a patient’s health insurance agency to see what facilities would accept the insurance for various procedures. Caring intertwined in nursing gives patients a sense of safety and feeling as though his or her needs are being met. In this paper, I planned to discuss my definition and expression of caring.

Definition of Caring

My definition of caring is the ability to see things from the patients physical, cultural, emotional, spiritual, and mental health needs. Lachman (2012) states, “Caring is a feeling and exhibiting concern and empathy for others; showing or having compassion.” As an advanced practice nurse, one must be able to build trusting relations with patients and family members alike. Therefore within my future endeavors of being able to a family nurse practitioner, I must be able to treat patients with non-judgmental feelings. One of the ways I can build a trusting, caring relationship with my patients is to treat the patient as a whole. Holistic nursing is a means of treating the patient by embracing the total human needs from beginning to end. An example of this method would be the use of the Callista Roy’s Adaptation Model. I was faced with having to tell a patient he was HIV positive and that there would be some changes to his daily routine for the rest of his life. One of the changes we discussed was his now medication regimen and how this may affect his everyday life. According to Papathanasiou, Sklavou, and Kourkouta (2013), the purpose of nursing is to assist the patient to adapt to occurring changes, biological needs, and self-perception of said changes. To holistically treat the patient and his new diagnosis accurately, I must understand to treat the patient first helping him to understand that this change does not mean the end of the world. I will connect the patient with support groups and counselors who specialized in speaking with patients with new diagnosis of terminal diseases. Lastly, I will meet with the patient to educate him on how and why it is important to stay compliant with his medications. As the FNP, I must make sure all areas of the patients’ well-being are met with each encounter in the hopes of building a healthy and trusting relationship.

Expression of Caring

I choose the wording on the right because it describes the characteristics one must embody to care for a patient from the holistic perspective. As healthcare professionals we have to understand we are here to care for the patients and their families; therefore to complete this task we have to feel and intertwined each of these words when we encounter patients. The second picture represents that gentle touch some patients may need to feel he or she is not alone in his or her health challenge. Adams (2016) shed light on how caring can also be an adjective by nurses displaying actions of concern. Thus the picture to right displays said attribute. At times just a gentle touch with the nurses’ hands upon a patients hand or back sometimes gives the patients a sense of reassurance that he or she will be alright throughout the many adversities they may face.

Conclusion

Caring in nursing continues to be the art of being able to care and help those who are in need. Caring can be in various forms, for example, it can be through the use of touch, hearing, and just being there when the patients need a helping hand. According to Drahosova and Jarosova (2016), the aspects of concepts of caring include the art of developing relationships with patients and families as a means of protection while medically treating using evidenced based interventions in getting the patient back to optimal health. In completing this assignment, I have gained a better understanding that as the FNP one must be able to incorporate the use of holistic nursing with the concept of caring to meet all the needs of the patients properly, we encounter daily.

References

Adams, L. Y. (2016). The conundrum of caring in nursing. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 9(1), 1.

Concept Holding Hands Image. Retrieved from: Dreamstime. September 10, 2017. Dreamstime.com

Drahošová, L., & Jarošová, D. (2016). Concept Caring in Nursing. Central European Journal Of Nursing & Midwifery, 7(2), 453-460. doi:10.15452/CEJNM.2016.07.0014.

Lachman, V. D. (2012). Applying the ethics of care to your nursing practice. Medsurg Nursing, 21(2), 112.

Papathanasiou, I., Sklavou, M., & Kourkouta, L. (2013). Holistic nursing care: theories and perspectives. American Journal of Nursing Science, 2(1), 1-5.