Nursing is one of the most dedicated, sacrificial, and emotionally rewarding careers out there. Nurses need excellent academic and practical training right from the start. It is about linking medicine with the healing of the sick and the care they receive.
Florence Nightingale transformed the way people looked at nurses in the mid-19th century. As the industrialization of countries spread and families needed medical care, the need for hospitals grew. It led to the emergence of competent nurses as the needs of hospitals, physicians, and women’s desire for work converged.
Providing quality care is an essential function within the field of nursing. In hospitals and public health services, the nursing staff directly contacts the patient, the family, and the community. They train to act even before the problem arises to improve citizens’ health prospects and guarantee care with maximum safety.
That is how we remember it, year after year, on International Nursing Day (May 12th). The work of nurses ranges from health promotion to help during the last days of the patient’s life (in the terminal phase). They assist chronically ill people through day-to-day life and help those who occasionally end up in a hospital.
The training and education of patients with health issues such as diabetes, obesity, cardiac rehabilitation, asthma, eating disorders, or palliative care always fall on the health centres’ nursing team.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nurses cater to 70 % of all the work in any hospital. Little by little, nurses explore clinical research. Some nurses publish scientific articles on subjects such as the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers (UPP), bandage techniques, or even studies on dependency levels.
Much More than Care
Nurses don’t just take care of their patients; they are also teachers. Today, nurses can do different things that previously only doctors could do. The fundamentals of nursing range from taking blood pressure and other vital signs to thoroughly evaluating the patient. The demand for nursing practitioners has increased rapidly. And every registered nurse is seeking to study more to play an essential role in the healthcare sector.
For instance, to become an FNP, registered nurses need to opt for the family nurse practitioner program. These nurses can serve both primary and specialty care and can assess and diagnose patients. These nurses are also able to prescribe medicine and educate patients.
The Evolution of the Profession
Historically, it is interesting that men have played a leading role in caring for the sick. Of course, this was mostly with close family or friends. As nursing grew further, from home care to hospitals, it became a more female-dominated field. Today, there is a better balance between male and female nurses.
The emergence of nursing specialists has significantly changed the work in clinics, polyclinics, and medical departments. As you know, almost 80% of internal organs’ diseases proceed in a standard way and require standard therapy. The transition of medical institutions to the formulary system of drugs and treatment standards is just beginning. And success in this area mainly depends on the nurses. They can reduce the workload of doctors. Complete transition to the health insurance system is impossible without the appropriate training of healthcare workers. Such specialists are essential both for improving professional skills and monitoring the practice of university students.
Healthcare Success
It depends not only on medical institutions’ equipment and the possibility of using modern medicines—the preventive direction is much more critical. In recent years, issues of prevention and identification of significant diseases has received little attention. However, without this work, we cannot control cardiovascular diseases, injuries, and oncological pathology.
Doctors alone cannot do this. It is necessary to include all medical workers in it. Nursing specialists know the basics of personality psychology and the organizational foundations of prevention. Only the well-educated doctor and medical nurses will make it possible to work effectively. Nurses with broader and more comprehensive training can conduct scientific research concerning the improvement of care and scientific organization of medical institutions’ work. The widespread use of their work will reveal new challenges and achievements.
Today, it seems that healthcare reforms are lagging behind the training and use of modern personnel. The solution to this problem will make it possible to organize work in any medical institution in a much more rational and cost-effective manner.
Conclusion
The nursing personnel’s historical backgrounds show international organizations’ concerns to define and delimit nursing functions. Different nurse practitioners provide a wide range of services according to their domain. Because of their specialized training, nurses have the opportunity to work with all age groups. Nursing professionals can enforce the tasks of all members of the health team. We must recognize the value of their work and have respect for their professionalism, dignity, rights, and values.
Image Credits: DarkoStojanovic
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