Nursing as a Profession Quiz: Concepts and Key Ideas

Study Notes

Evolution of Nursing Practice

Nursing practice has undergone significant changes since its recognition as a necessary part of healthcare by Florence Nightingale in the mid-1800s.
Nurses are educated to maintain patient safety and administer care in diverse settings, known as the science of nursing.

Definition of a Profession

A profession meets certain criteria, raising it above an occupation, requiring special knowledge, skill, and preparation.
A profession grows out of society's needs for special services and requires advanced knowledge and skills.

Nursing as a Profession

The International Council of Nurses defines nursing as assisting individuals, sick or well, in performing activities contributing to health, recovery, or peaceful death, helping them gain independence rapidly.
Nursing involves utilizing the environment to assist patients in their recovery, as stated by Florence Nightingale.
Virginia Henderson defines nursing as assisting individuals, sick or well, in performing activities contributing to health or its recovery, to gain independence rapidly.

Concept of Profession

A profession is an organization of an occupational group based on the application of special knowledge, establishing its own rules and standards for public and professional protection.
A profession prioritizes the quality of work over economic rewards and serves all of society, not specific group interests.

American Nurses Association (ANA) Definitions

In 1973, ANA defined nursing as direct, goal-oriented, and adaptable to individual, family, and community needs during health and illness.
In 1980, ANA defined nursing as the diagnosis and treatment of human responses to actual or potential health problems.
In 1995, ANA acknowledged four essential features of contemporary nursing practice:
- Attention to the full range of human experiences and responses to health and illness.
- Integration of objective data with knowledge gained from understanding the client or group's subjective experience.
- Application of scientific knowledge to diagnosis and treatment processes.
- Provision of a caring relationship that facilitates health and healing.

Description

Explore the evolution and key aspects of nursing practice, from its recognition by Florence Nightingale to the present day. Learn about the science of nursing and the definition of a profession as a specialized calling. Test your knowledge on these fundamental concepts.