Introduction to Nursing and Ethics

Introduction to Nursing and Nursing Ethics

• The study covers nursing history, definition, aims, education and agency.
• Objectives include describing nursing development stages, defining nursing and nursing aims, and listing the four nursing aims.

History of Nursing

• Difficult to trace the exact origin of nursing, but moral action is the historical basis.

• Nursing began with caring for others as the right thing to do.

• Examples include helping injured travelers on the road.

• Moral reasoning motivates nurses' care for others.

• Examples of Moral: Value kindness, ignoring a person in pain is wrong.

• Ethics in nursing: Treating all patients fairly, even if they're not nice.

History of Nursing: Middle Ages (3rd to 15th century)

• Monasticism and other religious groups provided opportunities for men and women in nursing careers.
• Christian values of caring for others were central to nursing practice during this time.
• Wealthy Christian women, like Fabiola, provided houses of care for the poor, sick, and homeless in the Roman Empire.

History of Nursing: The Crusades

• Established orders for health centers.
• Teutonic knights and knights of Saint Lazarus provided nursing care for sick and injured people.
• Their symbol was a bright red cross.

History of Nursing: The Dark Ages

• Being a nurse wasn't respected, and poor or single women were often forced into these roles.
• Examples include women with no family being assigned to care for the elderly or clean wounds in exchange for food and shelter.
• Theodor Fliedner and his wife started the first nursing school in Germany in 1836, which was initially composed of 6 students.
• Florence Nightingale trained at the school, became a famous nurse, and influenced modern nursing by organizing hospitals, caring for soldiers, and becoming a role model.

Modern Nursing: Florence Nightingale

• Founder of modern nursing.
• Despite family opposition and societal norms, she trained for 3 months in Germany.
• Established the Nightingale Training School for Nurses in 1860 at St. Thomas' Hospital in London, England.
• Transformed nursing into a professional and respected field, defining it as both art and science.
• Highlighted the components of nursing: health and illness.

The Islamic Period (570–632 AD)

• Saidatuna Rufaida Al-Aslamy (RA) set up a training school for nurses.
• Developed the first code of conduct and ethics for nurses.
• Organized community health by establishing a tent outside a mosque to care for patients, and led a group of women providing aid to injured soldiers.

Nursing Education in Saudi Arabia

• First nursing institute in Riyadh City in 1959, due to a collaboration between the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Another institute was established in Jeddah City in 1961.
• Both allowed Saudi women to pursue a career in nursing.
• Educational efforts expanded in 1976 with the creation of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at King Saud University.
• In 2023, there were 39 nursing programs across Saudi Arabia.

Nursing Education: Types of programs

• Practical and Vocational Nursing Education

• Location: High schools, technical or vocational schools, community colleges

• Length: 1 year

• Outcome: Graduates become Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) working under physician supervision. They can obtain licensure.

• Registered Nursing Education (RN)

• Degree: Bachelor's Degree (4 years)

• Purpose: Prepares nurses for a wide range of roles and advanced studies. Courses cover nursing science, leadership, research, and general education in sciences, humanities, social sciences.

• Graduate Education in Nursing

• Master's Degree (1.5-2 years): Prepares nurses for leadership roles, offering comprehensive care, health promotion, illness prevention, and health counseling.

• Doctoral Degree (PhD) (3-6 years): Focuses on research to advance nursing theory and practice.

• Continuing Education

• Keeps nurses updated with latest knowledge and skills.

• Examples: CME/CNE (Continuing Medical Education/Continuing Nursing Education). Nurses attend workshops, improving areas like diabetes management.

• In-service Education

• Provides learning experiences in the workplace to enhance nurse skills (e.g., hospital training on electronic health records).

Definition of Nursing

• Protection, promotion, and optimization of health.
• Prevention of illness and injury.
• Alleviation of suffering.
• Advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations.

Aims of Nursing

• Health promotion (before problems)
• Prevent illness (stop problems before starting)
• Health restoration (help recover from problems)
• Coping with disability or death (living well despite challenges)

Nursing Agencies

• Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS): Regulates healthcare practices to ensure healthcare workers meet professional and ethical standards.
• Saudi Nursing Association (SNA): Advocates for nurses, focusing on professional development, ethics, and the image of the nursing profession.
• Ministry of Health (MOH): Shapes healthcare policies and practices, including the ethical framework for nurses.
• World Health Organization (WHO): Provides global health standards and ethical frameworks to guide nurses.
• American Nurses Association (ANA): Sets nursing standards, addresses ethical issues, and advocates for nurses' welfare.