Key Figures and Practices in Nursing History

Key Figures in Nursing History

• Florence Nightingale: Established modern nursing, emphasized sanitation, and opened the Nightingale Training School for Nurses in 1860.
• Clara Barton: Founded the American Red Cross and provided care to soldiers during the Civil War.
• Mary Seacole: Provided care during the Crimean War, focusing on holistic care.
• Lillian Wald: Founder of public health nursing in the U.S., establishing the Henry Street Settlement.
• Dorothea Dix: Advocated for the mentally ill, improving conditions in asylums and hospitals.

Scope of Practice and Delegation

• Determining Scope of Practice: Refer to the Nurse Practice Act (state-specific), facility policies, professional nursing organizations (e.g., ANA), and the ANA's Scope and Standards of Practice. Resources include state boards of nursing websites and employer policy manuals.
• Five Guidelines for Delegation: Consider the "right" task, circumstances, person, directions, and supervision.

The Nursing Process

• Characteristics: The nursing process is patient-centered, dynamic, organized, and evidence-based.
• Steps: Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation.

Assessment

• Data Types: Subjective (patient-reported symptoms) and Objective (observable signs).
• Sources: Primary (patient), and secondary (family, medical records, other providers).

Nursing Diagnosis

• Identifies patient responses to health conditions or life processes.

Planning

• Goal Setting: Use SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound)
• Interventions: Choose evidence-based actions aligned with goals.

Implementation

• Performing interventions as planned.

Evaluation

• Assess goal achievement, and modify the care plan if needed.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

• Categories of Laws: Criminal, Civil, Administrative, Common, and Statutory.
• Malpractice Case Elements: Duty, Breach of Duty, Causation, and Damages.
• Ethics: Guided by codes of ethics (e.g., ANA Code of Ethics). Ethical dilemmas arise from conflicting moral principles.

Patient Rights

• Crucial rights include: Information, refusal of treatment, privacy, confidentiality, respectful care, decision-making, and access to records.

Ethical Principles

• Key ethical principles include Autonomy, Beneficence, Non-maleficence, Justice, Fidelity, and Veracity.

Health vs. Wellness

• Health: A state of physical, mental, and social well-being.
• Wellness: An active process of pursuing health and well-being.

Cultural Considerations

• Transcultural Nursing: Involves awareness, knowledge, sensitivity, and competence.
• Cultural Assessment: Includes language, beliefs, values, family structure, health practices.

Nurse-Client Relationship

• Nurse Responsibilities: Advocacy, confidentiality, and education.
• Patient Responsibilities: Communication of needs, following care plans, accurate information provision.
• Phases: Orientation, Working, Termination.

Therapeutic Communication

• Techniques: Active listening, open-ended questions, and empathy.
• Avoid: Giving advice, interrupting, and expressing personal opinions.

Charting and Documentation

• Types: Narrative, SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan), PIE (Problem, Intervention, Evaluation), and focus charting.
• SOAP Note: A specific charting format using subjective, objective, assessment, and plan components.
• SBAR: A communication tool (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation)
• HIPAA: Protects patient privacy and information security. Nurse responsibilities include safeguarding information, accessing only necessary data, and educating others about privacy protocols.

Explore the pivotal figures who shaped nursing, from Florence Nightingale to Lillian Wald. Understand their contributions and the evolution of nursing practices, including scope of practice and delegation in modern nursing. This quiz highlights historical and practical knowledge essential for nursing professionals.