Jean Watson Theory
Watson’s theory of human caring has influenced my values and goals through my nursing vocation. The concept of caring helps me to embrace the positive energy which flows from an integrated spirit, body, and mind and is both rewarding to my patients and me. Throughout my nursing practice, I put my patients in the best position to self-heal. I can optimize the patient’s ability to heal from within by engaging in caring through intentionality and authentic presence. According to Watson, caring potentiates our capabilities and regenerates life energies. The benefits are immense and improve self-actualization on both personal and professional level. Caring is a significant experience not only for the patient but also for the healthcare providers. Watson underlines that we must care for ourselves to be able to take care of other people (Clark 2016). Self-healing is a critical process of replenishing our spiritual bank and rejuvenating our energy.
How nurses apply Watson’s Theory to Implement Excellent Nursing Services
Watson’s theory of caring has been researched and applied in a variety of settings including specialty settings, team building, geriatrics, stress management, emergency care, and hospice and palliative care. Caring is central to nursing as it enhances a patient’s quality of life (Clark 2016). For instance, in hospice care, nurses use Watson’s theoretical framework to promote caring and quality of life for terminally-ill patients as well as their caregivers. Nurses can also apply Watson’s Theory through creating a healing environment for the patient, cultivating a spiritual culture, caring for basic needs of the patient both physical and spiritual and developing a relationship which is helping-trusting. Nurses engage in their emotions in a caring relationship and are diverse to new emotional and spiritual experiences while addressing health and physical needs of the patient.
Watson theory fits in my professional practice through emphasizing the aspect of care which is critical addressing the patient’s needs. Establishing a healthy relationship is integral to patient engagement and engagement as well as relating to the patient’s family. In my practice, I find Jean Watson’s theory more useful because it encourages an open and emotional approach in caring for patients in healthcare practice.
Historical Nursing Figures
Clara Barton and Florence Nightingale are historical nursing personalities who made significant contributions in the discipline of nursing. Nightingale was born in Europe, and she served primarily during the Crimean War. She was appointed to initiate female nurses into military health camps. Through her effort, Nightingale brought 38 nurses to the Barrack Hospital in Turkey in 1854. Nightingale took on nursing duties and administrative responsibilities. Nightingale focused on nursing reforms and women’s progress. She also championed for sanitation reforms in India (Forrester, 2016).
Clara Barton is for her contribution to nursing in the United States during the Civil War. Barton preferred working alone and did not team up with the official nursing team overseen by Dorothea. She observed that during the war many soldiers died because they did not receive medical care quickly. These incidences made her establish her way of bringing food and medical supplies to the injured. As a result of her work, she was chosen as the head nurse of corps in Virginia (Forrester, 2016).
Differences in Contribution in these two historical figures
Unlike Florence Nightingale, Clara was more independent and believed in running things in her way. While in Europe, Clara founded the International Red Cross which later led to the development of the American Red Cross. Nightingale collaborated with members of her team during her administrative and nursing roles. She appears to be satisfied to work quietly in the background overcoming or avoiding conflicts through kindness and dedication (Forrester, 2016).
How Nightingale and Clara’s Contribution influence my Nursing Practice
I am blown away by this determination of these two women. They emerged in a time which expected women to stay at home and raise their families. However, they broke the social norms by stepping into men’s world of nursing, blood, and battle. Through their effort, they were able to change the world of nursing. When I reflect on their accomplishment, one phrase keeps resurfacing in my thoughts that these women had one purpose which is to serve others. I can’t help but follow their examples to make the world a better place by taking providing quality care to my patients.
Functional Differences between the ANA and the State Board of Nursing
A state board of nursing is a licensing state-specific regulatory body which issues licenses to a qualified candidate, decides the scope of practice of nurses within its state, and sets standards of practice for safe nursing. The American Nurses Association (ANA) is a professional organization representing the interests of over 4 million registered nurses in the United States. The ANA advocate for its members. It is the strongest voice of the nursing profession. The ANA promotes an ethical and safe work environment and reinforces the health and well-being of nurses (American Nurses Association, 2017). It also fosters high standards for nursing practice and advocates on health care issues that impact nurses and the general public.
Role of State Board of Nursing
- Issuing licenses to qualified candidates.
- Deciding the scope for nurses within its jurisdiction.
iii. Setting the standards for safe nursing care.
Roles of American Nurses Association
- Advocating on healthcare issues which affect both nurses as well as the public
- Promoting high standards of nursing practice.
iii. Strengthening the Health and wellbeing of nurses.
Impact of State Board of Nursing Practice
The State Board of Nursing has a significant impact on my nursing practice. Being a registered nurse, I am governed by the State Board of Nursing which sets principles for safe nursing care. This regulatory body also decides the scope of practice for nurses within my state. The State Board of Nurses grants nurses the opportunity to protect those in need of nursing care which is founded on guidelines and rules of the state nurse practice act (Johnson et al. 2016).
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The ANA also impacts my nursing practice. As a registered nurse, the ANA supports me to reach my full potential. The ANA ensures a sufficient supply of skilled workforce in channeled through providing a high quality of healthcare services. The ANA supports me as a nurse to lead change. For instance, the ANA provides education and support for nurses to encourage them to provide quality services (American Nurses Association, 2017).
License Renewal
The California Board of Nurses is mandated to license qualified nurses and renew expired licenses for practicing nurses. Nurses whose licenses have expired have required by law to contact 30 hours of continuing education and pay a renewal fee to maintain an active license. Failure to maintain license requirement will lead to suspension of the practicing licenses.
Compact and Non-compact State Registered Nursing License Requirements
Registered nurse requirements in a compact state permit a nurse to have a single license, with the ability to train in all nurse licensure compact states. Conversely, nurses whose primary residence is a non-compact state and apply for a license in a compact state are provided with a single-state license (Johnson et al. 2016).
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Food and Drug Administration
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are important agencies for Americans. The functional differences between these agencies are simple. The FDA regulates foods and drugs while the CMS manages insurances policies, handle security standards and authorization. The FDA influences my nursing practice by regulating drugs which I prescribe to my clients. The FDA outlines standards for drugs that help me to prescribe such drugs with known facts. The CMS has also influenced my nursing practice by helping to advocate for my patients (Shaw, Dhruva, & Ross, 2018).
Advocacy involves the act of supporting a cause through supporting or defending the interests of another. Nurses have a responsibility of advocating for equal access to care for all patients. Advocacy promotes human dignity and is used as an alternative therapy to alleviate suffering. For instance, nurses advocates for their patients in various ways such as reducing physical suffering and in pain management when a patient has demanded to use as an alternative treatment.
Role of Nurse Practice Act
The state Nurse Practice Act (NPA) outline guidelines and rules which govern nursing practice. In California, the NPA mandates the nursing body to set out responsibilities and scope of practice for registered nurses (RNs). Delegation is a critical nursing responsibility, and in most cases, nurses delegate tasks to both unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs). Nurses should consider some factors such as the scope of practice and level of critical thinking required to perform the task.
Roles to my Professional Practice
As a scientist, I use translational science to design instruments for best practices and impact healthcare decisions to propagate research findings. Being a nurse, am in a special position to support research interest. As a detective, can integrate nursing science and clinical imagination to determine and evaluate the outcomes of subtle deviations, prevent adverse results, and change from an expected pattern. Also, as a detective, am in a position to find out the patient’s reason for visiting the hospital. My profession also dictates me to be the manager of a healing environment. As a manager of the healing environment, I strongly advocate for my patients in creating a healthy working environment.
Provisions from the ANA Code of Ethics
The Nursing Code of Ethics is non-negotiable ethical standards of the nursing profession. The American Nurses Association outlines nine provisions which guide nurses throughout their provisions (American Nurses Association, 2017). Two of these provisions include:
- The nurse practices with respect and compassion for unique and worth attribute and inherent dignity for every person. This provision helps me to care for patients with respect, compassion, and professionalism.
- The nurse’s primary obligation is to the patient, whether an individual, group, family, or population. This provision helps me to prioritize the patient’s interests which is the foundational tenet of the nursing profession.
Nursing Error likely to occur in a Clinical Practice
Errors are an integral part of human life. Medication errors are likely to occur in clinical practice. In most cases, medication errors occur due to distractions. Studies show that in the United States, medication errors kill one person in a day. Extra caution should be put in consideration to avoid a potentially result from medical errors. The ANA provisions help to reduce medication error through emphasizing the primacy commitment to the patient and treating the patient with compassion and dignity.
Qualities of Nurse Leaders
Hospitals and other health organizations require nurse leaders to supervise staff members and oversee operations within the facilities. The success of an organization depends on its leadership (Forrester, 2016). Excellent leaders are characterized by critical thinking, integrity, good communication skills, and mentorship. A nurse leader at the bedside is required to be a critical thinker to help navigate about a patient’s illness with ease. Also, a nurse leader should be a mentor among the interdisciplinary team to inspire members within their organization.
Impacts of Work Environment
Nursing leadership plays a significant role in a work environment. The success of a healthcare environment depends on the quality of leadership. Work environment plays an important role in the decision. For instance, a work environment which encourages employees to share their views promotes an informed decision. A healthy work environment creates an opportunity for professional development.
