There are a number of hazards in virtually any profession, and nursing is not an exception. One of such hazards is the problem of moral distress. It can affect both nursing staff in the clinical setting and nurse educators in the academia. In this paper, the definition of moral distress will be given. Because the author of this paper has not experienced the symptoms of moral distress (as described by Ganske (2010)), the contributing factors to moral distress in academia and in the clinical setting will be discussed, and their consequences will be described.
According to one of the earliest definitions of moral distress, it is the stress that occurs “when one knows the right thing to do, but institutional constraints make it nearly impossible to pursue the right course of action” (as cited in Ganske, 2010, p. 2). It should be distinguished from a moral dilemma, when a person is not sure which option to take because they represent conflicting values (Burston & Tuckett, 2012, p. 312). Moral distress might be experienced by representatives of a wide range of professions, nursing being one of them. Nursing personnel often may face it as a result of being unable to care for their patients in a way that they see as the most beneficent due to the bounds imposed on them (Ganske, 2010, p. 2).
Ganske (2010) argues that moral distress can often be experienced by nurses not only in the clinical but also in the educational setting. Among the factors named as contributing to it in the academia, academic dishonesty, bullying or other types of incivility, and grade inflation are named (Ganske, 2010, p. 1, 4). Moral distress experienced by nurse educators in the academia may lead to numerous adverse results in the educational setting. Ganske (2010) names some symptoms of the moral distress: “mental pain, sleeplessness, and guilt” (p. 6). It is clear that such feelings, psychological and emotional reactions can have a significant negative effect on the faculty’s enthusiasm and desire to teach, which might reduce the quality of their courses and/or increase the rates of turnover (Ganske, 2010, p. 7-8).
Moral distress in the clinical setting can be caused by both individual factors (traits of character, experience, relationships, worldview) and external factors (staffing, resourcing, quality of medical treatment and care, moral atmosphere of the setting, and the type of practice) (Burston & Tuckett, 2012, p. 314, 317). It is stated that moral distress leads to a number of outcomes which may be classified as “consequences for the self and others and consequences also for the system” (Burston & Tuckett, 2012, p. 318). Towards oneself, a nurse may experience horror or anticipatory dread during a situation that leads to distress; a distressed nurse often feels disappointed, self-doubtful, lacking self-esteem, demoralized, helpless. A nurse may undergo a severe depression. Sometimes they give up and experience burnout. Towards others, a nurse might become easily irritated, bitter, cynical, or, on the other hand, dismayed or stunned. Towards the system, it is important that not many nurses attempt to address the system which causes the situation of the moral distress. In many cases, they may avoid any conflict situations or even their patients. Nurses might consider leaving their current position or their place of work; some, having experienced severe burnout, even quit their profession completely (Burston & Tuckett, 2012, p. 318-319).
To sum up, moral distress emerges when a person is unable to follow the course of actions they perceive as the right one due to institutional constraints. It can be experienced in a variety of professions, and nurses and nurse educators are among them. There are a number of contributing factors to moral distress, and it leads to numerous negative consequences in both the educational and the clinical settings.
The concept of work-related stress has been studied widely since the 1950s. Consequently, work-related stress has been recognized as an epidemic that is widespread across all occupations. However, some occupations are susceptible to a higher level of work-related stress than others (Thanacoody, Bartram & Casimir, 2009). Since the mid-1990s, numerous radical changes have been observed in health care systems. These changes are geared towards a lean workforce due to economic constraints. As a result, poor pay and increased workload have become a common phenomenon in the nursing profession. The above conditions eventually accelerate levels of work-related stress (Malliarou, Moustaka & Konstantinidis, 2008). Noticeably, without effective coping strategies, work-related stresses my eventually lead to nursing burnout (Thanacoody, Bartram & Casimir, 2009). Against this backdrop, this study will seek to establish the factors behind high cases of burnout syndrome in the nursing profession and the implications therein.
On the same note, the concept of occupational burnout has gained considerable attention in recent years. The term ‘burn out’ was first mentioned by Freudenberger in 1974. Freudenberger underscored that; burnout was a condition whereby professionals in social service professions (e.g. clinical) experienced feelings of exhaustion and failure; thus end up becoming inoperative (Thanacoody, Bartram & Casimir, 2009). Correspondingly, researchers in the nursing field have speculated that prolonged stress, coupled with unstable health care environment escalates burnout cases among nurses. On this note, burnout has been recognized as a looming disaster whose implications might invite far-reaching effects on the health care system (Malliarou, Moustaka & Konstantinidis, 2008). Likewise, the condition has been associated with negative implications such as reduced job performance, low work morale, high job turnover, increased cases of absenteeism, loss of productivity and sluggishness at work. Moreover, the condition might have far-reaching effects on an individual’s physical, emotional, mental, and psychological well-being (Malliarou, Moustaka & Konstantinidis, 2008). Needless to say, nursing burnout is an escalating condition that calls for immediate redress owing to the vital role of the nursing profession in society.
Accordingly, the concept of burnout has been termed as a multifaceted phenomenon that impacts negatively on the individual and institutions. The price of nursing burnout is too costly both for individuals and institutions (Thanacoody, Bartram & Casimir, 2009). Consequently, numerous variables have been examined to establish their interrelationship and their contribution towards burnout. These variables have been drawn from a wide pool of possibilities ranging from, work-related, personality traits and demographic factors.
Furthermore, the current research will be founded on three hypotheses namely;
H1 Work-related factors have a positive role in nurses burnout
Numerous researches on this phenomenon have examined the relationship between workplace environment and burnout. Most of these researches have identified several job-related factors such as; long working hours, enormous workload, the conflict between personal and organizational values and unfair treatment as the most probable causes of nursing burnout (Thanacoody, Bartram & Casimir, 2009).
H3 Negative personal characteristics factors may attract burnout
Malliarou, Moustaka and Konstantinidis (2008) underscore that some individuals seem to be more immune to stressful situations than others. Therefore, some nurses may experience burnout, while others remain composed even in similar environments. This implies that personal characteristics have a role to play in determining how an individual handles work-related stress. Although this concept has been frequently ignored in research, personality trait factors such as; self-esteem issues, intolerance, empathy, and the degree of conscientiousness have been attributed as key determinants of whether an individual will experience burnout syndrome.
H2 There is a significant relationship between a nurse’s age and burnout
Similarly, several types of research have examined the relationship between demographic variables and burnout syndrome. On this note, demographic factors such as; age, gender, level of education, advancement in career, and marital status contribute significantly to an individual’s profession (Thanacoody, Bartram & Casimir, 2009). This hypothesis is founded on the notion that young nurses who are new in the profession are most likely to experience burnout as compared to older nurses who are advanced in their careers.
References
Malliarou, M, M., Moustaka, E, C. & Konstantinidis, T. C. (2008). Burnout of Nursing Personnel in a Regional University Hospital. Health Science Journal, 2(3):140- 152.
Thanacoody, P.R., Bartram, T. & Casimir, G. (2009). The effects of burnout and supervisory social support on the relationship between work-family conflict and intention to leave: A study of Australian cancer workers. Journal of Health Organization and Management, 23 (1):.53-69.
The name of the seminar that I have recently visited was Making Your Message Count. The theme of the seminar was related to healthcare reforms with the main focus on the “importance of sending a collective message to legislators when advocating for the profession”. The seminar was held at Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence. The main speakers were Darlene Curley, MS, RN Executive Director at Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence. The second speaker was Suzanne Miyamoto, Ph.D., RN Director of Government Affairs American Association of Colleges of Nursing. The main areas in the focus of this seminar were innovation, scholarship, and leadership, these areas were also included in the 2012 AACN Student Policy Summit (Goldstein, 2006).
The speakers’ main topic was related to the advocacy of the profession of nursing and the improvement of health care reforms. The speakers presented and estimated the importance of the advocacy theories. They made use of the advocacy theories to persuade Congress members presented at the seminar to favor their request (Kollman, 2008). They were to hire professional lobbyists who had access to legislators and offer important data on legislation. The group had to choose a member of Congress who was likely to listen and respond.
Another topic discussed during the seminar was the advocating of the health care reforms. The speakers were prepared to do individual advocacy and coalitions in advocating major reforms in health care. They were to use Nursing Community which was an organized group consisting of nursing leaders (Shaw, 2010). The Nursing Community was to send a letter to congressional representatives urging them to respond to reforms of health care. Their main goals were to advocate for increased access to health care, reduce costs and improve the quality of health care.
A strategy that was worth attention was to use interest groups in advocating the profession of nursing. The effectualness of this strategy was supported by the fact that the speakers accessed information from their constituents and that has provided a good basis for persuading legislators. Furthermore, Congress members could pay attention to the group members because they were registered voters in his/her constitution (Tversky, 2008). It is worth mentioning that small groups are better to use because they have lower operational costs. In addition, nursing coalitions represent the voice of the coming changes and reforms that have been not made since the introduction of Medicaid and Medicare in 1965.
Finally, the webinar presented the realities of nursing.
This strategy was implemented in order
to attract interest to the healthcare reforms and outline the main benefits that strong leaders and unity of collective action can contribute to this area, which can bring positive changes that are urgently needed. Some leaders in Washington suggested that nurses were supposed to be educated and mentored to become “the nurse policy activists of the future” (Milstead, 2009).
In conclusion, Nursing Organizations Alliance was formed in 2002. However, the workshop continues today and its main aim is to educate nurses regarding policies. In addition, it should be mentioned that the greater the number of nurses, the stronger influence nurse students and faculty can have on the health care reforms and policies in the coming years. And thus, in this historical period, the main call for nursing is to be involved in the process of improvement of the healthcare reforms nationwide.
References
Goldstein, K.M. (2006). Interest Groups, Lobbying, and Participation in America. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Kollman, K. (2008). Outside Lobbying. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Milstead, J. (2009). Health Policy and Politics. New York: Cambridge Press.
Shaw, R. (2010). A primer: The activist’s handbook. Berkeley: University California Press.
Tversky, A. (2009). The framing decisions and the psychology of choice. New York: Cambridge Press.
In the nursing profession, there is need for a caring attitude and ardent personality.
Training encompasses basic care services and preventive treatment.
The training is done in hospitals equipped with necessary care materials.
Upon graduation, the nursing personnel has to pass through a three months nursing practice program before being confirmed a nurse.
The ideal training involves practical administering of drugs and injections recommended by a doctor.
Besides, competent knowledge on first aid care is vital in practicing nursing.
An individual undergoing training must be proficient in preparing and administering oral medications.
An individual undergoing training must be proficient in administering medications through intradermal, subcutaneous, intramuscular and Z-track injections.
Education
The right education are offered in medical related schools.
The profession may comprise of a certificate, diploma, or degree qualification.
In addition, personal desire to provide care is key in practicing nursing.
Education must be accompanied by the right credibility from government bodies.
Potential Earnings
An average nurse earns $3000 per month.
There are other allowances such as night and emergency services.
These allowances accommodates Medicare and professional needs.
This earning increases rapidly depending on level of training and years of practical experiences.
Nurses working in operation theatres earn slightly more.
Expected Job Prospects
An extensive consultation process and collaboration between mental health and emergency department clinicians.
Emergency staff should receive specific training in mental health assessment and are supervised by a more experienced colleague.
For those that are located in the mental ward itself should even be properly trained including topics of assessment methods, assessment of risk, medico-legal issues, engaging consumers and carers and regarding cultural sensitivity.
Typical Tasks
Sub-assistant surgeon, surgical assistant, medical assistants and medical officer assistants.
Working in emergency department and provide treatment which specialising in acute care to those without prior appointment.
Sets up triage area, green zone (for non critical cases), yellow zone (semi-critical) and red zone (critical cases).
Works as a team comprising health assistance, nurses, medical officer assistant, paramedics, and physicians in order to provide expectant and acute care.
This reality can be reflected in the increased emphasis placed by healthcare providers on evidence-based practice, not only in the field of nursing, but also in medicine.
In a way, medicine and nursing are two fields that are so interlaced: the nurse has an important function that can affect the ability of the patient to heal.
In relation, nurses also have the ability to affect the well being of the patient once they are unable to perform their function.
Indeed, nursing practice also affects how a facility conducts their processes and operations.
Working Conditions
The nursing working environment should be that which promote hygiene.
The working environment must envision preventive care initiative.
Working condition should encourage proactive skills.
Nurses should work under supervision by a senior officer.
Consultative working environment is key towards success of service delivery.
Conclusion
Nursing is a demanding profession.
Series of technical skills are necessary in practicing nursing.
Experience forms the determinant of remuneration in this profession.
While taking this course, I have discovered that practice in the medical profession has some privileges and obligations that vary from the ones of other fields. This means that exceptional standards of professional conduct are anticipated of both medical students and practitioners (Fox et al., 2018). Medical training provides learners with the chance to gain professional behavior in a controlled setting that is secure for patients.
Professional Practice
Medical schools have the opportunity to note forms of behavior that are unsafe, and thereby take appropriate action to enable learners either improve their conduct or, when this is impossible, ensure that such students do not graduate as health professionals. For students to demonstrate that they are qualified for professional practice, they should be supervised severally for any medical duty they undertake and correctly portray their position and capabilities. Moreover, they should understand that treatment ought to be anchored in the medical requirement and the success of therapy alternatives, and that conclusions should be reached after thorough valuation and dialogue with the patient (Fox et al., 2018). Medical practitioners should not deceitfully discriminate against any patient by letting their opinions to adversely sway their professional affiliation or treatment provided (this encompasses their perspectives concerning the age, disability, color, culture, gender, ethnic background, religion, lifestyle, or socioeconomic status of a patient).
Personal Strengths
I have discovered that my personal strengths encompass the ability to develop strong relationships with the people around me and the desire to help others. For example, I have recently developed good relationships with patients whenever I have contact with them while taking the medical course. Irrespective of the existence of limitations to such clinical contacts and the fact that students are supervised, many patients have often considered me to be in a position of accountability, and this makes them assign additional importance to their views and comments (Lomis et al., 2017). Family members, partners, carers, and other people close to the patient should be given special consideration and offered support when necessary.
Even though I have a strong desire to help others and interact with them, I have discovered that health professionals and medical students are anticipated to uphold a professional boundary with patients and other people close to them. Medical practitioners should not use their professional status to cause psychological suffering or exploit patients (Fox et al., 2018). Positive interactions have made it easy for me to work collaboratively and productively with my colleagues both within and outside healthcare settings to ensure high standards of care and patient safety. As I work collaboratively with my fellow students, all of us receive increased support, which translates to enhanced confidence.
Weaknesses
One of the weaknesses that surfaced while taking the course is being too detail oriented. Although being detail oriented has made people to highly trust me, this character has at most times made me appear sluggish to get started. Unfortunately, this is not a good quality in the medical field. Detail oriented individuals mainly drag their feet before they start doing a task since they struggle to start working devoid of all the essentials (Lomis et al., 2017). Some people do not have dedication to the specifics of a task, and that may be exasperating for their colleagues who are detail oriented. Such frustration and distrust usually drive detail-oriented people like me to undertake several projects and monitor other people’s accurateness and progress, which is often disheartening for teammates.
Another weakness that I have come to realize is in being easily distracted by technology. Technologies, for example, smartphones and laptops have found their way into the classroom hence raising extensive concerns regarding their impact on many learners’ concentration in the classroom (Fox et al., 2018). Whenever I have my phone or laptop on as I do my personal studies, I usually go to the Internet and chat with my friends before realizing how much time I have wasted online.
Additional Resources and Abilities
Some of the resources and abilities that could have swayed more optimum learning outcomes include effective communication skills, library, and the Internet. Through effective communication, I have become a strong team player, which has benefitted my success through diverse views and collaboration. The school library enhances varied life skills hence improving personal development and promoting invention, inquisitiveness, and critical thinking. The school library is integral to the learning process since it inculcates desirable study practices in learners (Lomis et al., 2017). It inspires interest in diverse subjects and broadens the horizon. Additionally, the Internet plays a crucial role in developing knowledge and the desire of reading. Online research is a perfect way of stimulating thinking and learning. Although technology has its demerits, there are normally two aspects to every development. To improve vocabulary, solidarity of sentence structure, and grip of language, the best alternative is reading.
Meeting the Competencies Aligned to This Course
To meet the competencies aligned to the course, I have been honest, inventive, and genuine in my academic tasks, encompassing research tasks, and take recommended actions whenever I have concerns regarding the honesty of other people. I have sometimes brought attention to caregivers whenever I find concerns about, or mistakes in, their delivery of care. I have been trustworthy and honest when undertaking my assignments and writing reports. Moreover, I ensure integrity when handling different tasks either at school or in the medical field to avoid misrepresenting my qualifications, situation, and capability. In my assignments and research work, I avoid plagiarizing other people’s work or using my work repeatedly in a manner that could be intended to hoodwink. I have also learned to abide by the rules of the medical school, hospital, and other organizations where I serve from time to time. Moreover, I work collaboratively with other colleagues and medical professionals to realize joint objectives while also sharing information and knowledge with others and providing timely feedback. To ensure success and consistency, I set objectives for continuous improvement and keep learning different concepts and proficiencies while engaging in insightful practice for advancement, soliciting, and reacting promptly to feedback (Lomis et al., 2017). This has been promoted by making sure that team goals take a greater priority than individual aims.
Personal Knowledge and Skills Gained
Interprofessional Collaboration
In this course, I have learned that as the provision of healthcare develops to become highly interrelated, organizing care between doctors, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, and other fields has become gradually significant. Interprofessional collaboration entails the delivery of patient care from a team-based standpoint. Through implementation of interprofessional collaboration to operate jointly and respect people’s views in healthcare, numerous disciplines work jointly to promote patient outcomes. Refocusing professionals’ tasks through collaboration goes a long way to reducing ineffectiveness in patient care (Fox et al., 2018). This signifies that evaluations and treatments are done jointly, and emphasis is on patient care instead of a given diagnosis or treatment approach.
The Role of Technology in Facilitating Health Care Outcome
The best expertise promotes enhanced efficiency, better quality, and decreased costs. Among the numerous gains from technology are the promotion of effective communication between caregivers, improvement on medication safety, minimization of possible medical errors, enhancement of access to clinical data, and realization of patient-centered care. In patient care, sometimes several medical professionals are engaged in their care. This may remarkably reduce the possibility of mistakes and miscommunication. Communication problems are common aspects that lead to the existence of adverse events in patient care (Lomis et al., 2017). Technology has resulted in the creation of electronic health records, which assist in the compilation and maintenance of patients’ medical details into one easily available record.
Health Policy
Health policy entails all strategies, actions, and decisions carried out to realize healthcare objectives within a society. For their fitness to practice, health professionals and medical students should demonstrate proficiencies that enable them to address uncertainties and changes in the workplace. They should operate productively in teams and embark on different tasks as suitable, encompassing being responsible for their success (Fox et al., 2018). Both medical students and practitioners should develop and establish strong teamwork and leadership proficiencies. They should respect the contribution and skills of their colleagues and professionals in other disciplines without unfairly discriminating against anyone.
Conclusion
There is a need for every health professional to behave with decorum and report any issue regarding patient safety to the relevant person. I have learned that health professionals and medical students should build good rapport with patients anchored in openness, confidence, and good communication. Health professionals and medical students are encouraged to develop skills that will help them operate successfully in multi-disciplinary teams. Technology is an integral segment on healthcare delivery today.
Evolution provided humanity with one of the most complex and remarkable structures in the universe, which fulfills unbelievable amounts of various functions every second on many levels. However, even though calling the human body the culmination of nature would not be an overstatement, human health may frequently be fragile and vulnerable to external and internal environments. I realized these vulnerabilities for the first time at a relatively young age, when I met the mother of our close family friend. She had severe dementia and rarely recognized her children, which was heartbreaking to watch. I saw that the beauty of humanity’s complex and unique nature is closely linked with horror and even hopelessness if something inside goes wrong. I understood how fragile our physical and mental health is, and I decided to help by pursuing a medical career as a nurse. During almost a decade of hard work, I encountered thousands of different cases, I saw tears of joy and tears of despair, and I learned a lot about my job. Nonetheless, the most important lesson that I learned throughout these years is that I want not only to help the people in need but also want to cure them.
My working experience as a nurse showed me that it is vital never to stop learning and to accumulate as much useful information as possible to become a great medical worker. It also made me realize the importance of providing timely and quality treatment. Finally, I found my passion in helping people, and I want to not only learn more about related professional techniques and methods but bring the quality of my work to a new level. My interest in medicine in general, combined with my desire to help people in particular, motivated me to apply to a Medical School. I desire to get a greater understanding of the medical profession and provide patients with high-quality care.
Modern medicine is constantly changing and transforming for a wide variety of reasons. New theories, techniques, methods, and approaches emerge as both technology and society develop. A wide variety of different social, medical, and even political aspects are considered more and more frequently, including ethical issues that never got sufficient attention before. New diseases occur, and new treatment methodologies are developed to reduce the harm as much as possible. Therefore, I want not only to obtain new practical skills but also to broaden my theoretical horizons and make my contributions to the field of medicine.
I perceive the healthcare system as a single large organism with millions of contributors all over the globe. Doctors, nurses, researchers, managers, and many others are working together for the benefit of humankind. The healthcare system helps people with minor problems, supports patients and their close ones both physically and emotionally gives them hope and saves lives. I want to be a bigger part of that system and pursue these goals. My working experience made me understand that the healthcare system is my home, yet I want to move forward and achieve more. I am well aware that a medical career is highly demanding, physically and emotionally exhausting, and responsible. However, I also know that a career in medicine is very rewarding, and I have the determination, passion, and responsibility to pursue such a career. I am willing to learn as much as I can and obtain all available knowledge in every needed subject to become a professional medical worker. I believe that I have the necessary skills and competencies to be a diligent student and fulfill my career dreams.
To understand socialization in nursing profession and its impact on the outcome of healthcare practices.
To know the responsibilities and values of nursing professionals in the context of socialization.
To identify ways through which socialization is achieved in nursing as a profession.
To determine avenues and skills through which professional nurses can help new practitioners in the field to integrate fully in the duties.
Socialization in a Profession
Socialization in a profession refers to the process of insights and skills acquisition, and getting to identify oneself with area of specialization.
During socialization, learners get to develop traits, beliefs, rules, attitudes and standards which are essential for his or her success while on duty (Masters, 2018).
The behavior of an individual gets to align with the requirements and ethics within the line of profession.
Thus, the major objectives of socialization in a given career are (Maginnis, 2018):
To achieve maximum integration of professional duties or roles into life responsibilities.
To gain understanding and internalize the culture associated with the working environment.
To learn technical skills and new insights required for success in the profession.
To identify at personal level, versions of the duties being executed, accept them and maximize efforts in fulfilling their objectives.
Alternatively, socialization can be referred to as a process of formation which lead to competency development.
Gradually, socialization yields a different perspective of how an individual perceive matters.
Moreover, it cultivates the capacity to apply intellectual understanding and critical thinking in finding solutions to problems arising in the areas of profession (Maginnis, 2018).
Eventually, an individual become transformed from an average person to tactful and innovative practitioner with the ability to serve clients with respect.
During socialization, trainees in nursing profession merge from behaving like a nurse into being a fully skilled healthcare practitioner (Masters, 2018).
One gain a professional identity as a nurse through training processes in formal education reaches the climax of competent personnel in the field of practice.
Socialization in Nursing
In nursing, socialization necessitates being familiar with the roles and responsibilities, and values to uphold while in the field of practice.
It implies the sphere of nursing profession seeks to answer questions described as “when,” “where,” “why,” “who,” “what,” and “how” in the context of offering healthcare services (Maginnis, 2018).
Through socialization, a nursing trainee get ensconced into the commanding standards set automatically by the requirements of the duties of a skilled nurse.
Two aspects nursing standards are referred to while evaluating a fully formed nurse, which are:
The regulations set to be fit as a professional nursing practitioner. Basically, they involve issues associated with the process of taking care of patients in the hospital (Masters, 2018).
The evaluation criteria used to ascertain performance index as a competent nurse while on duty. These, entails behaviors and traits which all nurses are obliged to meet while serving clients.
A well-formed or fully socialized nurse exhibits capacity in the major feature of nursing as a profession.
The features encompasses:
The ability to offer healthcare services with consistency and in a loving manner which enhances healing of patients from their ailments.
The capacity to pay attention to diverse experiences and respond to illnesses and health conditions of patients in both social and physical environments (Masters, 2018).
The competency of integrating evaluation criteria with in-depth understanding acquired from the experiences with patients and specific category of persons.
The capacity to use scientific principles of diagnosis in examining patients to administer treatments and monitor progresses of the health condition.
Thus, socialization in nursing profession imparts skills and critical thinking in trainees to achieve high performance in clinical practice for human well-being (Maginnis, 2018).
Roles and Values of Nurses in Socialization Context
As stated initially, socialization in nursing yields competencies necessary for success while engaging healthcare practices.
Thus, it is essential to for nurses to know their responsibilities and roles as a fully formed or socialized practitioner.
It is essential for nurses to know that they are advocates for patients’ life in the healthcare system.
Nurses engage in caring for patients directly or indirectly and educates them on measures and standards to implement for sustaining good health (Masters, 2018).
As advocates for patients’ wellness, nurses form part of the healthcare professional teams, which handle complex disease conditions beginning from the general wards to high dependent and intensive care units.
Moreover, nursing is an independent discipline in the healthcare system which function autonomously and accounts for the duties executed while in service.
Therefore, it is essential for nurses to ensure integrity of their professional identity and accounts for the image displayed by discipline in the society (Maginnis, 2018).
Nursing profession require soft skills and proficiency in knowledge based healthcare service provision to patients.
It is essential for nursing professionals to enhance skills for assessment, and augment their competencies through good communication, and discernment.
Moreover, professionalism in nursing requires cultivation of moral values and work ethics for better healthcare practices.
The values are beliefs and guidelines which are considered ideal for enhancing interactions in the environment of practice (Maginnis, 2018).
Mainly, the reflection of good work ethics is noticed by patients being cared for, teammates, professionals in other disciplines within the healthcare system, and the public.
The values are developed from the beginning of formal education in nursing to the environment of healthcare service throughout to retirement of a practitioner (Masters, 2018).
Thus, professionalism in nursing requires practitioners in the discipline to uphold its values.
Code of Ethics policy by the American Nursing Association outline values that all nursing practitioners should cultivate in their entire career life.
Foremost is the commitment to public service in which healthcare practices are to ensure that public wellness is achieved through nursing. It follows the origin or nursing profession based on the societal need which was to be met by taking care of sick people (Masters, 2018).
Nurses should be autonomous while executing their duties in caring for sick individuals. The professionals should be decided and accountable for the tasks executed.
Moreover, nursing professionals should commit to lifetime learning as an avenue of offering knowledge-based services and implementing innovation in the healthcare system.
Nurses should also believe in the worth and dignity of people, including patients, other professionals and the society as a way of embracing the value of services they offer (Gazaway et al., 2019).
Thus, all nursing professionals and trainees should be familiar with their roles and values which are essential for better healthcare service.
Ways of Achieving Socialization in Nursing
Socialization, generally, refers to adapting the culture of a nursing career and becoming fully integrated in the discipline.
The process of socialization begins during the academic life as a degree student in nursing. It then progresses at the time of hospital attachments for healthcare shifts and continues through the career life of a practitioner (Masters, 2018).
There are two major ways of achieving socialization in nursing profession, which are (Gazaway et al., 2019):
Formal education in academic environments like university and other institutions of higher learning.
Formation in the profession ground where competencies are developed and new skills are acquired as a person continues to offer services in the healthcare system.
Thus, in-depth understanding of ways through which nurses achieve socialization is necessary to help in guiding new practitioners in the field.
Socialization through Formal Education
The skill development in nursing profession is begins intellectual training grounds, which are the universities and colleges of higher learning.
During socialization, cognitive skills are acquired as the students get new insights in class and practical environments.
The process of transformation from student into a competent practitioner encompasses four main stages of development:
Initially, the student completely rely on external sources of information like books and tutors for knowledge and in-sights. It is referred to as unilateral dependence as one correct answer is sought for by the learner (Masters, 2018).
At the initial stages, candidates does not question the information obtained from the lecturers and instructors. However, as deep understanding gets cultivated, the knowledge from experts get subjected to questions.
The second phase of socialization entails independence, in that, trainees begin to withdraw from external dependence and get into self-reliance (Gazaway et al., 2019).
At this stage, nursing students abide by judgements from the insights acquired and questions the information from instructors critically.
The third stage of socialization in nursing is mutual dependence. The trainee ceases to depend on self-gained insights and seek for further understanding of concepts from tutors and classmates.
At this stage, cognitive skills are developed to empathize with other people and consider their worthiness.
The knowledge and insights acquired are employed in practice and evaluation to make judgements.
Intellectual competencies are developed during mutual learning as mind gets engaged in active learning and critical thinking while seeking to solve problems (Gazaway et al., 2019).
It is easy for the mentors to help students link the theory of nursing with practical aspects of healthcare services.
Finally, the student merges into interdependence stage where there is not reliance on mutual or self-centered learning.
It is attributed to expertise in profession, where the trainee easily reflect on the experiences and continue to learn while in the field of practice (Masters, 2018).
Competencies are developed in many areas nursing profession to help in offering services to patients.
Socialization through Profession
Socialization into the discipline of nursing entails acquisition of new skills and technical understanding in the field of practice.
Professional formation depend mostly on the experiences in practicing as a nurse.
Initial stage of socialization through profession novice, attributed with lack of experience. Learners follow the guidelines and set rules in making judgements in healthcare environment (Gazaway et al., 2019).
Trainees then progresses to advanced beginner level in which autonomous judgements are made following little understand as to why some procedures are performed the way they are.
However, formulating solutions to complex situation still become difficult to go through.
The stage of competency follows in which the nursing practitioner can evaluate a situation based on the principles behind them and make priorities while trying to execute difficult tasks (Masters, 2018).
Finally, an expert nurse who is able to defy odds of practicing rules and get governed by the wealth of knowledge and experience is formed.
Professional Nurse’s Role in New Practitioners Socialization
Professional socialization necessitates acquiring new technical skills, adapting to culture in the working environment, internalizing roles in a personal way and fixing the duties in lifetime responsibilities.
Moreover, theoretical and practical knowledge from scientific research is not enough for nurses since the work environment is associated with emotional reactions (Gazaway et al., 2019).
Thus, being ideal is a significant aspect for nurses to consider while pursing success in their career.
Often, the trained nurses get shocked by the extreme variations in classroom and hospital environment.
Bridging the gap between life in academic and work environment requires inputs from professional nurses to new practitioners in the same field (Masters, 2018).
Monitoring New Nurses by Professionals
Participation in the externship and internship programs allow for assimilation of new nurses into the working environment.
Professional nurses should constantly link with the training institutions to provide opportunities for nursing trainee to have prior experience of what the life in hospital has for them (Masters, 2018).
Students easily get ensconced in the real world situation, an environment away from active reading and more to deep understanding and practice.
As the trainees get familiar with work ethics, professional values and standards set for performance evaluation, they begin to transition from academics to active learning and practice in hospitals (Gazaway et al., 2019).
Professional nurses should take it as a sole responsibility of initiating the transition of new nurses from academics to work, by offering externship training for them to become their co-workers.
Organizing Competency Based Training by Professionals
Formalized programs for residency training are organized by hospitals and healthcare organizations for nurses to facilitate their recruitment into the job environment.
However, building the confidence of new practitioners requires developing in them a sense of being honored as part of the team (Gazaway et al., 2019).
It is during thee residency period that new nurses interact informally with teammates and other colleagues, thereby, realizing the goodness of working together.
It requires the efforts of professional nurses to organize for competency based training and allocate specific times for implementing quality assessment modules during residency (Masters, 2018).
New nurses easily master the soft skills of reflection and creative thinking which are essential in providing holistic healthcare support to patients.
Conclusion
Professional socialization is essential for achieving competency in the working environment by new nurses.
It is essential to help trainees understand their responsibilities and values they have to uphold at work place.
Through formal education and practice in the working environment, nurses easily get integrated into the work environment.
However, further efforts from professional nurses are necessary for imparting competencies and soft skills in new nurses.
References
Masters, K. (2018). Role development in professional nursing practice. Jones and Bartlett Learning.
Maginnis, C. (2018). A discussion of professional identity development in nursing students. Journal of Perspective in Applied Academic Practice, 6(1).
Gazaway, S., Gibson, R. W., Schumacher, A., & Anderson, L. (2019). Impact of mentoring relationships on nursing professional socialization. Journal of Nursing Management, 27(6), 1182-1189.
Today we had a conversation with Annie Wilkinson, who has been a medical volunteer for two years. Annie works in a home nursing service and is truly committed to her profession. In this interview, we learn the secrets of her work, her views on the modern healthcare system and how she manages to maintain a positive attitude. This is a summation of the main information in an interview, organized in the form of a text.
A Day of a Volunteer
The interview begins with a question about what a medical volunteer working day consists of. Annie says that the main meta-task of a volunteer is to always be ready for the fact that their help is needed, the volunteer needs to be psychologically ready all the time. Speaking about basic tasks, a volunteer should be aware of what his strengths are, and try to apply them more in his work. Annie, for example, claims that she communicates well with patients, so she tries to use her social skills in her work.
Annie’s more specific vocations include caring for patients, handling background information, visiting patients, answering calls, and more. The tasks of a volunteer are many and according to her, you need to have multitasking skills in order to cope with everything. Work can be associated with preferences, but the volunteer should always be prepared to complete tasks that are difficult or unpleasant.
Qualities of a Volunteer
When Annie was asked what qualities a worthy medical worker should have, she wondered at first, since she asked if she herself possesses these qualities. In her opinion, a friendly and positive attitude allows you to withstand many of the turmoil that is possible at work. In particular, you need to be available, make it clear that you can always be contacted. Kindness and compassion are in the first place for a volunteer. They are no less important than the general level of medical professionalism. A volunteer needs independence and responsibility as well, as older and more experienced employees may not be around in a critical situation.
When asked how much Annie thinks her work is valuable, she answers with confidence. She understands the fundamental importance of her profession in the healthcare system. Annie argues that volunteer work is indispensable in this country, but it is also especially useful on short humanitarian missions to countries with low incomes and high medical complications (Caldron et al., 2018). Annie has experience in the field and shares some of the inner principles that helped her stay stress-free during her volunteer trip. The personality of the volunteer and his willingness to help thus prove to be even more decisive than socioeconomic constructs.
Advantages and Drawbacks of the Vocation
When asked about the benefits of her profession, Annie said that it provides countless opportunities for different practice. Volunteering allows you to develop social kills, meet new people, and generally increase your confidence as a human unit, especially with the awareness of the importance of your work. Annie’s answer to the question about the problems and difficulties that a medical volunteer may face is equally important. She says that the first-order problems of the volunteer are associated with the enormous amount of stress due to multitasking. Combined with watching other people suffer, this double psychological pressure can lead to so-called burnout, when a person no longer feels able to perform the prescribed work.
According to Annie, there are several ways to combat burnout, each of which will be all the more effective when combined with others. First of all, in order to put up with the constant physical and mental suffering observed at work, you need to be aware of your mission in the hospital. The volunteer must remember that his task is to alleviate this suffering as much as possible, to bring peace and tranquility to patients. It is also equally important to live a healthy personal life, in which there will be no place for drama and tragedy that turns an employee’s life into a constant struggle with stress.
Recent Changes in the Healthcare System
When asked what has changed in the American medical system in the past few years, Annie says that her attitude to health care was largely shaped by the modern situation. Recent years in health care have been shaped by laws on the availability of treatment for more financially vulnerable segments of the population. Due to the fact that most medicine in America is privatized, it is vital to think about insurance, the price of which increases by several percent from year to year. Of course, there are official government programs. designed to defuse pressure, but the spread in health care prices in the country is very large in the recent years. The inclusion of High-Deductible Health Plans in the insurance sphere is a useful innovation over the past five years (Chen et al., 2020). It is designed to allow a person to plan their premium based on their budget and needs.
In the context of the last year, overshadowed by the pandemic and the enormous pressure on the healthcare system, Annie’s work seems to be even more in demand. Annie says that recent years have allowed her to understand even more clearly why she is in her place, to start appreciating her work and the importance of her contribution to public life. The work of a medical volunteer is to bring medicine closer to people, and recent years have allowed Annie to rethink the importance of each human unit when it comes to health.
References
Chen, W., & Page, T. F. (2020). Impact of health plan deductibles and health insurance marketplace enrollment on health care experiences. Medical Care Research and Review 77(5), 483-497. Web.
In the context of present-day developments, when people have to adjust to pandemic conditions and need medical services, the perception of the nursing profession has changed drastically. Previously, the general public lacked awareness of nursing duties, and portrayals of this profession were various. The media presented them as “handmaidens” of doctors, which shaped opinions about them among the population (Garcia, 2021). In addition, the public was aware of the nursing shortage, as this issue was also widely broadcasted (Garcia, 2021). However, the pandemic changed the attitude toward this job significantly (“How the pandemic has affected the public’s perception of nursing”, 2021). The work of nurses has become especially vital for the whole population of the planet. The news published in the media shed light on this profession, covering news on coronavirus. People could comprehend that nurses are required to make frontline decisions and play a crucial role in delivering high-quality medical services (“How the pandemic has affected the public’s perception of nursing”, 2021). Thus, it can be concluded that media is an influential factor, which contributes to forming the public’s perception of this job.
Considering the impact of media on shaping people’s opinions, it is worth taking advantage of this factor. The media should reveal the work of nursing, covering their duties precisely and highlighting the importance of their functions. However, nurses may also contribute to educating the general public on their profession and conveying the correct and objective portrayal (“Let’s take the lead in educating the public about nursing”, 2016). Specialists should not minimize their work and its significance in general. It is recommended to show their value, avoiding hiding personal efforts in the treatment process (“Let’s take the lead in educating the public about nursing”, 2016). In addition, nurses should convey self-respect, advancing a professional image while communicating (“Let’s take the lead in educating the public about nursing”, 2016). Therefore, these easy actions may lead to a greater awareness of the nursing profession, making the public’s perception more objective.
Something has to be done when it comes to preventable diseases. There must be an added impetus in the fight to reinstate primary prevention in schools, hospitals, and communities. Although doctors and other medical specialists are major role players in the fight against diseases, the nursing profession is in the front lines of the battle. The nurses are the people that patients see on a regular basis. The nurses are the ones who are given the opportunity to conduct preliminary diagnosis even if it is as simple as asking questions about the patients problems, asking patients how they are feeling and what has happened to them recently. More importantly nurses are trained to handle equipment and other methods in relation to providing preventive care. If nurses are diligent and passionate about this specific aspect of their job then they can save lives and prevent health problems from getting worse. This means that patients will not only be saved from imminent death but prevention help them to improve their health without having to spend a considerable amount of money – as wise men say, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.
Background
Health experts Larry Cohen and Sana Chehimi (2009) tells the story of a prominent individual who suffered a major attack and was promptly rushed to a nearby hospital. Although prognosis was bleak the patient was able to recover and because of the celebrity status of the patient the said hospital was in the centre of a media storm. The supervisors and key health officials of the said facility congratulated themselves and their staff for a job well-done but then somebody asked them about prevention – to which they replied by pointing to a stack of brochures entitled, “Staying Heart Healthy”, the said health literature was their answer to the need for primary prevention (Cohen & Chehimi, 2009). In the 21st century more and more people are realising the absurdity of the health official’s reply but sadly there are only a few people in the medical field who are taking primary prevention seriously. This neglect will result in the premature deaths of many people as well as mounting medical bills.
Prevention is the key that will help the healthcare industry cope with the problem of rising healthcare costs as well as the rising number of premature deaths related to preventable diseases. It is one thing to die from an accident, snuffing the life of a young man or woman. But it is another thing to see young people wheeled into operating rooms because of Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart diseases and many types of cancer borne out of eating unhealthy food and the lack of physical activity. This means that if these patients were educated and forced to change their behaviour then they need not suffer pain and emotional turmoil as a result of malfunctioning vital organs and other complications.
The key to success was made plain by health experts who wrote, “…health and social problems of the twenty-first century requires a fundamental paradigm shift … moving from medical treatment after the fact to prevention in the first place and from targeting individuals to a comprehensive community focus” (Cohen & Chehimi, 2009). In this attempt to create a fundamental paradigm shift it is important for the nursing profession to be aware of the critical role they play in changing the perspective of people and patients that they meet on a regular basis. Nurses should not only be experts in applying primary prevention care but they must also learn how to educate people on the importance of eating healthy, increasing rate of physical activity and changing lifestyles especially when it comes to addictive behaviours such as smoking and drinking alcohol.
Type 2 Diabetes
It is estimated that there are now at least 124 million people in the whole world that is suffering from diabetes and of that number 97% have type 2 diabetes (English & Williams, 2001). This figure will soon increase and reach the high mark of 221 million by the year 2010 (English & Williams, 2001). This is a tremendous increase in the number of diabetics because in the year 2000 there were 17 million Americans who are suffering from diabetes (Carmona, 2002). Type 1 diabetes is characterised by the inability of the body to produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes on the other hand is not the absence of insulin but the cells of the patient do not respond to it normally (Metzger & Kotulak, 2006). It was discovered that here is a link between type 2 diabetes and obesity. At the same time there is also a link between type 2 diabetes and physical inactivity. This is a health problem that is related to the changing lifestyles in the 21st century, wherein citizens of highly industrialized countries prefer to eat calorie-dense foods but at the same time unable to burn the excess calories due to a more sedentary lifestyle.
It is of great importance for the general public to understand that this disease is preventable. This painful truth must be broadcasted – that type 2 diabetes is caused by modern lifestyles, a marked decrease in physical activity and the consumption of energy-rich foods. Thus, the first line of defence should be information dissemination. In this regard nurses have a major role to play because they get in contact with patients and their families on a regular basis.
Prevention is more about early detection. One way to determine that a person is likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes is to perform standard procedures. The most cost-efficient way is the use of glucose monitors. This monitoring technique is very much applicable especially when it comes to a person who is obese. It is very likely that they will contract type 2 diabetes because of their diet and lifestyle, the use of the glucose monitor will immediately inform them they are at a high risk of developing this deadly medical condition. Therefore the necessary steps can be performed.
There are numerous complications for diabetes and before these complications get out of hand it is important to initiate prevention measures Nurses can help in educating at-risk individuals to have their eyes checked especially if they notice blurred vision, suddenly lose vision in one eye or if they see blackspots, cobwebs or flashing light (The College of Family Physicians of Canada, 2009). Nurses will also help in foot exams, this is because those who are suffering from diabetes may experience serious infections in their foot and if this is not treated immediately can lead to more serious problems. Finally, preventing foot and eye problems requires controlling blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol.
Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer or CRC is the second leading cause of cancer mortality in America and globally CRC is the third leading cause of cancer mortality (Pontieri-Lewis, 2000). While it is true that 34,700 cases of rectal cancer were diagnosed in 1999 and that it is estimated that there will be 47, 900 deaths linked to colon cancer and 8,700 deaths linked to rectal cancer there are only about 35% of CRC that will be discovered at an early stage (Pontieri-Lewis, 2000). This means that if the cancer was detected at an earlier stage then healthcare can be provided to improve the chances of recovery.
Nurses play an important role in preparing patients before a colonoscopy procedure. Colonoscopy is one of the preventive measures allowing for early detection. If doctors discover the presence of adenomatous polyps which is a precursor of CRC then the necessary treatment procedures can commence (Pontieri-Lewis, 2000). Aside from colonoscopy nurses can help in educating members of the community when it comes to this preventable disease and inform them that diet is the key. There is a need for increased consumption of high fibre diets and the reduction of animal fat and red meats in the diet (Pontieri-Lewis, 2000). By reducing the consumption of animal fat the person reduces the time when the colon is given ample time to rest as well as reduce the incidence of coming in contact with carcinogens (Pontieri-Lewis, 2000). This is one way for nurses to help in providing primary prevention care.
Conclusion
In the beginning of this study, an illustration was given wherein health officials, in reply to questions about prevention, pointed to a stack of brochures. It has been made clear that what the world needs more than a stack of scientific literature is telling people to go easy on their diet, to remove animal fat and reduce or eliminate excessive drinking and smoking. The nursing profession is in the front lines in the fight against preventable diseases that is wreaking havoc in Western society and even in many parts of the world. The availability of junk food as well as having a sedentary lifestyle is a deadly combination that will make a man or woman to become obese. Aside from type 2 diabetes CRC is also a major health concern worldwide. Premature deaths due to cancer and diabetes can be prevented. There must be a relentless information campaign and there is no one who is more qualified and more effective in that regard than the nurses who come in contact with patients on a regular basis.
References
Carmona, R. (2002). Progress Review. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Web.
Cohen, L. & S. Chehimi. (2009). The Imperative for Primary Prevention. Web.
English, P. & G. Williams. (2001). Type 2 Diabetes. KY: Taylor & Francis.
Metzger, B. & D. Kotulak. (2006). American Medical Association Guide to Living with Diabetes. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Pontieri-Lewis, V. (2000). Colorectal Cancer: Prevention and Screening. Web.
The College of Family Physicians of Canada. (2009). Diabetes and your Body – How to take care of your eyes and feet. Web.
