Nursing is a Profession Essay

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A profession is more than just learning a set number of skills or acting in a particular way. Even

though nurses do not have complete autonomy in decision-making and practice, Nursing should

be considered a profession because it requires an extended education and has a theoretical body

of knowledge. No one factor can delineate a job from a profession. To act professionally, means

to administer care in a conscientious and knowledgeable way without impeding harm on others.

The nursing profession remains committed to the care and nurturing of both healthy and ill

people, individually, or in groups, or communities (Cherry & Jacob, 2008).

View 1: Nursing is considered a Profession Nurses of the past and present have struggled

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Nursing is a profession because it requires strong critical reasoning, clinical judgment,

communication, and assessment skills. The professional nurse also requires the development and

demonstration of an appropriate set of values and ethical framework for practice (The Essentials

of, 2008). Nursing as a profession has a code of ethics for practice (Potter, & Perry, 2009). Code

of Ethics requires nurses to treat colleagues, students, and patients with dignity and respect and

states that any form of harassment, disrespect, or threatening action will not be tolerated (Clark,

& Springer, 2010). In addition, the ANA established the Center for Ethics and Human Rights to

discuss the complex and ethical human rights issues confronting nursing (Potter, & Perry, 2009).

Nurses embrace their responsibility to regulate their own practice and take responsibility for their

own competence (Sportsman, & Wieck, 2010). Nurses are clinically skilled with developed

interpersonal skills; they are committed to advancing the professions (Sportsman, & Wieck,

2010). Nurses strive to see patients receive the best quality care possible.