FUNDAMENTALS OF NURSING

NURSING AS AN ART, SCIENCE AND PROFESSION pg 27

CONTEMPORARY NURSING PRACTICE NURSE PRACTICE ACTS

● Legal Acts
RA 9173 “Philippine Nursing Act of 2002”
DEFINITIONS OF NURSING
common purpose to protect the public
Certain themes are common to many of these definitions:
ROLES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE NURSE
● Nursing is caring.
● Nursing is an art. The roles required at a specific time depend on the needs of
● Nursing is a science. the client and aspects of the particular environment.
● Nursing is client centered.
● Nursing is holistic. ● Caregiver
● Nursing is adaptive. ● Communicator
● Nursing is concerned with health promotion, health ● Teacher
maintenance, and health restoration. ● Client Advocate
● Nursing is a helping profession. ● Counselor
● Change Agent
The current definition of nursing remains unchanged from the ● Leader
2003 edition of Nursing’s Social Policy Statement: ● Manager
● Case Manager
“Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of ● Research Consumer
health and abilities, preventions of illness and injury, alleviation
of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human
MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families,
communities, and populations.” (ANA, 2010, p. 10) Lower-level needs have the highest priority and must be
fulfilled before trying to achieve higher-level needs.
RECIPIENTS OF NURSING
Moving from bottom to top of the pyramid, examples of needs
include:
● Consumer - people who use health care products.
● Patient - a person who is waiting for or undergoing ● Physiological needs - air, water, food, shelter, ….
medical treatment and care. ● Safety needs - personal security, employment, …
● Client - a person who engages the advice or services ● Love and belonging (Social needs) - friendship, …
of another who is qualified to provide this service. ● Self-esteem (Esteem needs) - respect, status, …
● Self-actualization needs - desire, …
SCOPE OF NURSING
CRITERIA OF A PROFESSION
PROMOTING HEALTH AND WELLNESS
● activities to enhance health lifestyles Nursing is gaining recognition as a profession.

PREVENTING ILLNESS ● Profession - special knowledge, still and

● immunizations, prenatal, and infant care, and preparation
prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STI). ● Professionalism - character, spirit, or methods
● Professionalization - process of becoming
RESTORING HEALTH professional
Other criterias:
● direct care, diagnostic and assessment, consulting, ● Specialized Education
teaching, and rehabilitation. ● Body Knowledge
● Service Orientation
CARING FOR THE DYING ● Ongoing Research
● comforting and caring for people of all ages who are ● Code of ethics - integrity
dying. ● Autonomy
● Professional Organization
SETTING FOR NURSING
NURSING ORGANIZATIONS
● Care hospitals
● Clients’ house ● American Nurses Association (ANA, 1896)
● Community agencies ● National League for Nursing (NLN, 1952)
● Ambulatory clinics ● International Council of Nurses (ICN, 1899)
● Long-term care facilities ● International Honor Society: Sigma Theta Tau (1922)
● Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) ● Philippine Nurses Association (FNA, 1922)
● Nursing Practice Centers

LUIS BRYSON BONDAD 1