Artistic Expression: A Poem
The things worth doing are the things demanding,
The jobs much valued are most often daring.
The work we do not always give much money,
But we help others through support and caring.
I am a nurse, and I am proud to say so,
My colleagues chose the noblest of professions:
It does require time and preparation,
But it allows us to express compassion.
To care about others is not easy,
But our loyalty to every person
and sympathy, with strong support and wisdom,
Protect the patients and don’t let them worsen.
Like other people, nurses work and study,
Like many others, they perform their roles.
Unlike all others, nurses strive to care,
By seeking remedy for bodies and for souls.
Caring in Nursing Practice
The Importance of Caring
Caring is the most crucial component of nursing practice and profession. Without it, nurses would not be able to fulfill their duties promptly. The difference between any other job and the nurse’s role is that the latter should be caring and supportive. Patients at hospitals may feel depressed, lonely, and disappointed. Caring, which includes both looking after people’s physical wellbeing and supporting them morally, helps nurses to improve their patients’ condition. Therefore, the significance of caring in the nursing profession is impossible to overestimate. It is the core requirement and the noblest responsibility that nurses have.
Personal Definition and Principles of Holistic Care
I would define caring as an integrative process of providing others with sufficient help and support in order to help them recover from an illness. Also, I find it relevant to include in the definition the combination of professional and personal skills that help nurses to provide patients with the highest quality of service. Caring incorporates much experience and knowledge, as well as many features, all of which are applied by healthcare professionals to do their work in the most effective way.
My definition of caring is inspired by the principles of holistic care. Papathanasiou, Sklavou, and Kourkouta (2013) outline the following fundamentals of holistic care:
- all individuals are able to enhance their skills and knowledge as well as change their conduct towards other people or themselves;
- any person is naturally predisposed to being healthy, and at the same time, every person is accountable for his or her good health;
- patients should make healthcare decisions on their own;
- the major emphasis in the process of recovery should be put not on illness but on the patient;
- nurses and patients should collaborate in order to reach the most beneficial outcomes.
Scholarly Definitions
There is a variety of definitions of caring in scholarly literature. Smith (2013) argues that caring is the most important element of nursing. Adams (2016) considers caring to be the basis of nursing practice and states that is it “the quality that constitutes our very nature of being human” (p.1 ). Drahošová and Jarošová (2016) define caring as a variety of professional skills and that help healthcare practitioners to provide patients with the necessary protection and emotional encouragement.
The Explanation of the Chosen Artistic Expression
I chose to write a poem because I have always been inspired by the nursing profession and the value of nurses’ work. I think that poetry is the best way of expressing one’s ardent feelings. Also, poetry is considered emphatic, so I expect to produce the desired effect on the audience.
Summary
The paper presents the artistic expression of caring and offers a personal interpretation of this concept. The principles of holistic care and scholarly definitions are employed to give insight into the matter. The project helps to explain the significance of caring in nursing.
References
Adams, L. Y. (2016). The conundrum of caring in nursing. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 9(1), 1-8.
Drahošová, L., & Jarošová, D. (2016). Concept caring in nursing. Central European Journal of Nursing & Midwifery, 7(2), 453-461.
Papathanasiou, I., Sklavou, M., & Kourkouta, L. (2013). Holistic nursing care: Theories and perspectives. American Journal of Nursing Science, 2(1), 1-5.
Smith, M. C. (2013). Questions for reflection. In M. C. Smith, M. C. Turkel, & Z. R. Wolf (Eds.), Caring in nursing practice: An essential resource (pp. 8-18). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.