The Nursing Manifesto presents numerous ideas that reveal the importance and urgency of changes needed to be made to provide the most suitable environment for nursing practice and change the face of healthcare for better.
The Manifesto provokes many feelings and inspires the reader for many thoughts. I was impressed by the strength and deepness of thoughts expressed in the Manifesto. While reading it, I felt like all the statements in it were based on my reasoning and concerns. It was amazing to read the document, which expresses the ideas and visions that I share completely. I found the following sentence one of the most inspiring ones:
If nurses are to significantly contribute to a mission of caring for people and communities, we must find our voice, acting now to create situations in which our values come to the center and from which we can realize our best intentions (Manifesto with markers for citation, n.d., par. I.c.).
This statement embodies the concerns I have thought about many times. I have met many nurses who claimed that current state of affairs in nursing does not contribute to the completion of the initial mission of caring for people. This statement is powerful enough to wake up our consciousness and inspire to do our best for the future of nursing. Each time I face the examples of neglectful attitude towards nursing or see the conditions, under which nurses cannot work properly, I have a feeling of disappointment and ask myself why nurses do no voice their concerns. Nurses are able to change the face of primary care system (Naylor & Kurtzman, 2010, p. 893), and should put their effort into improving it.
The idea of nurses being able to control their “own work lives” appears to be rather innovative (Manifesto with markers for citation, n.d., par. V.d.). I wish this idea were the one that the nursing relies on, but, unfortunately, it is not a part of our everyday reality. I think, the nurses who share same concerns and beliefs, should unite and search for the most effective methods of transforming the system and adjusting it to the vital needs of nurses.
However, some of the ideas expressed in the document seem to be unrealistic. I disagree with the idea that attention to diagnosis and treatment of the disease is overemphasized and should be lowered in favor of “experiential features of health and illness” (Manifesto with markers for citation, n.d., par. IV.u.). I think, the importance of proper diagnosis and treatment cannot be overestimated and should be kept on the same or higher level.
The ideas expressed in the Nursing Manifesto can contribute to improving the system of primary care and give the nurses the understanding of the main goals of their work.
The episode called “The Fruitcake” is one of the numerous episodes of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, which was one of the longest-running and most-loved family sitcoms in the USA. The episode describes a story related to sending out “thank you” notes for Christmas gifts and Ozzie’s troubles with diplomacy (Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet – The fruitcake 2015). The sitcom reflects the hegemonic ideas about people living during the mid of the twentieth century. The family portrayed in Ozzie & Harriet appears to be a classic American family. The husband is the man of the house, the wife is staying at home, and the kids are well behaved. The image of this family reveals the idea of the ideal family shared by the members of the society of that time. Besides family valuables, the sitcom presents many situations common in the everyday life of the society of that time. Though many people regard the sitcom as naïve, I find it interesting. In my opinion, it reflects the desire of Americans of that time to have an ideal family.
References
Manifesto with markers for citation. (n.d.). Web.
Naylor, M., & Kurtzman, E. (2010). The role of nurse practitioners in reinventing primary care. Health Affairs, 29(5), 893-899.
Radio TV & Film 2. (2015). Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet – The fruitcake. Web.