The Concept of Caring
The concept of caring is one of the main concepts in nursing. Many theories describe caring and what it must be, and all of them have approximately the same idea regarding this process. In general, caring is considered an ethical obligation and the primary responsibility of nurses. Caring is the process that comprises helping patients in all kinds of medical difficulties and providing mental support (Hoeve, Jansen, & Roodbol, 2014). Also, it involves respecting human rights, maintaining communication with patients and their friends and families, working in collaboration with other healthcare professionals, ensuring the best quality of patient care, thereby making positive outcomes, and so on.
In their “Theory of Nursing as Caring”, Anne Boykin and Savina Schoenhofer try to define caring and describe its main principles. Generally, their analysis of the concept of caring is based on the assumption that all people are caring and that every person has an innate instinct to care for others (Shearer, 2015). Generally, they mean that caring is in human nature, and the profession of nursing helps nurses focus these instincts on providing holistic care to patients.
As for me, I agree with the definition of care mentioned in the “Theory of Nursing as Caring”. I think that there is indeed the innate instinct in all people that gives them the urge to care for others. As for the nursing profession, it helps people develop and perfect this instinct and focus their attention on the provision of holistic care to patients.
The MSN Essentials
In general, the MSN Essentials analyze all the most important characteristics that nurses must have to provide the best healthcare. In terms of Boykin and Schoenhofer’s “Theory of Nursing as Caring”, in my opinion, it is closely related to the MSN Essential IX, which gives a general definition of patient care and its influence on the outcomes.
In this Essential, care is divided into two types, namely, direct and indirect. Direct care is that which is given using direct nursing intervention focused on interacting with patients and providing medical treatment. Regarding indirect care, it relates to actions taken and decisions made by nurses with the purpose to improve the general healthcare system (“The Essentials of Master’s Education,” 2011). This includes planning healthcare interventions, developing various nursing policies, advocating for better care, and so on.
The Essential IX mainly focuses on practice outcomes and the integration of the core principles of nursing science and theory into practice. It also focuses on improving the quality of healthcare, ensuring patient safety, developing health policies, advocating for better care, and so on. Additionally, this Essential prepares nurses to influence the quality of healthcare to patients in several settings.
The contemporary society, globalization, and the advancements in information technologies require nurses special knowledge and skills that would allow them to effectively use the latest innovations aimed at providing the best healthcare and ensuring positive patient outcomes (“The Essentials of Master’s Education,” 2011). Moreover, the rapidly changing technologies require nurses’ constant learning. Thus, according to this description of the MSN Essential IX, it is connected to the “Theory of Nursing as Caring” using the idea of incorporating nursing studies, theories, innovative technologies, and interaction with patients and other healthcare professionals and using them in nursing practice to provide the best patient care.
References
The essentials of master’s education in nursing. (2011). Web.
Hoeve, Y. T., Jansen, G., & Roodbol, P. (2014). The nursing profession: Public image, self‐concept and professional identity. A discussion paper. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 70(2), 295-309.
Shearer, J. E. (2015). Critique of nursing as caring theory: Aesthetic knowing and caring in online learning. International Journal for Human Caring, 19(2), 45-49.