Nursing is a combination of healthcare expertise and caring for others. On the one hand, it is a profession, as nurses go through training and develop a skillset for solving problems through medical assistance. On the other hand, nursing is a discipline of care – nurses connect with patients as people with personal issues and support them on their healing journey (TEDx Talks, 2016). Thus, nursing comprises theoretical knowledge, practical expertise, and personal qualities of empathy and openness.
The science of nursing is the research and expertise in treating ailments and improving patients’ quality of life. The art of nursing is about human connections that nurses establish every day when they reach out to their patients to share their burdens and help them. Compassion, communication, and commitment to care distinguish nursing from other healthcare professions and make it not just a science but an art.
Nurses can show empathetic support through communication, listening, and caring. Blair notes that patients require love, attention, and help in their healing environment (TEDx Talks, 2016). Through nursing, one can take care of patients and enhance their experiences in hospitals. By including empathy in their skillset, nurses can connect with patients and give them the strength to overcome their health-related problems. Without compassion, nursing is incomplete as a discipline, as caring requires one to connect with the patient.
A loss of empathy can occur if nurses do not consider their own emotional needs before becoming emotionally invested in their patient’s lives. By neglecting their own mental well-being, nurses can deplete their resources and energy when showing empathy to others (TEDx Talks, 2016). As a result, they may become withdrawn or even negative towards others and their needs. Therefore, nurses need to listen to and show empathy to themselves to replenish their resources.
Reference
TEDx Talks. (2016). Learning the discipline of care, not just the profession of nursing | Madelyn Blair | TEDxTWU [Video]. YouTube. Web.