I attended the 25th Anniversary Celebration of National Black nurses Day. It took place in L’Enfant Plaza Hotel (480 L’Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC 20034). Among sponsors of the event were such companies as Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Bon Secours Neuroscience Institute, Coca Cola Company, and Pfizer Inc. The meeting was professional were professional nurses, researchers and students shared their ideas on a variety of issues. Such topics as malnutrition, adult nutrition research, development, childhood obesity were highlighted. Some PowerPoint presentations on these issues were conducted. Students of medical schools also presented results of their surveys on problems that existed in their schools. This was a very informative event as it provided several insights into the present state and possible areas to develop in the contemporary nursing practice.
I believe such events are very important as nurses can share their experiences and concerns, which positively affects the development of the nursing practice. It is necessary to note that there is a lot of confusion in nursing practice. This confusion is because healthcare professionals do not have similar ideas on the roles played. Thus, nurses often fulfill the work of other professionals and sometimes this leads to overlap (White et al., 2008). Importantly there is almost no confusion in nursing practice as nurses tend to have similar views on their role and their responsibilities. White et al. (2008) state that nurses (who took part in their survey) pointed out three major spheres of nursing practice: physical assessment, social and cultural development, and mental state. Nurses check clients’ physical state (taking blood pressure, temperature, helping them take medicine, etc.). Nurses also work with clients’ relatives trying to comfort them and informing them about their close ones’ state. Of course, nurses also help clients cope with depression, anxiety, etc. However, when it comes to their workplace, confusion comes into play (White et al., 2008). Nurses often work 24/7. When other healthcare professionals leave, nurses often fulfill tasks that were completed earlier. This happens due to the lack of communication and cooperation among healthcare professionals in the workplace. This is one of the major issues to be addressed.
It is necessary to state that nurses play a very important role and nursing can hardly be overestimated. Nurses have supported patients and provided medical assistance to other healthcare professionals for decades and even centuries without many regulations or rules (Barton et al., 2012). Now nurses can be regarded as a link between clients and other healthcare professionals. Nurses carry out a variety of tasks that help provide high-quality care to clients. Apart from purely medical assistance, nurses often comfort patients, which is essential for their healing. Admittedly, due to the development of nursing education, novice nurses are qualified professionals who understand their tasks clearly and are ready to cope with a variety of issues. However, there is still a need in developing certain codes and strategies to help healthcare professionals cooperate effectively.
Reference List
Barton, T.D., Bevan, L. & Mooney, G. (2012). The development of advanced nursing roles. Nursing Times, 108(24), 18-20.
White, D., Oelke, N.D., Besner, J., Doran, D., McGills Hall, L. & Giovannetti, P. (2008). Nursing scope of practice: Descriptions and challenges. Nursing Leadership, 21(1), 44-57.