Introduction
Numerous issues underpin the remarkable role of the nursing profession in the modern world. Nursing should be considered a sophisticated phenomenon that implies not solely a large body of knowledge and expertise but also remarkable soft skills and personal qualities. High-performing nurses succeed due to their ability to show compassion, take responsibility, and show initiative to provide patients with the best treatment options. At the same tie, excessive emphasis on the above-mentioned qualities sometimes makes people believe that the art of nursing cannot be properly structured and taught in dedicated institutions due to its complex nature. Nevertheless, modern caregivers are medical workers that develop a comprehensive understanding of patients’ needs due to the high quality of theoretical knowledge acquired at dedicated institutions.
Discussion
The establishment of an extensive network of educational centers that allow future nurses to prepare for the numerous challenges they will face at work is not a bureaucratic whim or a realized business opportunity. The demand for high-quality education cannot be undermined. Hoeck and Delmar (2018) pinpoint that the future of nursing is characterized by an intensive interchange between theory and practice. Moreover, the development of new educational materials is underpinned by the rapid transformation of data and evidence into theoretical frameworks.
Even though most of the fundamental ideas that serve as the cornerstone of nursing were introduced in the 19th century, the evolution of this field of study has been remarkable. For instance, the four principles of nursing ethics can sometimes contradict each other, which may make it difficult for a nurse without theoretical background to choose the best treatment option. Therefore, it is essential to understand the reasoning behind the establishment of a hierarchy of values in nursing.
Moreover, expectations concerning the quality of service at the hospital have become extremely high recently, which does not allow to use of the same strategies as several decades ago. Modern nurses are taught numerous aspects of proper treatment and communication strategies that are essential for the establishment of a relationship based on trust. Younas and Quennell (2019) claim that theory-guided practice in nursing has proven to be highly beneficial, as it allows caregivers to articulate the reasons for choosing a specific treatment strategy consistently. In many cases, due to certain inefficiencies in the modern healthcare system, patients may trust nurses more than doctors. Therefore, caregivers should have the necessary theoretical background that helps to explain the rationale behind doctors’ decisions and convince patients that the time-consuming or expensive treatment is essential.
Conclusion
Nurses are expected to rely on their experience and can, in many cases, consult other medical workers on the most appropriate strategies. Moreover, their constant interaction with patients helps them acquire new expertise in a due manner. At the same time, theoretical knowledge remains the cornerstone of future successful practice, as it provides not purely medical data and terms but the highly structured and concentrated experience of generations of nurses. Therefore, given the large amount of information that a nurse has to acquire and the responsibility that is associated with the profession, it is crucial to make the initial steps as rapid and efficient as possible. Moreover, nurses who have developed a sophisticated framework that allows for proper decision-making are less inclined to experience high-stress levels and emotional breakdowns that may occur during the first months at the clinic or hospital.
References
Younas, A., & Quennell, S. (2019). Usefulness of nursing theory‐guided practice: An integrative review. Scandinavian journal of caring sciences, 33(3), 540–555.
Hoeck, B., & Delmar, C. (2018). Theoretical development in the context of nursing – The hidden epistemology of nursing theory. Nursing Philosophy, 19(1), e12196.