Emotional and psychological consciousness is an essential component of every persons life that determines its quality. For nurses, who dedicate a significant share of their emotional and physical resources to care for patients, the consciousness of the psychological, emotional, and physical effects is vital. The concept of consciousness per se refers to the awareness of feelings, emotions, and thoughts. Currently, I will introduce the topic of nurses consciousness of the psychological, emotional, and physical effects of nursing and explain its importance.
Nurses need to be selfless since they have to provide medical care to patients even though they might have troubles in their personal lives or feel tired. In a hospital, everyone asks how a patient feels, but no one is interested in the emotional and physical state of a nurse as long as he or she is able to do the job. Therefore, nurses tend to forget about themselves and are forced to act as if they have no feelings and emotions and are unable to get tired. The study of Jiménez-Herrera et al. (2020) reveals that nurses emotional consciousness manifests itself in the feelings of guilt, shame, embarrassment, and moral distress. The condemnation of these emotions and failure to get rid of them might cause a nurses burnout.
As for the physical aspect of nurses consciousness, it is necessary to note that a tough working schedule is typical for many nurses. During the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19, this situation has become even worse. Therefore, nurses need to be conscious of their physical wellbeing to avoid excessive tiredness and stress. Emotionally and psychologically stable nurse with good physical health is humane and a significant contribution to the quality of care provided to patients in healthcare facilities.
Reference
Jiménez-Herrera, M. F., Llauradó-Serra, M., Acebedo-Urdiales, S., Bazo-Hernández, L., Font-Jiménez, I., & Axelsson, C. (2020). Emotions and feelings in critical and emergency caring situations: A qualitative study. BMC Nursing, 19(1), 1-10.