Key Concepts in Nursing

Nurses work daily to improve the lives of patients and help meet their basic physical and emotional needs. There are numerous components that go into being a successful and effective nurse. While training to work as a nurse, pre-service nursing students learn about these concepts to ensure that they are fully capable of fulfilling the duties associated with being a practicing nurse.

Nursing History

• To perform effectively as a nurse in contemporary society, nurses must be cognizant of the history of nursing. By learning from previous nurses, modern nurses can adopt the practices that have proven effective and reject those that were ineffective. Additionally, a well-developed understanding of the history of nursing allows nurses to more effectively foresee changes that may occur within the profession in the future.

Patient Needs

• The primary job of a nurse is to identify patient needs. Nurses must determine what each patient needs to become physically and emotionally comfortable and do whatever they can to help their patients attain this comfort level. When training to be a nurse, nurses learn how to effectively assess patient needs and respond to the results of these assessments.

Health Knowledge

• While nurses commonly follow orders from doctors, they must also be capable of determining for themselves what they need to do to keep a patient healthy or respond to a medical emergency. Nurses must possess a well-developed knowledge of contemporary medical techniques, medication purposes and potential side effects and treatment options. With this knowledge, nurses can make decisions about patient care or understand the implications of orders that they carry out on the behalf of doctors.

Creating Environment

• The hospital is a potentially scary place for patients to be. By working to create a calm and comforting environment, nurses can make the process of receiving medical treatment less intimidating for patients. Nurses commonly work to produce a relaxing and comfortable environment for patients so that they can heal and recover effectively.

Providing Care

• Nurses should be skillful in providing high-quality care to patients. During training, pre-service nurses study techniques for care provision that reduce patient discomfort and anxiety while achieving the desired medical result. Nurses apply these care principles daily by providing the necessary care in a kind, compassionate and helpful manner.

Legal Principles

• There are many legal ramifications associated with errors in medical treatment provision or the missing of a diagnosis. Nurses must understand the potential legal issues that may arise should they or another individual within the profession make a medical mistake. They must also be aware of the practices that they must follow to safeguard themselves from potentially career-ending lawsuits or litigation.