(Scrubs, 2018)
What is Nursing?
Nursing is more than just taking care of people, it is an art as much as it science. Over the years nursing has evolved in many ways and adapted to help give the best practice possible. While still using the application of nursing knowledge and technical skills, nurses also provide care using his/her judgement by developing a relationship with the patient in order to provide care that it suited to the patient’s views (CNA, 2018). This may also include providing a more holistic approach; for example, there may be a patient who needs to receive knee surgery and the surgeon’s goal is to focus on the aspect of treating the knee while a nurse would look at the situation as a whole. Maybe the patient is a single mother who needs to recover as soon as possible. A nurse would take these situations into perspective when caring for their patient (CNA, 2018).
These skills are not only taught in school but also in a clinical setting. This is why nursing education involves students being taught and tested in both an in-class and clinical environment where they can improve their skills. It is important that a Nurses applies all these skills in order to promote health maintenance and rehabilitation in their patients (CNA, 2018).
(Hopkins, 2014)
Professional Associations
As a nurse and nursing student, there are professional associations that are set in place to regulate, protect, and advocate for you. In Canada the most common one is the Canadian Nurses Association, also known as the CNA. The CNA is an association which is constantly working to advance nursing and the Canadian health system (CNA, 2018). They also set the guidelines for the Canadian Practical Registered Nurse Exam (CPRNE) and the Canadian Registered Nurse Exam (CRNE) (CNA, 2018).
The CNA also provides Nurses with a code of ethics which are organized around eight values which include:
- Providing Safe, Competent and Ethical care
- Promoting health & Well-being
- Promoting and Respecting Informed Decision Making
- Preserving Dignity
- Maintaining Privacy and Confidentiality
- Promoting Justice
- Being Accountable
(CNA, 2018)
These values define the principles of which nurse’s provide care to their patients.
In Ontario there are two major associations who represent nurses. There is the College of Nursing of Ontario, CNO, and the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario, RPNAO (CNA, 2018). Both of these associations regulate nursing practice and set professional and practice standards for nurses throughout Ontario (CNA, 2018).
Is Nursing for you?
Nursing offers a vast amount of opportunities and many different career paths for you to choose from. There are five main domains to nursing career paths which include administration, clinical care, education, policy and research (CNA, 2018). This allows you to find a field of area that is more suited towards you. Becoming a nurse requires both thorough education and training both before receiving your degree and afterwards in your work field (CNA, 2018). It is important to know that career in nursing may also require you to work long strenuous hours depending on the setting you choose to work in.
Overall, nursing is both challenging and interesting. It gives you the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the patients you treat and allows you to be constantly learning throughout your career.
References
CNA. (2018). About us. Retrieved from https://www.cna-aiic.ca/en/about-us
CNA. (2018). Ontario registered nurses. Retrieved from https://www.cna-aiic.ca/en/membership/ontario-nurses
CNA. (2018). The practice of nursing. Retrieved from https://www.cna-aiic.ca/en/nursing-practice/the-practice-of-nursing
Hopkins, J. (2014). Ethics in the time of Ebola: A 21st century guide for nurses. Retrieved from https://magazine.nursing.jhu.edu/2014/11/ethics-in-the-time-of-ebola/
Scrubs. (2018). The anatomy of a nurse. Retrieved from https://scrubsmag.com/the-anatomy-of-a-nurse-infographic/
Pathways to Nursing 