Nursing is one of the professions that is continually developing to help ensure that patients receive the best healthcare. In essence, nursing has drastically evolved, and nurses have become one of the most important professions om the healthcare industry ( Masters, 2018). Development of professional nursing over the years has been essential as it has emphasized the importance of upholding competency, continuing education and assessing the learning needs of nurses. Ideally, nurses have adhered to continuous learning by sating up-to-date on healthcare trends, techniques, and treatment.
History and Statistics
The term nursing as a profession was first mentioned on documents written approximately 300 AD. During this period the Roman Empire had called upon building a hospital in each of the towns they ruled and led to the need of having nurses who would assist doctors. In the middle ages, the profession of nursing became prominent in Europe after the Catholic Church advocated for medical care ( Spagnola, Dickerson, & Harper, 2019). During the middle ages, many advancements took place, and this is what formed the base of modern professional nursing. Florence Nightingale can be credited for her endless contribution for being the founder of modern nursing.
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Over the centuries the nursing profession expanded and hospitals were incorporated in religious places, and monasteries and nurses provided a wide range of medical services. With time the traditional healthcare was taken over by the role of nurses in hospital and people have clearly understood the duties of nurses in healthcare facilities. The mortality rate in the past was high as compared to today ( Blair & Jansen, 2015). The infant mortality rate in the Middle Ages was 30% while today it is up to 10% in most countries. The life expectancy during the Roman Empire was about 25 years, in the middle ages it was 33 years, and in the 1900s it rose to 55 years. Currently, life expectancy has increased to 66 years which indicates that the mortality rate has reduced as compared to the past. This suggests that the nursing profession has been of great significance in healthcare.
Significance to Health Issues
Nursing is not just a job like any other, as it entails handling patients who have different needs each day. It is thus a vital profession to health-related issues since nurses are the most trusted Healthcare professionals as they have to spend so much time with the patients. One of the significance of nursing is that aids in advocating for health promotion among patients ( Masters, 2018). Additionally, nursing aids in educating the public and patients on the prevention of injury and illness. In this case, nursing has helped many people know how they can prevent communicable diseases and the necessary precautions to take. More so, nursing is a profession that has aided in rehabilitating and supporting patients with different needs such as patients addicted to drugs.
Role of the Nurse
Nurses are the greatest helpers of doctors, and hence they have a significant role in ensuring that the patients’ health improves by performing different duties. One of the roles of nurses is that they are the greatest advocates for patients. Also, nurses are caregivers and perform all kind of task including wound dressing and other services that fasten the recovery of patients once the doctors have attended to them. Another role of nurses is that they are innovators and in this case, they ensure that they come up with solutions to help in taking care of their patients. Additionally, they are teachers in that they guide the patients for example on how to take their dosages ( Spagnola, Dickerson, & Harper, 2019).
Relevance to Nursing Practice
In a nutshell, the development of nursing has been crucial as it helped in bettering the lives of many people in the community. Evolvement of nursing as a profession has also been important in ensuring that nurses are equipped with knowledge of how to carry out different services ( Masters, 2018). Unlike in the past nurses can now do much more in the healthcare industry which means that more lives are saved and also the infant mortality rate has reduced over the centuries.
Conclusion
It is evident that nursing is the heart and soul of the healthcare industry. This is a profession that should be respected as nurses play a significant role in ensuring that healthcare is administered to patients on time and in the right manner. The many advancements that have taken place over the years are enough evidence that the nursing profession has been essential.
References
Blair, K. A., & Jansen, M. P. (Eds.). (2015). Advanced practice nursing: Core concepts for professional role development. Springer Publishing Company.
Spagnola, T., Dickerson, P. S., & Harper, M. G. (2019). Professional Development Associate: Results of a National Survey. Journal for nurses in professional development , 35 (1), 2-5.
Masters, K. (2018). Role development in professional nursing practice . Jones & Bartlett Learning.
