According to the American Nurses Association (ANA), nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations. (2012)
I completely agree with the definition stated by the ANA. To remain in sync and faithful to this concept of nursing, we must also understand and respect the qualities of a nurse. Above all, we must be ethical in all of our actions. How can one engage in the protection and advocacy aspect of nursing without incorporating these principles? The answer is simple, we cannot.
The nurse must be compassionate, concerned, and willing in order to reach out to our patients and their loved ones effectively while gaining their trust. It is necessary to embrace all of our roles: caregiver, advocate, leader, manager, educator, collaborator, and change agent.
As a new nurse I also embrace and value research, as it is the stepping-stone for identifying models, methods, techniques and procedures that are evidence-based. Lastly, we must be contributors and participants in all areas, including development of policies. We as nurses must apply ourselves whole-heartedly as we account for a large percentage of the healthcare force.
