Nursing, as most can agree is a nurturing and rewarding career for one to be in. It is the profession that spends the most time with those who are in need of medical attention. As a nurse, advocacy is probably the second most important task for a nurse aside from implementing interventions and treatments. Nursing in my opinion goes beyond providing medical necessity. It includes and voices the patient’s desires and wishes, it focuses on mental and emotional health rather than only on physical health. Patients rely on nurses for many things and feel the utmost comfort and care from them when it comes to healthcare. Patients look for their nurse even if they have a question for their doctor or another professional part of the interdisciplinary team. A well rounded nurse is able to provide the highest quality of care for their patient and it is proven throughout time.
As an operating room nurse, I have experienced many interactions with my patients that required more than just medical attention. When i noticed my patients were nervous when getting escorted to the operating room, it was my job as the nurse to comfort them and decrease their level of anxiety through therapeutic communication. When patients still had questions about their procedure prior to going in to the operating room, I would make sure that the surgeon comes to the patient and clarify. A huge part of being a nurse is being a patient advocate and one must also know how to respect another’s culture and religion. When death occurs, nurses provide time for the grieving families as well as support them with any assistance they need with the after-life rituals.