fundies test 1

Definition/scope

Nursing combines the art and science of caring; protects, promotes, and optimizes health and abilities; prevents illness/injury; facilitates healing; alleviates suffering; and advocates for individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations. Nursing includes autonomous and collaborative care across settings and life stages.

Four aims

Promote health; prevent illness; restore health; facilitate coping with disability or death.

Major nurse roles

Caregiver, patient advocate, educator, decision-maker, manager/coordinator, communicator,and collaborator. The communicator role supports every other role because nurses continuously observe, identify changes, and relay findings

Historical development

Nursing evolved from caregiving/midwifery into a profession with its own body of knowledge and standards. Florence Nightingale is identified as founder of modern nursing and distinguished nursing from medicine, emphasizing both sick nursing and health nursing. Wars and social changes influenced nursing education and practice.

Profession/discipline characteristics

Unique body of knowledge, service orientation, recognized authority, code

of ethics, professional organizations/standards, ongoing research, autonomy, and self-regulation

Education pathways

Practical/vocational, diploma, associate degree, baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral

preparation. Continuing education supports licensure/certification and professional growth.

Advanced/expanded roles

NP, CNS, nurse midwife, nurse anesthetist, nurse researcher, nurse administrator,

nurse educator; scope/education varies by role and jurisdiction.

Professional regulation. 

Standards of practice, ANA Code of Ethics, state Nurse Practice Acts, and professional

organizations such as ANA, NLN, AACN, and ICN guide practice, quality, safety, and accountability.

Metaparadigm

Person, environment, health, nursing. These four central concepts form the broad framework of

nursing theory.

Theory vs conceptual framework

A conceptual framework organizes broad concepts/propositions; nursing

theory more specifically relates concepts and directs practice/research.

General systems theory

Systems are goal-directed, more than the sum of parts, constantly changing, and a change in one part affects the whole; human systems are open and dynamic.

Maslow

Human needs progress from physiologic survival to safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. Lower needs must be met to some degree before higher needs become the main motivator

Professional values/identity. 

Caring, integrity, diversity, excellence, respect, compassion, advocacy; professional

formation includes thinking/acting/feeling like a nurse, resilience, growth, and self-care.

Current trends. Scientific advances, technology, telehealth, community care, cost containment, interprofessional collaboration, health promotion, disparities, lifelong learning, leadership, and advocacy.

Self-care

Nurses have a duty to maintain physical, emotional, and professional well-being to remain effective caregivers and role models.