Role of caring
The role of caring as a registered nurse is an ever changing role. We as nurses must find the time to wear several different hats throughout the day even sometimes multiple hats at one time are needed to care for the patient at hand. Nursing theorist Jean Watson defines caring as a humanitarian science, and offers ten behaviors that demonstrate that. They are, in descending order: attentive listening, comfort, honesty, patience, responsibility, providing information so that the patient can make an informed decision, touch, sensitivity, respect, and calling the patient by name (Vance 2009). These are the multiple hats we as nurses must wear throughout the care of our patients. They are not complicated, but yet to the patient they make them feel like a real person rather than just another patient in a bed. As I practice nursing on an almost daily basis I utilize the different roles and adapt to the needs of my patient based on their needs. Every patient you come across has a different perspective on the care they are to receive, have received or received already. Not only am I as a nurse adapting to the patients most prominent needs, I am also adapting, overcoming and helping the patient’s family with their needs as well. Caring goes beyond just the patient. It goes to the whole support system who is involved in the care of the patient. As I see it, you cannot help a patient to heal if one he/she is not