Modern Day Nursing Defined

The American Nursing Association, or ANA, describes nursing in its many elements of care. As the ANA defines, nursing is to provide “protection, promotion, optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering, and the advocacy for the care” of the patient (American Nurses Association, 2013, http://nursingworld.org). This describes the many complexities of the practice that is constant in our care. The recipients of nursing also go through complexities of accepting this care. This involves the need to continuously update and educate ourselves in this field, to optimally fulfill the obligation of what the ANA defines as nursing. This all addresses the metaparadigm theories of person, environment, health, and nursing that are essential for our discipline. The person is often overshadowed by the disease, symptoms, and complications of the illnesses presented. Nursing care could often forget to address the individual. This involves nursing to advocate for the patient so that the individual has a say in their care. It gives the person the control of their care when they often feel like they have lost control when they’re ill. The environment affects the person by either encouraging or dampening the healing process. A client 's environment contains both external and internal variables (Friberg 106). Just as a less cluttered room with a comfortable temperature encourages a healing environment, so does providing for an open line of communication between the care giver and patient. This involves an environment that allows the patient to ask questions freely and where they’re often informed of their ongoing care. The health of individuals encompass more than their state of illness. Health and wellness is defined as the condition or degree of system stability (Friberg 105). This involves the prevention and promotion of well-being, just as the ANA describes parts of the elements of nursing. It begins even

References: American Nurses Association: http://www.nursingworld.org/FunctionalMenuCategories/FAQ Creasia, J. L., & Friberg, E. (2011). Conceptual Foundations The Bridge to Professional Nursing Practice (5th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby.