The Profession of Nursing Essay - 1628 Words

The definition of a profession is a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation (Webster Dictionary, 2008). By definition, I would consider nursing to be a profession, without a doubt. Nurses have spent too much time and effort in academic settings not to use the word profession. Nurses are taught and academically prepared by leaders in the nursing field who have the specialized knowledge that will specifically train nurses to meet the challenges of the profession. Nursing theorists, who are experts in nursing, have contributed great amounts of work to promoting nursing as a profession. According to Alligood and Tomey, Nursing theory has been a prevalent theme in the nursing literature†¦show more content†¦The poll asks the public which profession they perceive to be the most honest and ethical and for the past nine years since Gallup added nursing to their survey, nurses have been consistently ranked first, with the excepti on of 2001, after 9/11 when firefighters took first place. I think this poll is a great example of the faith that the public has in nurses and the positive perception that nurses have in the eyes of the public. We can use this to our advantage when it comes to communicating with the public. I believe the public would welcome hearing from nurses and listening to their stories more often if only we offer them. The opening statement in â€Å"From Silence to Voice† states â€Å"envision how things would be if the voice and visibility of nursing were commensurate with the size and importance of nursing in health care† (Buresh Gordon, 2006, p.11). The size and importance of nursing as a profession is huge. If you have any doubts about that, just think how the healthcare industry would be crippled without nurses. The silence of nursing means that nurses are not speaking out about the services they provide, they are not speaking to the public about the crises they face such as staffing shortages and decreased wages. Nurses keep their mouths closed when it comes to speaking out about the things that are important in healthcare settings such as nurse/patient ratiosShow MoreRelatedThe Profession Of The Nursing Profession1829 Words   |  8 PagesThe Nursing Profession A profession as defined has five distinct characteristics that separate it from a job. Those characteristic include; an extended education, a theoretical body of knowledge leading to defined skills and abilities, provision of a specific service, autonomy in decision making and practice, and a code of ethics for practice. 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Nurses, once regarded as housemaids and lower class citizens, now hold positions of authority and stature in our modern society. These changes in the profession are attributed to the many nurse theorists who devoted their lives to the improvement of patient care. Through their theoretical advancements, the public perception of nursing has gone from dismissive to reverential. Today, our culture considers the nursing profession to be one of the