Principles for Effective Nursing
Elaina Hickey
California Baptist University

Author’s Note
This paper is presented to Dr. Oaks and Professor Hamilton in partial fulfillment for the requirements of Theoretical Foundations in Nursing, NUR 201 on November 12th, 2014. Principles for Effective Nursing
Nursing is a complex profession incorporating the patients’ needs, the nurses’ strengths, continuous learning and communication. Every patient a nurse has the pleasure of caring for has the right to the best possible care. A nurse must have a passion for caring for people. It is important for the nurse to listen to their patient because they know their own body the best. Lastly, a nurse should have the confidence to be a patient advocate at all times. It is only when all the above-mentioned elements are present and placed into practice that a nurse can be fully effective.
The Nature of the Individual
Every human, patient or not, deserves to be treated with dignity. A patient lying in a hospital bed is often feeling extremely vulnerable. The patient deserves to be treated with respect, regardless of my opinion about their life choices. According to Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (New International Version). Paul, author of Galatians, makes it clear that in God’s eyes we are equal and not one human is made greater than another. Therefore, I will see patients just as God does, in order to put him on display through my actions.
Patients do not come to the hospital in order to be judged on their current situation. I will do my best to leave all bias thoughts at the door and enter the room with my main priority of taking care of the patient. According to Parse (2010),“ Being with the reality of others as they structure personal meaning, configure patterns, and cotranscend with possibilities is living reverently in honoring human dignity” (p. 259). Honoring the dignity of the patient allows a relationship to form that is rooted with trust and honesty, which results in better care. Just as God created us, no two individuals are alike. Therefore, each patient deserves specialized plan that is unique to his or her situation.
Health and Living Quality Health is unique and different for each individual. Every culture, age group, and gender has their own definition of health and how they want to live. A nurse’s job is not to determine what absolute health is for a patient but to assist them in returning to their health. Parse (2014) defines living quality for an individual as the “ongoing incarnating of moment-to-moment indivisible, unpredictable, everchanging meaning arising with the becoming visible-invisible becoming of the emerging now” (Parse, 2014, p. 28). Health in every individual is unpredictable and can change moment to moment and a nurse must be present for every changing situation. It is important for a nurse to ask the patient what ideal health is for him or her. The patient knows his or her body better than anyone else and determines their baseline for health before they enter the hospital. For example, it is normal for some patients to have high blood pressure or to only have bowel movements every other day. Health for an 80 year old is going to mean something different than someone who is 20 years old. A nurse cannot undermine the patient and needs to honor their wishes about their health.
Nursing and Living the Art Nursing is a profession that never reaches its teaching limits. New discoveries will always be made and practicing nurses will always have the opportunity to learn and improve. The relationship between the nurse and patient is a relationship that involves constant teaching and learning. Parse (2004) states the teacher-learner relationship as “a dialogue (that) is interwoven with the unfolding of meanings that shape new thinking” (Parse, 2004, p. 34). The nurse learns what is normal for