Running head: CALLED TO SERVE

Called to Serve
Rebecca Nappi
Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing
Transition to Baccalaureate Nursing
NUR 3240-201415-SU-01
Trina Gardner
June 20, 2015

On my honor, I have neither given nor received aid on this assignment or

test, and I pledge that I am in compliance with the BSMCON Honor System.

Called to Serve

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Nursing is a profession that requires a firm foundation of beliefs and values in order to
perform at the highest level. Nursing is much more than a career in health care; it is a calling
from within an individuals heart to serve others. Becoming a servant to a stranger in need is
where nursing originated and should be the main focus in todays nursing practices. Caring for
others, as you would desire to be cared for is a powerful nursing philosophy and should be the
foundation on which every nurse stands (Rhodes, Morris, & Lazenby, 2011). What is more
powerful than an experienced nurse that was called to the profession of nursing by God and
given a spirit to serve and heal?
Good nursing care is a gift to be given by a special individual trained and called. Nursing
should be performed with dignity, respect and knowledge to any that require assistance. A nurse
should strive both at the bedside and in daily activities to up hold the profession of nursing by
leading with a strong and faithful example of service and compassion. All aspects of an
individual should be considered when providing care and the delivery of care should be
customized to each patients needs and desires. There are millions of scared and hurting people
in the world that need both the caring touch and critical thinking abilities of nurses to help them
and care for them. Hospitals around the world are full of sickness and it is up to the nursing staff
to keep these individuals safe and comfortable while improving their overall health.
Dividing nursing up into separate parts helps to define different theories of nursing, such
as; person, environment, health and nursing (Masters, 2013). The patient (the person) should be
primary focus at the center of nursing interventions. Restoring an ill patient to their highest level
of restoration possible or caring for them through a peaceful departure is the goal of every nurse
(Scott, Matthews, & Kirwan, 2014). The level of health a patient can obtain should be discussed
regularly and honestly with the patient as to prevent any false hope of a higher level than is

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possible. The environment may be the hospital room or unit as well as the home or community in
which a patient will return to. Optimizing the patients health and assisting a patient to become
independent and autonomous involves an innumerable number of factors both internal and
external to the patient and nurse. Lastly, is the role that nursing or nursing interventions play in
caring for an ill patient. These concepts all working together in harmony and centered around
holistic care is what defines nursing.
Many theories from the past still hold true today but much more has been learned through
the course of time and added to those theories to create new theories for tomorrows nurses. In
the 1800s, one of historys most famous nurses was able to theorize that the environment in
which a patient receives care is vital to the healing of the patient (Masters, 2013). The patients
environment is something that is still important in todays nursing practice that should be
manipulated and controlled by the nurse to optimize the recovery of a patient. Equally as
important is the therapeutic relationship between a patient and nurse. Communication should be
viewed as a partnership between a patient and a nurse working together to find answers
In conclusion, a nurse should be called to the work of nursing and feel empowered by the
need to live out a strong belief that those in need deserve to be cared for in a respectful and
compassionate manner regardless of economic, cultural, racial or religious differences. Nurses
should never become complacent in their daily routines causing them to forget that nursing
consists of four core concepts that need addressing for each patient

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References

Masters, K. (2013). Role Development In Professional Nursing Practice Burlington, MA : Jones

& Bartlett Learning, LLChttp://dx.doi.org/
Norman, K. (2015). The image of community nursing: implications for future student nurse
recruitment. British Journal of Community Nursing, 20(1), 12-18.
http://dx.doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.12968/bjcn.2015.20.1.12
Rhodes, M., Morris, A., & Lazenby, R. (2011). Nursing at its Best: Competent and Caring. Am,
16. http://dx.doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol16No02PPT01
Rhodes, M., Morris, A., & Lazenby, R. (2011). Nursing at its Best: Competent and Caring. The
Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 16.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol16No02PPT01
Scott, A., Matthews, A., & Kirwan, M. (2014). What is nursing in the 21st century and what does
the 21st century health system require of nursing? Nursing Philosophy, 15, 23-34.
http://dx.doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nup.12032