DEFINATION & CONCEPT OF NURSING

Nursing is a critical profession that plays a vital role in the healthcare industry. Nurses are responsible for providing patient care, managing, and administering medication, monitoring patient progress, and providing emotional support to patients and their families. At its core, nursing is the provision of care to individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent illness, and restore health. Nursing is both an art and a science that involves the application of knowledge, skills, and judgment to provide safe and effective care.

DEFINITIONS OF NURSING

There are various definitions of nursing, and each definition offers a unique perspective on the profession. Here, we will explore some important definitions of nursing.

What is Nursing? - Nursing is something external that is done to the client to restore health. Nursing is an interpersonal, interactional, or partnering process between the nurse and the client with the objective of promoting wellness, preventing illness, and giving the client the tools to function at an optimal level of wellness.

• Dictionary Definition – “Nursing is the practice or profession of caring for the sick and injured.”
• Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, defined nursing as "the act of utilizing the environment of the patient to assist him in his recovery." This definition emphasizes the importance of the environment in promoting healing and the role of the nurse in facilitating this process.
• The Virginia Henderson (1966) & ICN, 1973 define nursing as “The unique function of a nurse is to assist the individual sick or well, in the performance of those activities contributing to health, its recovery, or to a peaceful death that the client would perform unaided if he had the necessary strength, will or knowledge and to do this in such a way as to help the client gain independence as rapidly as possible”. This definition emphasizes the nurse's role in assisting individuals to achieve health and well-being, promoting independence and empowering clients, and providing holistic care.
• The International Council of Nurses (ICN) 2010 defines nursing as "the autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups, and communities, sick or well and in all settings. It includes the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and the care of ill, disabled and dying people. Advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping health policy and in patient and health systems management, and education are also key nursing roles." This definition emphasizes the importance of collaboration in nursing practice and the need to provide care to individuals across the lifespan, along with the key roles of this profession.
• The American Nurses Association (ANA) defines nursing as "the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations." This definition highlights the importance of nursing in promoting health, preventing illness, and advocating for the needs of patients.
• The Indian Nursing Council (INC) 2006 defines nursing as "a professional service for enabling a person to maintain and sustain health and well-being." This definition emphasizes that nursing is a professional service aimed at enabling individuals to maintain and sustain their health and well-being. It underscores the importance of a holistic approach to patient care, the proactive nature of nursing, and the specialized knowledge and expertise required to provide high-quality patient care.

THE CONCEPT OF NURSING

Nursing is a crucial component of healthcare that involves providing care, support, and advocacy to patients of all ages and backgrounds. It encompasses a wide range of activities, including assessing patient needs, developing and implementing care plans, administering treatments and medications, and educating patients and their families about health and wellness.

The concept of nursing has evolved over time and is influenced by various factors, such as social, cultural, and economic conditions, as well as advances in technology and medical knowledge. Today, nursing is recognized as a distinct and important profession that plays a critical role in promoting and maintaining the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.

Nursing is a dynamic and evolving field, and its concept has changed over time to meet the changing needs of healthcare settings and patients. According to, Mc Kenna (1997) identified three levels of the nursing concept, which are:

The global concept of nursing

This is also known as the metaparadigm of nursing, is a framework that encompasses the four principal domains of nursing philosophy: person, health, environment, and nursing. This framework serves as the foundation for all nursing practice and guides nurses in their care of patients.

1. Person refers to the patient or individual receiving care. Nurses consider the patient's physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs when providing care.

2. Health refers to the patient's overall well-being, including physical, mental, and social health. Nurses work to promote and maintain the patient's health, prevent illness and injury, and manage any health problems the patient may have.

3. Environment refers to the surroundings in which the patient lives and receives care. Nurses consider how the environment can affect the patient's health and well-being, and they strive to create a safe and supportive environment for the patient.

4. Nursing refers to the actions and responsibilities of the nurse in providing care to the patient. Nurses use their knowledge, skills, and expertise to promote the patient's health and well-being, provide education and support to the patient and their family, and collaborate with other healthcare professionals to provide comprehensive care.

The global concept of nursing is a comprehensive framework that guides nurses in their practice and helps them to provide patient-centred care that is respectful, compassionate, and culturally sensitive. It recognizes the importance of the patient as an individual and the role of the nurse in promoting health, preventing illness, and managing disease.

Middle range concept of nursing

This is an expansion of the nursing concept that is based on various theories and models. These include systemic, interactive, evolutionary, and behavioural paradigms. Middle range concepts help nurses to understand and address specific healthcare issues and challenges.

1.  Systematic paradigm: This paradigm views the individual as a system that is closely associated with their environment. Any changes in the environment can affect the system, and the individual's health and well-being. Theories related to the systematic paradigm include Neuman's healthcare system model, Johnson's behavioural system model, and Roy's adaptation model.

2.  Interactive paradigm: This paradigm views humans as being associated with society and emphasizes the relationship between the individual and their role in society. Theories related to the interactive paradigm include King's access to goal theory and Orlando's nurse-patient dynamic relationship model.

3.  Evolutional paradigm: Also known as the developmental paradigm, this paradigm is based on the growth, development, maturity, and changes in human beings. According to this paradigm, humans go through various stages of development, and nurses' role is to facilitate effective development and eliminate any difficulties that may arise during the process.

4. Behavioural paradigm: This paradigm is based on human needs and suggests that meeting all the needs is necessary for an individual's survival. Theories related to the behavioural paradigm include Henderson's nursing essence model, Orem's self-care, and failure in self-care theory, and Wiedenbach's clinical nursing model.

Middle range concepts in nursing are important because they provide nurses with a deeper understanding of specific healthcare issues and challenges and allow them to develop targeted interventions to improve patient outcomes. They help nurses to provide evidence-based care that is tailored to the unique needs of each patient.

Empirical concept of nursing

These are concepts that have well-defined boundaries and are more accurate than other concepts. Empirical concepts are measurable and observable phenomena related to nursing care that provide a standardized approach to nursing practice based on evidence-based practice.

Examples of empirical concepts in nursing include medication administration, wound care, vital sign monitoring, patient education, and other aspects of nursing care that can be objectively measured and observed. The use of empirical concepts in nursing helps to ensure that nursing care is evidence-based, consistent with best practices and standards of care, and promotes quality improvement in nursing care.

Empirical concepts are important for several reasons.

1.  They help to ensure that nursing care is evidence-based and consistent with best practices and standards of care. By using empirical concepts, nurses can provide safe and effective care that is based on objective data and observations.

2. Empirical concepts help to promote quality improvement in nursing care. By using empirical concepts to evaluate the outcomes of nursing interventions, nurses can identify areas for improvement and develop strategies to improve the quality of nursing care.

3. Empirical concepts in nursing help to promote the professionalization of nursing. By using empirical concepts to guide nursing practice, nurses can demonstrate their expertise and knowledge in their field and promote the recognition of the important role that nurses play in healthcare.

The use of empirical concepts in nursing is essential for evidence-based practice and quality improvement in nursing care. By using empirical concepts to guide nursing practice, nurses can provide safe and effective care, improve patient outcomes, and promote the professionalization of nursing.

CONCLUSION

The concept of nursing is a complex and multi-dimensional one that encompasses a range of principles, theories, and practices. It is a crucial part of the healthcare system and plays a vital role in promoting health, preventing illness, and providing care to patients in need.