Nsg 324

Introduction to Professional Nursing

Maureen Hammond

Metacognitive Journal: Professionhood

In this paper I will be looking at my own professional practice as well as my

thoughts and feelings on nursing as a profession. I will evaluate data that I have retrieved

from our textbook, an internet source, and the AORN manual of standards and practices.

I will also some of the implications those finding had on my feelings about my

profession.

When I think about my profession and personal practice I am struck by the variety

of thought and feelings that come to mind. There are times when I find myself very

grateful to have found a profession that I am proud to be a part of. However there are

other times when I find my self feeling like “Cinderella”. There are days when I feel that

I truly am making a difference in a patient’s experience. At other times I feel like a cog in

a large machine.

Prior to this assignment I found myself somewhat on the fence regarding my

thought s on nursing as a profession especially as described by our text Nunnery R. K

{2005}. After reviewing the Code of Ethics for Nurses in Nunnery’s text I was struck by

how applicable these statements are to my individual practice as well as to my personal

beliefs. I also glanced through my AORN Standards and Recommended Practices for

Perioperative Nursing prior to formulating an outline for this paper. In doing so I realized

how much I adhere to these practices and teach other orientees and nursing students about
their importance in patient care. I did find a number of articles which mentioned patient

safety and the Nursing profession. One in particular pointed out that even though lower

nurse to patient ratios was highly beneficial to better outcomes many facilities continued

practices of staffing that put both patients and nurses at risk (Texas Nursing, 2003). The

previous article went on to mention nursing’s lack of input into many instances of

restructuring that have occurred over the last 15 to 20 years. Many of us who have

worked on the larger hospitals and especially the smaller institutions have definitely

experienced frustration with middle and upper management. We have not had a say in

major decisions made within this time period which has not only affected us but our

ability to deliver optimal patient care. If we are truly members of a profession why we

don’t have a voice? We are the backbone of the patient care delivery system at these

facilities.

In conclusion, I find myself somewhat perplexed by the myriad of conflicting

thoughts I have about our profession. On one hand, I consider myself lucky to have found

a profession that I am proud to be part of. It is rewarding to feel that you have made a

difference in someone’s care. I am concerned about what the future holds for nursing and

health care in general. Given the present economy and people’s lack of access to

adequate health care I wonder what this environment will be like when I get ready to

retire in twenty years.