[llg]

Originally Posted by spacenurse

I am glad the nursing process is in writing. It is what we do.

I'm not going to bash the "nursing process" here: it's a good thing. But it isn't enough to define our profession. It's just basic good problem-solving. Assess, diagnose, plan, intervene, evaluate. All disciplines use that same process, just dressing it up a bit with their own particular verbage.

We need more -- a lot more -- to serve as a foundation for practice, teaching, and research and to distiguish between ourselves and other disciplines.

At least though, something we can all agree on.

[lindarn]

Originally Posted by llg

I'm not going to bash the "nursing process" here: it's a good thing. But it isn't enough to define our profession. It's just basic good problem-solving. Assess, diagnose, plan, intervene, evaluate. All disciplines use that same process, just dressing it up a bit with their own particular verbage.

We need more -- a lot more -- to serve as a foundation for practice, teaching, and research and to distiguish between ourselves and other disciplines.

At least though, something we can all agree on.

If nurses have a hard time deciding if what we do is actually a science based profession, how, exactly do PTs and OTs define what they do as a science? They have alot less to work with than nurses do, in terms of their professional scope of practice, yet no one argues that PT and OT are not scientifically based professions. JMHO, and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN
Spokane, Washington

[jjjoy]

Originally Posted by llg

We need more -- a lot more -- to serve as a foundation for practice, teaching, and research and to distiguish between ourselves and other disciplines.

I'd agree with that. That's why I found the initial article interesting. What it defined as "caring science" or "health care science" encompassed much of what is often considered in the realm of nursing in the most broad definitions of what nursing is. For example, there are professional caregivers who definitely give care of all sorts and often perform basic nursing care, but no one will seriously argue that they are nurses. There are also people who work with clients in supported residential facilities and mental health community workers. Again, lots of caring and care planning going on, but not "nursing."

When nursing is defined so broadly as to emcompass every role that nurses currently play both at the bedside and in the community, to me it waters down the essence of nursing, making it indistinct from other disciplines (such as public health, social work, psychology, etc). It also makes it difficult to focus in on what NEEDS to be taught at a basic level that will minimally qualify someone as a "nurse."

So I was thinking it might make sense to switch it up by narrowing the definition of nursing care and then including the extended nursing roles as in addition to or complementary to nursing care.