Is nursing defined as a profession, practice or simply as work?

Nurses Activism

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hi there everyone,

i am a nursing student at the university of colorado health science center. one of my current courses is role development in professional nursing practice. this week one or our readings posed an interesting question, to define nursing. should nursing be defined as a profession, a practice, or as work? i found this to be difficult to answer the following is what i have posted in my online course. i am hopeful to get some additional insight from experienced nurses and their prospective. if anyone is willing to he me find a better understanding on this point it would be much appreciated.

the following is what i have already submitted to my class:

how do liaschenko and peter define nursing as profession, as practice and as work?

i believe that liaschenko and peter are defining nursing as work. there are statements within this paper that show that in the past that nursing has been defined as a profession or as a practice. liaschenko and peter explain their rational as to why nursing is not a profession or a practice. they go on to introduce a definition of nursing as work rather than a profession or practice stating that the definitions prior to work are to limiting or inaccurate. i believe that they like their predecessors are attempting to categorize nursing as a single definable inadequate definition. i am not sure that there is a single word be it work, profession, or practice that would be encompassing enough to be termed a definition for nursing. i hold the same belief as olga ellis stated in her posting that any definition of nursing should “include and combine such words as a calling, profession, practice, work, science, ethics, and pshycology of relationships.”

one question i have is why is there a push, need, importance to define nursing as one particular word which dose not seem to accomplish the ideal of providing a meaning in which society can then gain a greater understanding of what nursing actually is.

thanks for you time

Exactly my point NRSKarenRN -

Why have the students craft a paper on this topic? To see if they can find a few good on-line resources and paraphrase? Why not just give them a quick outline of what a profession is and how nursing fits that description and then move on to the professional issues nurses need to concern themselves with (besides whether or not nursing is a profession)?

Exactly my point NRSKarenRN -

Why have the students craft a paper on this topic?

I am not sure how it was assumed that this was for a paper. This is an online course were we voice our opinions, thoughts and ideas about particular topics. We have readings that are supported through text...journals...as well as other materials. We are not expected to "craft a paper" on this topic. NOR do I think that what we have been asked to explore should be considered semantics as was suggested by "jjjoy". Though I am "just a student" I can see what an issue this truly is. Maybe this is why our professor decided to make it a topic. As far as my own prospective, before I even was excepted to such a great school I knew what I believed ..... nursing IS a profession!!

I just wanted to see what the general consensus was.

I believe that there is not a single one of us that thinks of what we do as a nurse can be simply defined as "work"....

Say your "work" is at blockbuster.... can the people that "work" at blockbuster come home and know that they have actually made a difference in someone life?.........Well maybe If they found that perfect movie(just kidding). Really think about what we are talking about here, we have the ability to change people, to care, to make a difference, we educate people, we empower our patients... if that is not a profession then what is? If nursing can not be considdered a profession then geve me a great argument as to why it can not.

This was not for a paper. Though maybe now after all of the input is should be. I am the original discussion threader and I was just interested in the topic and wanted to see what others had to say.

I am not sure how it was assumed that this was for a paper.

That was my assumption. I apologize for that. Whether for a paper or not, I still think that even posing the question puts nurses into defensive position. I actually haven't heard anyone actively arguing that nursing ISN'T a profession. Why give student nurses the idea that they must defend their position that nursing is a profession?

NOR do I think that what we have been asked to explore should be considered semantics as was suggested by "jjjoy".

If one is going to discuss whether or not nursing is a profession, then one must be concerned with semantics. It's a pointless argument if no one knows what you mean by the work "profession."

I believe that there is not a single one of us that thinks of what we do as a nurse can be simply defined as "work".... Really think about what we are talking about here, we have the ability to change people, to care, to make a difference, we educate people, we empower our patients... if that is not a profession then what is?

It sounds like your definition of a profession is work that allows the ability to change people, to care, to make a different, to educate and empower and by that definition nursing IS a profession.

I have no problem with calling nursing a profession by most definitions. There just are different definitions of "profession." After all, plumbers, beauticians, teachers, clergy, athletes and more are all called "professionals" in different contexts.

I do find such discussions stimulating and hope that I haven't offended! : )

Specializes in ER.
I would agree with profession. I don't understand the question "is nursing a practice or a profession." I think you practice a profession. (Doctors practice medicine, lawyers practice law, etc)

In the paper Nursing ethics and conceptualizations of nursing: profession, practice and work in the journal Philosophical and and ethical issues, authors Liaschenko and Peter. They are concluding that nursing should only be defined as work rather than a profession or a practice. I guess the difficulty that I am having is that I disagree with them. I see nursing as a profession where within this profession you practice your knowledge and skills, and of course work. The strict definition of nursing as only work seems to state that nurses could be compared to any trade even such trades as a garbage collector, landscaper, and other trades that do not require a defined acquired knowledge through many years of education.

Yes, I dont agree with them either, I know I work hard but I also know my acquired skills are not shared by the general population or inborn in everyone, either. So when the authors of that paper can do my job and call it a day's work - they are wlecome to have thier opinion of the nursing field respected.

Specializes in Range of paediatric specialties.
hi there everyone,

i am a nursing student at the university of colorado health science center. one of my current courses is role development in professional nursing practice. this week one or our readings posed an interesting question, to define nursing. should nursing be defined as a profession, a practice, or as work? i found this to be difficult to answer the following is what i have posted in my online course. i am hopeful to get some additional insight from experienced nurses and their prospective. if anyone is willing to he me find a better understanding on this point it would be much appreciated.

the following is what i have already submitted to my class:

how do liaschenko and peter define nursing as profession, as practice and as work?

i believe that liaschenko and peter are defining nursing as work. there are statements within this paper that show that in the past that nursing has been defined as a profession or as a practice. liaschenko and peter explain their rational as to why nursing is not a profession or a practice. they go on to introduce a definition of nursing as work rather than a profession or practice stating that the definitions prior to work are to limiting or inaccurate. i believe that they like their predecessors are attempting to categorize nursing as a single definable inadequate definition. i am not sure that there is a single word be it work, profession, or practice that would be encompassing enough to be termed a definition for nursing. i hold the same belief as olga ellis stated in her posting that any definition of nursing should "include and combine such words as a calling, profession, practice, work, science, ethics, and pshycology of relationships."

one question i have is why is there a push, need, importance to define nursing as one particular word which dose not seem to accomplish the ideal of providing a meaning in which society can then gain a greater understanding of what nursing actually is.

thanks for you time

i think this definition of whether your labour entails being a practice profession or work is class based. ie a professional is white collar and a worker blue collar. i think it behooves nursing to rise above such class consciousness. illness does not a respectof class. we all get sick and die sometime. nurses deal with the management and adaptation to disease. lets not pull rank and lets not waste valuable nursing education time arguing about what class of people we are. we are classless just as disease is a great leveller. let our humanity speak for itself. someone in this dicussion thread thinks it a crime that some plumbers be paid more than nurses . are plumbers less important than nurses ? where would we be without modern sanitation. every job should be valued as an integral and essential part of the social fabric including nurses. if there was less class consciousness less people would feel it more desirable to be a lawyer or computer programmer than a nurse and we wouldn't have a world wide shortage. we need a "get real, get nursing" campaign.

kidznurse

Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

I think its work

I work thus I golf, I golf thus I work. There is balance and harmony in life

I think this definition of whether your labour entails being a practice profession or work is class based. ie a professional is white collar and a worker blue collar. I think it behooves nursing to rise above such class consciousness.

Good point. I appreciate your bringing it up.

go to google ask for defining nursing

defining nursing a4 (pdf)

r.c.n

safe to download.

booklet defining nursing

hope this is helpful

sandieo

Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Defining Nursing

describes why and how this definition was developed, and explains its key concepts. It is published as a policy statement by the Royal College of Nursing, the professional association that acts as the collective voice of nursing in the UK.

The document has been prepared by a small steering group and incorporates the results of wide consultationand participation by RCN members and others. A review of published literature both from the UK and from other countries was carried out, and a survey was undertaken of all the members of the International Council of Nurses to identify definitions of nursing that have been developed in other countries. To ensure that the statement reflects the views of British nurses, and in particular RCN members, a Values Clarification Exercise1 was undertaken, the findings of which were

used as a framework for developing the definition.

A draft document was the subject of a web-based consultation, and this final version has been amended to take account of the responses received. Definitions of nursing, like nursing itself, are dynamic; nursing is constantly evolving to meet new needs and take account of new knowledge. This document is only a beginning....

Acknowledgements

The Steering Group acknowledges the contribution of all those – RCN members and others – who have participated in the Defining Nursing project and have contributed to this document. We acknowledge in particular the seminal work undertaken in this field by the American Nurses Association, the Canadian Nurses Association, and the Queensland Nursing Council (Australia) from which we have drawn heavily in this document.

Specializes in Cardiac Care, ICU.
I have no problem with calling nursing a profession by most definitions. There just are different definitions of "profession." After all, plumbers, beauticians, teachers, clergy, athletes and more are all called "professionals" in different contexts.

I'm not sure they want to be lumped in w/ us. After all they all earn more money and get more respect than nurses do. :lol2:

Seriously, by every definition of professional I've ever read we are professionals. I think it is time we stop debating it and stop trying to prove it to others. It should be taught w/o exception in nsg schools, and student nurses should be taught how to function as professionals and advocate for changes that strengthen the profession.

Are CRNA's considered professionals?

Specializes in Critical Care.

Interesting thread on the topic:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f195/does-better-pay-better-care-170851.html

"Anthony Heyes, an economist at the University of London claims that higher wages for nurses will actually hurt patient care by "crowding out" the good nurses. His words exactly: "the status of nursing as a "vocation" implies that increasing wages reduces the average quality of applicants attracted. The underlying mechanism accords with the notion that increasing wages might attract the "wrong sort" of people into the profession..."

~faith,

Timothy.

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