Nursing revolves around the patient, the nurse, the patient’s health, and the environment.

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Week 1 Discussion

Nursing revolves around the patient, the nurse, the patient’s health, and the environment. Therefore, these four concepts are known as the metaparadigms of nursing. There are many additional concepts that come to mind when I think of nursing. As a registered nurse, I feel as if collaboration and advocacy are two additional concepts that are relevant to my personal practice.

Collaboration is defined as “working with others in a way that promotes/encourages each person’s contributions toward achieving optimal/realistic patient/family goals” (Butts & Rich, 2018). In my opinion, working in the healthcare field truly requires amazing teamwork. A patient cannot heal purely by the medications the nurse gives them every morning. They must walk with physical therapy to get stronger, they must get their breathing treatments from the respiratory therapist, their labs have to be drawn by the phlebotomist, the radiologists must read their x-rays, and the physician must speak to/evaluate the patient each day to ensure that his/her goals are being met. Thankfully, I work in an environment where collaboration is welcomed. As the nurse, physicians often ask my opinion, as I have a closer relationship to the patient. Collaboration is most successful when there is active communication regarding patient care, and the correct resources are used to optimize patient outcomes (Butts & Rich, 2018).

Advocacy is the second concept that I feel is relevant to my personal practice. According to Butts and Rich (2018), advocacy is defined as “working on another’s behalf and representing the concerns of the patient/family and nursing staff.” On a daily basis, I find myself advocating for my patients. I do this by keeping the entire healthcare team informed, providing assistance or getting them in touch with the correct people to get them assistance, and providing professional nursing care. Working on an orthopedic unit, I most often find myself advocating for my patient regarding their pain. As nurses, we are taught that “pain is what the patient says it is.” If I feel as if my patient does not have adequate pain control, I am quick to call the physician. By advocating for my patients, I want to ensure that they get the proper care to optimize their health and outcomes.

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