Nursing as a profession may simply refer to having attained knowledge and skills of a body through extensive study to a point of mastering. Profession refers to a vocation gained with prior specialized study through training over a period of time. For a vocation to be a profession an individual must have undergone formal qualification proved through examination, certification and licensing. The vocation of be a nurse therefore qualifies to be a profession as it is also governed by a set code of rules and ethics. Nursing aims on assisting the society as a whole to have optimal healthcare.
I would describe nursing profession to mean promoting quality life by individuals who have undergone through the study of mastering human body as a whole and the needs of every body part and who have committed themselves to serving the society to ensure that individuals live to their fullest in terms of health and medical conditions. Nursing is a science as well as the art of ensuring that individuals or even the family leads a quality life. This is achieved through medical attention to the human body either mentally, physically or emotionally. It can be done by physiotherapy, speech therapy, counseling or any other practice that ensures body fitness. The nursing profession is a profession for both males and females.
One needs to be multi-tasked; this refers to the ability of an individual to conduct different activities at the same time. A nurse is expected to perform a variety of duties at the same time ranging from attending patients, advising them, pharmaceutical duties, being pleasant to them and to undertake research so as to upgrade their skills with the upcoming technology. There also regular interruptions directing them on other duties and at the same time the patients need them. This physical overload which is as a result of prolonged working hours and at the same time attending to patients demands that those wishing to specialize in the profession possess the trait of multi-tasking because if they fail to they may end up accomplishing too little.
Another attribute is perseverance, which simply means being able to endure difficult situations in their daily undertakings. The nursing profession has the stressing attributes that are associated to it for example prolonged duration of time, sacrificing of personal interests to meet the official requirements among others. The professional also calls for readiness to work anywhere their services are required such as visiting patients at home, incase of or any form of emergency requiring medical attention they also maybe called upon to visit institutions. Despite all those stressing situations, the nurse is expected to put a happy face to the patient being attended to and perform the duties delegated to him or her efficiently and effectively. This can be difficult to an individual who lacks the quality of perseverance.
Companionship, it is an attribute that refers to an individual possessing the ability to associate oneself with another person in a friendly manner. It can also be said to have the ability to give care or even to assist a person in need. Due to the nature of the profession having to deal with people who need care, love and attention, it therefore is inevitable that a nurse must be able to associate him or herself with the patient to ensure that the patient feels consoled and loved. This also gives the patient confidence and hope that they are going to live happily and that people still loves them despite their conditions.
In conclusion, nursing is a profession which is founded by prior study and training and guided by rules and ethics and where the qualified nurses are responsible for human life and accountable to the government and the society as a whole.