`FUNDAMENTALS OF NURSING Ⅰ
Definition of Nursing
Nursing is an art and science by which people are assisted in learning to care for themselves
whenever possible and cared for by others when they are unable to meet their own needs.
Florence Nightingale
~ The act of utilizing the environment of the patient to assist him in his recovery
● She considered a clean, well-ventilated and quiet environment essential for recovery.
● She also emphasized hygiene and comfort.
Common themes in the Definitions of Nursing
➔ Nursing is caring
➔ Nursing is an art
➔ Ursing is a science
➔ Nursing is client-centered
➔ Nursing is holistic
➔ Nursing is adaptive
➔ Ursing is concerned with health promotion, health maintenance and health restoration.
➔ Nursing is a helping profession.
Recipients of Nursing care are
◆ Consumers
◆ patients
◆ clients
Patient: A person who is waiting for or undergoing medical treatment and care for a health
deficit.
Client: A person who engages the advice or services of another who is qualified to provide this
service.
CARING IN NURSING PRACTICE
Definition of Caring
Caring (fundamental care) is care that respects and focuses on a person’s essential and unique
needs in order to ensure their safety health and well-being.
5 C’s of Caring
● Compassion
● Competence
● Confidence
● Conscience
● Commitment
Theories of caring
Swanson’s theory of caring
, It outlines knowing, being with, doing for, enabling and maintaining belief.
Watson’s theory
Nursing is concerned with promoting health, preventing illness, caring for the sick and restoring
health.
Leininger’s theory
Nurses cannot separate worldviews, social structure factors, cultural beliefs or practices from
health, wellness, illness or care when working with cultures because these factors are closely
linked/interrelated.
Boykin’s theory
Fundamentally, potentially and actually each person is caring.
Schoenhofer’s theory
Nursing is caring
Benner’s theory
Expert nurses develop skills and understanding of patient care over time through proper
educational background as well as personal experience.
Wrubbel’s theory
True experience leads to nursing that is based not so much on formal rules but on judgement.
Knowledge types
1. Empirical knowledge- abstract and theoretical explanations
2. Aesthetic knowledge- a unique means through which clients and nurses can explore
personal perceptions of aspects of their world and fosters a creative sense of
self-awareness
3. Personal knowledge- provides a creative spark that leads a nurse to know what to do
and how to get it done
4. Ethical knowledge- helps caregivers consider patient needs from several viewpoints and
maintain a safe recovery environment.
- Nurses Councils and Associations are bodies which govern nurses and are found in each
country or region.
- The International Council of Nurses(ICN) is the overall body from which other councils
borrow the laws and regulations to implement in their countries or regions.
-Their goals are similar but are curated to fit with the country’s specific laws and preferences.
-Below are the functions of one of the Nurse Council bodies:
Functions of the Nursing Council of Kenya(NCK)
● To establish and improve standards of all branches of the nursing profession in all their
aspects and to safeguard interests.
Definition of Nursing
Nursing is an art and science by which people are assisted in learning to care for themselves
whenever possible and cared for by others when they are unable to meet their own needs.
Florence Nightingale
~ The act of utilizing the environment of the patient to assist him in his recovery
● She considered a clean, well-ventilated and quiet environment essential for recovery.
● She also emphasized hygiene and comfort.
Common themes in the Definitions of Nursing
➔ Nursing is caring
➔ Nursing is an art
➔ Ursing is a science
➔ Nursing is client-centered
➔ Nursing is holistic
➔ Nursing is adaptive
➔ Ursing is concerned with health promotion, health maintenance and health restoration.
➔ Nursing is a helping profession.
Recipients of Nursing care are
◆ Consumers
◆ patients
◆ clients
Patient: A person who is waiting for or undergoing medical treatment and care for a health
deficit.
Client: A person who engages the advice or services of another who is qualified to provide this
service.
CARING IN NURSING PRACTICE
Definition of Caring
Caring (fundamental care) is care that respects and focuses on a person’s essential and unique
needs in order to ensure their safety health and well-being.
5 C’s of Caring
● Compassion
● Competence
● Confidence
● Conscience
● Commitment
Theories of caring
Swanson’s theory of caring
, It outlines knowing, being with, doing for, enabling and maintaining belief.
Watson’s theory
Nursing is concerned with promoting health, preventing illness, caring for the sick and restoring
health.
Leininger’s theory
Nurses cannot separate worldviews, social structure factors, cultural beliefs or practices from
health, wellness, illness or care when working with cultures because these factors are closely
linked/interrelated.
Boykin’s theory
Fundamentally, potentially and actually each person is caring.
Schoenhofer’s theory
Nursing is caring
Benner’s theory
Expert nurses develop skills and understanding of patient care over time through proper
educational background as well as personal experience.
Wrubbel’s theory
True experience leads to nursing that is based not so much on formal rules but on judgement.
Knowledge types
1. Empirical knowledge- abstract and theoretical explanations
2. Aesthetic knowledge- a unique means through which clients and nurses can explore
personal perceptions of aspects of their world and fosters a creative sense of
self-awareness
3. Personal knowledge- provides a creative spark that leads a nurse to know what to do
and how to get it done
4. Ethical knowledge- helps caregivers consider patient needs from several viewpoints and
maintain a safe recovery environment.
- Nurses Councils and Associations are bodies which govern nurses and are found in each
country or region.
- The International Council of Nurses(ICN) is the overall body from which other councils
borrow the laws and regulations to implement in their countries or regions.
-Their goals are similar but are curated to fit with the country’s specific laws and preferences.
-Below are the functions of one of the Nurse Council bodies:
Functions of the Nursing Council of Kenya(NCK)
● To establish and improve standards of all branches of the nursing profession in all their
aspects and to safeguard interests.
