NUR2058 Dimensions of Nursing Exam 1 Study Guide 2021 - Rasmussen
ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSES CHAPTER 1
For individuals who are unfamiliar with the
... [Show More] health-care delivery system, it is sometimes difficult
to understand the similarities and differences between nursing titles and roles.
This confusion is particularly evident in the case of clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) and nurse
practitioners (NPs), who are sometimes collectively referred to as advanced practice registered
nurses (APRNs).
WELL-ORGANAZIED AND STRONG REPRESENTATION CHAPTER 1
Professional organizations represent the members of the profession and control the quality of
professional practice.
The National League for Nursing (NLN) and the American Nurses Association (ANA) are the
two major national organizations that represent nursing in today's health-care system.
The NLN is primarily responsible for regulating the quality of the educational programs that
prepare nurses for the practice of nursing, whereas the ANA is more concerned with the quality
of nursing practice in the daily health-care setting.
Both these groups are well organized, but neither can be considered powerful when compared
with other professional organizations, such as the American Hospital Association, the American
Medical Association (AMA), or the American Bar Association (ABA).
One reason for their lack of strength is that fewer than 10 percent of all nurses in the United
States are members of any professional organization at the national level. Many nurses do belong
to specialty organizations that represent a specific area of practice, but these lack sufficient
political power to produce changes in health-care laws and policies at the national level.
APPROACHES TO DEFINING A PROFESSION CHAPTER 1
In common use, terms such as position, job, occupation, profession, professional, and
professionalism often are used interchangeably and incorrectly.
The following definitions will clarify what is meant by these terms within this text:
Position: A group of tasks assigned to one individual
Job: A group of positions similar in nature and level of skill that can be carried out by
one or more individuals
Occupation: A group of jobs similar in type of work that are usually found throughout
an industry or work environment
Profession: A type of occupation that requires prolonged preparation and formal
qualifications and meets certain higher level criteria (discussed later in this chapter) that
raise it to a level above that of an occupation
Professional: A person who belongs to and practices a profession (The term professional
is probably the most misused of all these terms when describing people who are clearlyinvolved in jobs or occupations, such as a “professional truck driver,” “professional
football player,” or even “professional thief.”)
Professionalism: The demonstration of high-level personal, ethical, and skill
characteristics of a member of a profession.
PROCESS APPROACH
The process approach views all occupations as points of development into a profession situated
along a continuum ranging from position to profession:
Using this approach, the question becomes not whether nursing and truck driving are professions
but where they are located along the continuum. Occupations such as medicine, law, and the
ministry are widely accepted by the public as being closest to the professional end of the
continuum.3 Other occupations may be less clearly defined.
The major difficulty with this approach is that it lacks criteria on which to base judgments. Final
determination of the status of an occupation or profession depends almost completely on public
perception of the activities of that occupation. Nursing has always had a rather negative public
image when it comes to being viewed as a profession.
POWER APPROACH
The power approach uses two criteria to define a profession:
1. How much independence of practice does this occupation have?
2. How much power does this occupation control?
Using this determinant, occupations such as medicine, law, and politics clearly would be
considered professions.
The members of these occupations earn high incomes, practice their skills with a great deal of
independence; and exercise significant power over individuals, the public, and the political
community, both individually and in organized groups.
The ministry is generally perceived as having power and influence. However, most people in
this group, except for a few individuals such as television evangelists, have relatively low
income levels.
Nursing, of course, with its comparatively lower salaries, low membership in professional
organizations, and perceived lack of political power, would clearly not meet the power criteria
for a profession.The question that comes to mind is whether power, independence of practice, and high income
are the only elements that determine professional status. Although those three factors confer
status in our culture, other elements can be considered significant in how a profession is viewed.
For example, to many people, members of the clergy have a great deal of power when they act as
counselors, speakers of the truth, and community leaders.
TRAIT APPROACH
Three leaders that are most widely accepted as the leaders in the field for determining that the
following common characteristics are important:
High intellectual level
High level of individual responsibility and accountability
Specialized body of knowledge
Knowledge that can be learned in institutions of higher education
Public service and altruistic activities
Public service valued over financial gain
Relatively high degree of autonomy and independence of practice
Need for a well-organized and strong organization representing the members of the
profession and controlling the quality of practice
A code of ethics that guides the members of the profession in their practice
Strong professional identity and commitment to the development of the profession
Demonstration of professional competency and possession of a legally recognized license
ORIGIN OF POWER CHAPTER 1
If power is such an important part of nursing and the practice of nurses, where does it come
from? Although there are many sources, some of them would be inappropriate or unacceptable
for those in a helping and caring profession. The following list includes some of the more
accessible and acceptable sources of power that nurses should consider using in their practice:
• Referent: The referent source of power depends on establishing and maintaining a close
personal relationship with someone. In any close personal relationship, one individual often will
do something he or she would really rather not do because of the relationship. This ability to
change the actions of another is an exercise of power.
• Expert: The expert source of power derives from the amount of knowledge, skill, or
expertise that an individual or group has. This power source is exercised by the individual or
group when knowledge, skills, or expertise is either used or withheld in order to influence the
behavior of others. Nurses should have at least a minimal amount of this type of power because
of their education and experience.
• Reward: The reward source of power depends on the ability of one person to grant another
some type of reward for specific behaviors or changes in behavior. The rewards can take onmany different forms, including personal favors, promotions, money, expanded privileges, and
eradication of punishments. Nurses, in their daily provision of care, can use this source of power
to influence client behavior.
• Coercive: The coercive source of power is the flip side of the reward source. The ability to
reprimand, withhold rewards, and threaten punishment is the key element underlying the
coercive source of power. Although nurses do have access to this source of power, it is probably
one that they use minimally, if at all. Not only does the use of coercive power destroy therapeutic
and personal relationships, but it can also be considered unethical and even illegal in certain
situations.
• Legitimate: The legitimate source of power depends on a legislative or legal act that gives
the individual or organization a right to make decisions that they might not otherwise have the
authority to make. Nursing decisions made about client care can come only from individuals who
have a legitimate source of power to make those decisions—that is, licensed nurses.
• Collective: The collective source of power is often used in a broader context than individual
client care and is the underlying source for many other sources of power. When a large group of
individuals who have similar beliefs, desires, or needs become organized, a collective source of
power exists
THE SANTICITY OF LIFE CHAPTER 2
The rise of Christianity, starting from AD 30, brought with it a strong belief in the sanctity of all
human life. Christians considered practices such as human sacrifice, infanticide, and abortion—
which had been common in Roman society—to be murder.
Following the teachings of Jesus meant that caring for the sick, poor, and disadvantaged was of
primary importance, and groups of believers soon organized to offer care for those in need. Early
writings of the Christian period record women's important role in ministering to the sick and
providing food and care for the poor and homeless.
Wealthy Roman women who had converted to Christianity established hospital-like institutions
and residences for these caregivers in their homes.
The term nurse is thought to have originated in this period, from the Latin word nutrire, meaning
to nourish, nurture, or suckle a child. The majority of care was still provided by a family member
in the home.
Most early Christian hospitals were roadside houses for the sick, poor, or destitute who were
cared for by male and female attendants alike. The attendants learned from a process of trial and
error and from observing others. [Show Less]