2. The western world views health care as a science – a science working at the molecular
level to destroy disease and cure people of ailments. Though this mindset may be true of some
nurses, nursing can and should travel deeper than this superficial ideal. If one views nursing
from this stance, it does little justice to career and vocation that is nursing. Nursing is an art. It is
an art of caring. One could argue that developing this idea will minimize burnout and
emotionally cold nursing care. Nursing is described in a paradigm. The goal of this essay is to
develop an art of caring using the four pillars of nursing: person, health, environment, and
nursing.
Just like nursing is made up of four criteria, the person is as well. Each human person is
physical, mental, social, and spiritual. The first two describe the person as an individual and the
second two describe the person’s relation to community. It is easy to agree that each person
needs physical wellness. Everyone knows the saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
However, mental and emotional wellness, something that is so easily stigmatized in today’s
society, is also vital to the human person. The mind is powerful and needs to be nurtured in the
face of adversity. Each person, likewise, is not complete without another. The social realm of the
person is so important to keep intact to promote the health of the person. A nurse must always be
mindful of the importance of family, friends, and his or her presence to each patient. Also, when
considering patient overall health, one has to remember the importance of faith and hope in a
higher being. This relationship with a higher power gives strength to one faced with adversity,
often, the strength needed to be healthy in the other three areas. Nursing must be conscious of
these facts when working with the human person. Regardless of area or specialty, a nurse is
confronted with each of these realms that make up the human person, and must be able to
respond to the needs of all of them.
Health is to maintain quality of life and maximum independence. It allows one to
complete activities of daily life and activities deemed important to a particular human person.
Notice I didn’t say “tip top” physical fitness, lean body, etc. Health is not the absence of chronic
disease; in fact, one can live with chronic illness and still maintain quality of life. The nurse’s
role is to promote health by education and adaptation for each patient. It is to make possible the
necessary and pleasurable activities of each person.
3. The environment is vital to making these things happen. Every environment must
promote safety, function, and comfort. All three are important; not one can be missed. It is
obvious one must always be safe in his or her environment. Anything else contradicts the
promotion of health. However, a safe environment that is impractical is not enough. That
environment, then, can no longer promote health (as defined previously) because its lack of
ability to promote function. Likewise, comfort is key. Comfort promotes confidence,
communication, and trust. All three of these components are needed for true nursing care to take
place. Without these three components, assessment is hindered, and there for early diagnosis and
prompt intervention is not possible. Overall, this diminishes each person’s health and well-being.
Nursing is a powerful art of caring. Nursing is holistic listening and empathetic
intervention and education. So what does this mean? Holistic listening is the key to assessment.
It is rare that a patient will start dialogue with the problem during the assessment phase, often he
or she does not even know what the problem is. It might be embarrassing, or maybe the
symptoms seem irrelevant to the patient. It is vital to listen to each word said by the patient to
guide questioning and physical assessment. It is also important to remember a problem may
even affect more than one realm of the person. For example, chronic illness can lead to
depression, isolation, and desperation; this illness affects the physical, mental, social, and
spiritual realms of the person. The nurse needs to be attuned to this and use empathy to guide
interventions and education. A patient needs more than an intelligent caregiver; he or she needs a
compassionate caregiver who is willing to be patient through the caring process. This means
taking the time to explain any and all procedures and to realize that a patient may need directions
more than one, two, or three times. This means to meet him where he is at and guide him to
health, whatever that might be to him. This means to work with other disciplines and family
members to get him the help that he needs. This is ultimately what vocation is: to devote oneself
to the art.
