Nurses: angels of mercy or competent professionals. Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses / American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses

摘要

An article by Suzanne Gordon caught my eye recently that was entitled "What Do Nurses Really Do?"1 Intrigued, I read every word. And true to her role as a nursing advocate extraordinaire, journalist Gordon succinctly describes what nurses do: "They save lives, prevent complications, prevent suffering, and save money." The article caused me to conduct my own very unscientific survey. I asked an older businessman the question. What do nurses do? His reply: "Take care of sick people." Interestingly, a young adult non-nurse said exactly the same thing, although he did continue to say "They save lives." Concerned about the view of nursing from within, I asked an undergraduate nursing student the same question. Her reply was "a professional who devotes time and energy to provide care for patients. [The nurse] also uses critical thinking to do interventions for patients to provide optimal care." I have to admit this answer gave me hope. I asked a nursing colleague and she replied "A nurse is a professional who approaches patient care from an individualized perspective to guide patients to their ultimate best care."