INTERNATIONAL NURSES WEEK MAY 2021: My Contribution. By Nurse Abdullahi Musa

 NURSING PROFESSION AND THE ROLES OF NURSES.

The history of the nursing profession can never be narrated without commending the efforts of some important personalities both in Islamic and western perspectives.

From an Islamic perspective the first nurse named RUFAIDA BINT SA'AD otherwise called RUFAIDA AL_ASLAMIA (Bornt appx. 620 AD, 2 BH) she was an Islamic medical and social worker recognized as the first female Muslim nurse and first female surgeon in Islam. Her father was a physician and mentor under which she obtained clinical experience and later devoted herself to nursing and taking sick people. However, RUFAIDA lived with PROPHET MUHAMMAD S. A. W and accompanied him to the battlefield to take care of the wounded soldiers during Jihad, she also offered both home and hospital services in her tent where sick or injured people receive care; thus, she trained other nurses to assist her to care for sick people. From in western perspective, the mother of modern nursing named FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE ( from 12th May 1820 _13th August 1910) played tremendous efforts toward the development of the nursing profession. Nightingale was born in ITALY to a wealthy family and later migrated to England which she acquired knowledge and skills in the nursing profession. However, Florence Nightingale also care for sick people and wounded soldiers during the Crimean war led by Sidney Herbert, she also trained nurses that make her so courageous and established the first school of nursing in 1860 at St Thomas Hospital London; it was the first nursing school in the world which served as her pioneer effort in nursing. During the Crimean war she also went round to care for the wounded soldiers in the night with a lamp as such she grasped the name called A LADY WITH LAMP. Vividly, the international nurse's week is done to commemorate her birthday.

Moreover, Nightingale derived up the following principles: _Nursing is art and science _Nursing is a calling _Teaching is part of nursing _Cleanliness is vital to recovery _Prevention is better than cure And in addition to her theory titled ''THEORY OF ENVIRONMENT,'' she later went ahead to defined Nursing ''as the act of utilizing the environment of the patient to assist him in his recovery''.

<script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-5805803503573544" crossorigin="anonymous"></script>

Meanwhile, nursing is a noble profession with integrity, humility, respect, sympathy, empathy, gentleness, and selfless services devoted to humanity. ROLES OF NURSES The responsibilities of nurses are heterogeneous in such a way that they can't be emphasized thus, the roles of a nurse revolves under the following four fundamental parts: 1. Health promotion 2. Health restoration 3. Alleviation of suffering 4. Prevention of illness ROLE OF NURSES IN HEALTH PROMOTION Nurses are best able to perform health promotion tasks by enhancing the quality of life for all people through assessment of individual and community needs, education, identification of resources, evaluation, and implementation of programs to help reduce premature deaths and reduce costs in both the financial and otherwise. However, nurses are best qualified to take on the job of health promoters due to their expertise. There are few health care occupations that have a high level of health education knowledge, skills, theory, and research to be able to focus on prevention because it is considered part of their professional development focus. Competencies include health education needs assessment, program planning, implementation and evaluation, research, service coordination, concerns, and resource communication no matter where the service is provided, such as in schools, communities, and clinics. There are also specialties in occupational, environmental, and public health nursing. ROLE OF NURSES IN HEALTH RESTORATION Nurses give patients resources to improve their lives and disease outcomes. Nurses administer medications and perform procedures to patients to help them achieve compliance with their health-related needs. Also, they can improve a patient's health by teaching them emotional coping skills to handle stressful situations. ROLE OF NURSES IN ALLEVIATION OF SUFFERING The patients suffering from particular diseases experience pain mainly psychological as a result of the nature of the disease and prolong regime or both. Therefore, nurses use their skill as follows: _Acknowledge patient suffering, recognize patients are in pain, and show them you understand. _Be aware of body language, use non-verbal communication skills, keeping in mind they are equally as important as words. _Treat anxiety as suffering, anxiety, and uncertainly are negative outcomes, so address them as part of the patient experience. _Coordinate care, show patients their care is coordinated, continuous, and that the healthcare team will always be there for them.

Abdullahi sent May 8 at 11:55 AM

_Transcend diagnosis through care, embrace the reality that care goes beyond delivering medical interventions to the patient. _Reduce suffering through autonomy, ensure patient dignity by allowing patients to make informed healthcare decisions. ROLE OF NURSES IN ILLNESS PREVENTION Conventionally, health care systems were focused on the cure of disease instead of the prevention of disease, and it's clearly stated that ''prevention is better than cure''. With today’s evolving health care changes, the shift toward effective prevention techniques is more important. The nurse’s role in preventative health care is to utilize evidence-based research and recommendations to improve the health of patients. Nurses are the catalysts for healthier lifestyles through encouragement and teaching, helping patients to potentially receive preventative services such as counseling, screenings, and precautionary procedures or medications. Nurses can impassion those to engage in healthy lifestyles through education, mentorship, and leadership. Nurses working in various venues have a great responsibility in preventative care and wellness. The backbone of the nursing profession has always been recognized as that of a caring profession and one that excels in disease prevention and health promotion. Nurses are strong advocates for patients because they navigate the health care system. One of the most critical roles that nurses have in health promotion and disease prevention is that of an educator. Nurses spend the most time with the patients and provide anticipatory guidance about immunizations, nutrition, dietary, medications, and safety. Nurses are consistently working to prevent illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and obstructive pulmonary disease; they do this through a variety of tactics that include education, risk factor prevention, and the monitoring of safety hazards either in the workplace, community, or home. ELEMENTS OF THE CODE 1. NURSES AND PEOPLE _The nurse’s primary professional responsibility is to people requiring nursing care. _In providing care, the nurse promotes an environment in which the human rights, values, customs, and spiritual beliefs of the individual, family, and community are respected. _The nurse ensures that the individual receives sufficient information on which to base consent for care and related treatment. _The nurse holds in confidence personal information and uses judgment in sharing the information. _The nurse shares with society the responsibility for initiating and supporting action to meet the health and social needs of the public, in particular those of vulnerable populations. _The nurse also shares the responsibility to sustain and protect the natural environment from depletion, pollution, degradation, and destruction. 2. NURSES AND PRACTICE _The nurse carries personal responsibility and accountability for nursing practice, and for maintaining competence by continual learning. _The nurse maintains a standard of personal health such that the ability to provide care is not compromised. _The nurse at all times maintains standards of personal conduct which reflect well on the profession and enhance public confidence. _The nurse, in providing care, ensures that the use of technology and scientific advances are compatible with the safety, dignity, and rights of people. 3. NURSES AND THE PROFESSION _The nurse assumes the major role in determining and implementing acceptable standards of clinical nursing practice, management, research, and education. _The nurse is active in developing a core of research-based professional knowledge. _The nurse, acting through the professional organization, participates in creating and maintaining safe, equitable social and economic working conditions in nursing. 4. NURSES AND CO-WORKERS _The nurse sustains a cooperative relationship with co-workers in nursing and other fields. _The nurse takes appropriate action to safeguard individuals, families, and communities when their health is endangered by a coworker or any other person. Concisely, nursing is a historic and selfless service professionals that provide care to the clients/patients be it at home, in the health facilities, or elsewhere. The main roles of a nurse are health promotion, health restoration, alleviation of suffering, and prevention of illness. God bless the Nursing profession. God bless Nurses. Nurses are great. We care God heal. Thank you. #HAPPY_INTERNATIONAL_NURSES_WEEK_MAY_2021_TO_ALL_NURSES_WORLDWID.

Nurse Abdullahi Musa, Sokoto state Nigeria. My contribution to commemorate 2021 International Nurses week Gmail: abdullaheemuser001@gmail