Importance of the Study of Nursing as a Discipline

Running Head; NURSING 1
Importance of the Study of Nursing as a Discipline
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

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YOUR ADDRESS
DATE
RECIPIENT ADDRESS
SALUTATION,
I am a student in campus studying nursing. This letter addresses the question on why
it is important to study nursing as a discipline. Nursing is not only a profession but also a
discipline. Nurses are important people in the society today who play various key roles in the
health sector. In a report by Jacksonville University (2018), the roles of nurses include
indorsing health, thwarting disease and assisting patients cope with sickness. Nurses
not only educate patients on health, but also families and even communities. On arrival at the
hospital, it is the nurses who assess and record patients’ symptoms. I view nurses as the most
crucial people in the medical field due to their roles .As I study nursing as a discipline , I am
more and more inclined to believe that there is a need for nursing to be distinguished clearly
from other medical fields. Nursing is a large field which keeps advancing. There is great need
therefore, for the nurses to specialise in the field.
A discipline can be described as a field of study with an exclusive viewpoint that
silhouettes the nature and scope of survey of the field thus leading to specialisation (Parker &
Smith 2010). This definition is similar to that of Donaldson and Crowley (1978).The key
words in the definition by the two groups being ‘unique perspective’ .There are four main
concepts of the discipline of nursing (Fawcette, 1984). These are the concepts of patient,
setting, health and nursing (Fawcett, 1984).This is still used by current scholars (Bender,
2018). Environment is the surroundings affecting the patient. According to this concept,
modification of the environmental factors can improve a patient's health status. The patient is
empowered to manage his health and wellbeing. The health outcomes depend on a patient's

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spiritual, social and health care needs. These are the basis of the nursing theories. The study
of the discipline of nursing helps the students, I included, to find the areas necessary for
nursing practice.
The view of nursing has changed towards the positive over the years. Initially, nursing
was viewed as ‘women's work’s’ resulting to poor status linked with nursing (Brennan,
2005). Brennan (2005) further argues that the common belief about nursing was that nursing
was ‘primary attached to perceived virtues of duty and vocation’ .In my opinion, this gives
the view that most of the nurses were not committed to what they were doing as an act of
showing compassion but as a commitment to the virtues
The discipline of nursing provides a deeper understanding of the profession. Well
educated nurses facilitate better patient outcome. As I study further I continue to be equipped
with skills that will help me care for the patient in a better manner. This discipline helps
nurses to improve themselves. Initially, nursing was only viewed as an art of caring.
However, it has advanced and now it includes mathematical formulas as well (Kalofissudis,
2018).This is useful in predicting future nursing patterns. There are a lot of research carried
out in this discipline. The research aid in identifying the areas which should be changed to
ensure that the nursing patterns improve.
There are various factors which have an impact on nursing that are reviewed when
studying it as a discipline. The socio-cultural, historical, technological, economic and
political factors. The understanding of these factors are necessary for better service delivery
by nurses. An individual’s everyday practices such as hygiene routine and behaviour like
aggressiveness or depression have an influence on his or her health. The view of society also
has a great influence on health. Some are affected positively while others negatively. For
example years back The HIV patients were discriminated and this led to stigmatisation. This
impact negatively on the patient since he will keep feeling low. The understanding of these