The Role of a Nurse as a Professional Practitioner

The Role of a Nurse as a Professional Practitioner 1
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IN NURSING
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The Role of a Nurse as a Professional Practitioner 2
Part 1
Insight from the Movie
The diagnosis of chronic illness is often a life changer for the patients. Patients may move from
denial to finally accepting their diagnosis. Chronic illnesses have symptoms or warning signs
which may move from being less severe to becoming more complicated. Dealing with such
symptoms can be a big deal as it may not be easy for patients to cope up with their changing
bodies. According to Curtis (2014), chronic illnesses bring about a lot of sadness and pain both
to the patient and their relations. There are so many emotional moments over the anticipated
death of a patient, since they all know that their imminent death is inevitable. The future of
patients becomes disoriented since chronic illnesses may force patients to alter their life and
career goals and every plan they make and for every dream they may have, the disease has to be
in the picture. Patients are unable to live normal lives because the illness makes them unable to
attend school or go to work. They thus need to be assisted to guarantee that the scholars
eventually complete school despite being terminally ill. With the diagnosis of chronic illnesses
relationships often change either positively or negatively (Kirk and Hinton 2019, p. 217). With
parents the bond may get stronger as they become closer to their sick children by holding their
hands all along the treatment regimes. For their peers, reactions may vary due to the fact that not
all of them comprehend the nature of chronic illnesses. New relationship is also established with
counselors, doctors and patients of a similar condition.
List of References
Curtis, R. (2014) ‘The influence of disease severity, perceived stress, social support and
coping in patients with chronic illness: a 1 year follow up’, Psychology, Health & Medicine,

The Role of a Nurse as a Professional Practitioner 3
9(4), pp. 456–475. Available at: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=s3h&AN=14991897&site=ehost-live (Accessed: 15 March 2019).
Irreplaceable You (2018) ‘Distributed by Netflix. Directed by Stephanie Laing. (Terminal
Cancer)
Kirk, S. and Hinton, D. (2019) ‘“I’m not what I used to be”: A qualitative study exploring
how young people experience being diagnosed with a chronic illness’, Child: Care, Health &
Development, 45(2), pp. 216–226. doi: 10.1111/cch.12638.

The Role of a Nurse as a Professional Practitioner 4
Themes from the Readings and the Movie
According to Kirk and Hinton (2019), Strategies that young people use to achieve a sense of
normality and peer acceptance may vary from patient to patient. A chronic illness often comes
with a changed and changeable body. Changes may vary from physical, emotional to severe
cases of mental health concerns. There is often endurance of a period of considerable uncertainty
before diagnosis. Patients need therefore to come to terms with the fact that there bodies would
not be normal again and may continue to experience changes. Unpredictability of their bodies is
also experienced with patients of chronic illnesses. Livneh and Martz (2014) also denote that the
knowledge of their changed bodies often brings about feelings of depression and sadness and to
far extents some patients feel suicidal. During remissions, patients actually appear to be hopeful,
however, when relapses occur, despair sets in. Peers take in the news of their friend having a
chronic disease differently. Some friends are very understanding and may resolve to help their
sick counterparts with school work, listening to them and offering a shoulder to cry on. However,
others do not seem to understand the concept of chronic illness at all and instead, bully the
victims. This often leads to an identity crisis and declining of the patients’ self-confidence. All
the patients’ need is to be accepted and they may still try to engage in activities and sports they
used to with their peers, so that they feel that they still fit in and nothing much has changed.
However, this may not be easy since their sick bodies my not permit involvement in certain
activities.
List of References

The Role of a Nurse as a Professional Practitioner 5
Kirk, S. and Hinton, D. (2019) ‘“I’m not what I used to be”: A qualitative study exploring
how young people experience being diagnosed with a chronic illness’, Child: Care, Health &
Development, 45(2), pp. 216–226. doi: 10.1111/cch.12638.
Livneh, H. and Martz, E. (2014) ‘Coping strategies and resources as predictors of
psychosocial adaptation among people with spinal cord injury’, Rehabilitation Psychology,
59(3), pp. 329–339. doi: 10.1037/a0036733.

The Role of a Nurse as a Professional Practitioner 6
Insight Gained from the Movie in Relation to the Illness Experience
The illness experience may be tough, sad and very involving for both the patients and their close
relations (Stanton, Revenson, and Tennen 2010). It is worth mentioning that for sure, illnesses
can lead to depression, shock and distress. Patients who once looked forward to life and a great
future become disoriented and unsure of their future. Diagnosis of a chronic illness is usually
very shocking and the life of the patient changes at that instant. Patients may have mixed
reactions to the diagnosis. Others may appreciate the fact that their illnesses have been identified
and there is actually hope of being treated. Whereas, others may live in denial and question why
it has to be them with that ill-fated diagnosis, Hurt, Cleanthous, and Newman (2017) denote that
it is actually not as easy as people try to make it seem to deal with illnesses, especially the
terminal ones. Life is kind of turned upside down for patients with such fatal illnesses since their
life and career goals change with the onset of illness. Although people may try to be reassuring
to such victims, and also treats them better with kindness, Stanhope and Henwood (2014) denote
that impact is often minimal. This is because at the end of the day, the victims know that their
imminent death is inevitable. Other patients may consider ending their life so that they won’t
have to live with the illness. Most of the time, the patients try to focus on living even though they
are steadily approaching their death beds. Such patients need professional emotional support and
constant reassurance so as not to worsen the intensity of mental health concerns.
List of References
Hurt, C. S., Cleanthous, S. and Newman, S. P. (2017) ‘Further explorations of illness
uncertainty: carers’ experiences of Parkinson’s disease’, Psychology & Health, 32(5), pp.