NURS 1543 Essay: Knowledge, Skills, Values & Professional Nursing Care

This essay discusses the fundamental principles of nursing care, focusing on the importance of skills, values, and professional responsibility in delivering effective patient care. It delves into the significance of personal hygiene assistance, ethical considerations, and the role of communication in building therapeutic relationships. The essay explores key nursing theories, such as Florence Nightingale's environmental theory and Jean Watson's human caring theory, emphasizing the creation of a comfortable and safe environment for patients. It highlights essential nursing skills like communication, compassion, and critical thinking, alongside core values such as justice and respect for patient rights. Furthermore, the essay examines the 6Cs of nursing and the NMC codes of conduct, underscoring the commitment and accountability required of nursing professionals in safeguarding patient well-being. The discussion is contextualized within the framework of the NURS 1543 course, aiming to demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge, skills, and professional responsibilities that underpin nursing practice.

Running head: NURSING CARE ESSAY
Nursing care essay
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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Introduction:
On the contrary, there also is an assortment of different care principles, theories and
models to aid the nurse’s design and implement optimal care plans for the patients. The models
along with practice frameworks and legislations act as guidance milestones for nurses to progress
successfully in the journey of developing apt and effective care programs for the patients (Burton
and Ludwig 2014). One of the most challenging aspects of nursing care is providing supportive
assistance in personal hygiene and self-care activities for the acutely ill or disabled patients
(Dempsey, Hillege and Hill 2014).
Personal hygiene is a very important aspect of assistive care and the nurses have to
adhere to a variety of different ethical, legal and professional regulations while providing
personal hygiene oriented care to the patients. The impact of effective communication,
fundamental principles of nursing, ethical aspects, consent and dignity plays a huge role in the
care planning and implementation. Similarly, the personal hygiene assistance also is a sector of
care delivery which is associated with many professional and ethical dilemmas. This essay will
attempt to discuss the nursing care involving certain personal hygiene activities for the
mentioned target patient groups, how to implement such care plans and challenges that may
represent taking the assistance of nursing care theories, principles and NMC codes.
Fundamentals of caring:
Nursing care or caring can be defined as the noble work of providing assistance and
support to the sick and ailing. The aspect of the caring is not just limited to clinical care, in most
cases it also involves emotional, psychological and even social support for the patients (Yoost

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and Crawford 2015). The very first theory of nursing care underpins the value of behaviour and
nature of the caring approach and how it might impact the patient groups that are availing the
Care. The pioneer of nursing theories is Florence Nightingale and her theory of nursing care
discusses the impact of physical environment on the care experience of the patients (Alligood
2017). It has to be highlighted that this theory postulates that physical environment has a huge
deliberating impact on not just the care effectiveness but also on the patient perception, aiding
the process of recovery undeniably. The theory states that it is crucially important for the
physical environment in the care setting to be warm, comforting, compassionate and secure for
the patient to feel safe and sound (McKenna, Pajnkihar and Murphy 2014). The physical
environment helps the patients entrust their carers and also helps in better therapeutic
engagement building between the nurse and the patients. Hence, from the theory it can be
inferred that nurses have a fundamental responsibility for ensuring a comfortable and safe
environment for the patients and cater to their needs so that the patients can feel secure and
valued, which in turn will benefit the care outcomes by strengthening therapeutic interaction
between the patients and the health care facility and will also accelerate the process of recovery
(Choi 2014).
Another important theory that deals with nursing care principles in the fundamentals of
caring is the human caring theory by Jean Watson (Alligood 2017). This particular theory deals
with a few fundamental aspects of nursing care with each and every in those practicing in the
clinical setting must understand and adhere to. First and foremost, the human caring theory
emphasizes on building a caring relationship between the nurse and the patient of the nurses Are
caring for. This care relationship corresponds to the present day integral concept of healthcare,
therapeutic relationship or engagement (Seo and Park 2014). The nurses must emphasize on

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establishing a. Strong and mutually respectful bond with the patients so that the patients feel
comfortable. Along with that, this theory also encourages the nurses to treat the patients as
holistic beings, with respect for their identity and dignity along with uninterrupted acceptance for
their personal choices and preferences (Darnell and Hickson 2015).
The third most important fundamental of nursing care is communication or interpersonal
interaction. There are various theories that underpin the crucial importance of effective
interpersonal interaction between the nurses and the patients so that the nursing care can be
provided without any hazards or interruptions. Effective interpersonal communication is also
fundamental for developing a strong therapeutic connection or relationship. In this case the
importance of both verbal and nonverbal communication cues is critical. Assistance by Suresh
(2014) the impact of specific normal communication such as Eye contact, gesture, posture, tone
of voice, and even choice of words can play a pivotal role in deciding the nature of the
therapeutic introduction of relationship that the patient is equal to develop with the nursing
professional. along with that it is very important for there to be effective communication
between the nurse and the patient so that the patient can freely express their views wishes
preferences and grievances with their nursing care professional in order to streamline the care
provided to be optimal and personalized to the utmost manner (Taylor, Lynn and Bartlett 2018).
Last but not the least another very important fundamental aspect of nursing care is
cultural appropriateness or cultural safety. It has been mentioned in this context that nurses have
to cater to the care needs of a variety of patient groups and ethnic minorities or cultural diversity
is a very common challenge that often puts the nursing care provided to the patient at risk of not
addressing the exact Care need that is expressed by the patients. The lack of cultural safety or
cultural appropriateness is another very important contributing factor to reduced help seeking

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behaviour among various ethnic patient groups. Hence, communication is also a very important
key aspect of nursing care which can be considered a fundamental component (Sowan and Idhail
2014).
Skills and values:
Alike any other profession in Healthcare nursing is also profession that established on set
of values and extensive skill set. As discussed by Wilkinson et al. (2016) nurses are the main
circuit writer of the day delivery scenario that are associated directly with delivery patient care
and understanding the patient needs so that there can be designed around the needs for the
particular patients in a format of patient centred care. In order to facilitate this procedure the
nurses have to acquire assortment of specific skills. The first and foremost scale is
communication oriented why the nurses have to obtain expertise over both verbal and nonverbal
communication skills so that they can understand the patient needs accurately and urgently.
Interpersonal communication skills are fundamental requirement of a nurse so that they not just
can understand patient need but also can effectively really the information about the changing
care needs of the patient with the rest of the multidisciplinary healthcare teams (Burton and
Ludwig 2014).
The second most important nursing skill required by the nurses for the commencement of
proper care is the compassionate care approach. It has to be highlighted that compassion and
empathy are crucial aspects of nursing care, and it is very important for the nurses to have
expertise over aligning compassion and empathy in their caring approach. A discussion on
nursing skills cannot be complete without mentioning the key trait of critical analytical thinking
and decision making. In the profession of nursing critical thinking and decision making is the
fundamental principle which allows the nurses to take swift and safe decisions on care activities

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to address the care needs of the patients effectively. Hence, critical thinking and swift decision
making is a very important component of health care scenario at all circumstances (Yoost and
Crawford 2015).
Discussing the importance of values in nursing care, justice, rights and responsibilities
and compassion needs to be highlighted. Caring for a sick individual go through the difficult
process of life is sought with many challenges. In every front, there is a variety of different
aspects associated with providing assistive care. Hence, it is crucial for the nurses to integrate the
aspects of compassion or empathy in the care approaches. Similarly, justice is also very
important to instil a sense of accountability in the nurses. The rights of the patients are also the
responsibility of the nurses to safeguard and address. Hence, it is very important for nurses to
acknowledge their responsibility of safeguarding the values of patients and act on it to protect
their rights (Park and Han 2015).
6cs of caring and NMC codes:
Out of many models and frameworks that has been abundantly followed in nursing care is
the 6Cs of nursing. It represents 6 different components of nursing care which has intricate
Association with the patient care planning and implementation. First component is Care, which
is the most fundamental aspect of caring. Care represents the overall program of care provided to
the patient, involving diagnosis, care and lived experience of the patients (Clarke 2014). The
compassion is the second component of model and represents the most important ethical legal
aspect of caring. this particular component is based on the relationship established by the
nursing professional with the patient on the basis of empathy, respect and dignity. The third
component is competence, which on the other hand represents the skills, knowledge and
expertise that the nurses must have and can implement to enhance the quality of care. The fourth

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element is communication, another central element of nursing care and developing successful
and meaningful relationship with the patients as well. The third component of the sixties of
caring is courage which represents the accountability and responsibility of the nurses to take the
right decision and protect the rights of the patient at all circumstances. Courage is also needed
for the nursing care individuals to ensure that their patients are being prioritised at all costs and
their personal choices and preferences are being upheld and respected in all circumstances and
care environment (Myers 2018). The last component of the 6 C's of carrying is
commitment, commitment represents the responsibility of the nurses and their dedication to their
profession of providing care and support to the sick and ailing. It has been mentioned that nurses
are in the position to safeguard the safety and well-being of the patients of similarly a single
mistake or casual netizens can also result in detrimental consequences for the patients affecting
their physical psychosocial or emotional health. hence it is crucial for the nurses to acknowledge
the gravity of their profession and the consequences their own care approach or behaviour can
have on innocent patients which is why commitment is crucial aspect of nursing profession
(Clarke 2014).
NMC or the nursing and midwifery Council of UK represents one of the most important
authority in the nursing field which provides professional standards and code of conduct for the
nurses that serves as practice guidelines for the nurses to follow in order to provide season
effective key to the patients all the while adhering to all the legal ethical and legislative elements
of nursing practice in UK (Nmc.org.uk 2019). There are 25 revised codes to guide the nurses
through the exact course of action there need to follow in any consideration while prospecting
the dignity of the patient and safeguarding all the patient rights. a few most notable quotes that
help the nurses make the right decision include prioritising people or patients, active listening to

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the demands in which is expressed by the patients and their family members, meeting the
physical social and psychological needs of the patients, protecting the confidentiality and
privacy of the patients in protecting the best interest of the patient at all circumstances,
implementing evidence based practice, engaging in clear effective communication and
therapeutic engagement (Nmc.org.uk 2019). Similarly, CQC provides various schemes and
organized acre services for people with personal hygiene assistance need and the Decision tree
for 'personal care' serves as a key guidance framework for nurses providing personal care
(Cqc.org.uk 2019). Similarly, NICE and NHS recommendations are also key requirements for
nurses providing self-care assistance, that focuses on not just critical assessments and techniques
for providing scientific care, but also emphasizes on the need for compassionate and ethical
aspect of care such as maintaining dignity, respect and addressing the patient rights of informed
consent (Nhs.uk 2019).
Personal hygiene and nursing care:
All of the above-mentioned aspects related exceptionally well with all nursing care
scenarios. Although, my specialty area in this scenario is personal hygiene maintenance and self-
care assistance. Personal hygiene refers to all the self-care aspects such as bathing, brushing,
clothing, eating and cleaning oneself. Now personal hygiene-oriented assistance is required by
patients that are terminally ill, going through an acute illness or is coping with a disability or
mobility restriction. it has to be mentioned in this context that being able to perform self-care is
one of the most fundamental aspects of human life and often the inability to perform these
rudimental activities hurt personal respect or dignity as well (Freedman and Spillman 2014).
Personal hygiene assistance is associated with a heightened degree of dependence and loss of
empowerment, and often these inabilities manifest as psychological or behavioral outbursts such

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as agitation, irritation or even violence. In certain cases, withdrawal and dependence can also be
brought forth by the loss of independence. Hence the nursing care needs to address these
sensitive psychosocial aspects of personal hygiene and self-care assistance as well. compassion,
empathy, and most importantly empowerment is crucial for personal hygiene Care. Similarly,
proper communication, cultural safety and bonding or rapport with the patient is important to
ensure that the patient feels empowered even with the supportive assistance (McConnell and
Moroney 2015).
Patient care scenario:
A patient care scenario that involves personal hygiene can be considered here, where
personal hygiene assistance involved ethical consideration, proper effective communication,
emphasis on protecting the dignity and consent rights of the patient and a thorough care
planning. In this case, the patient was given the aid of skin baseline assessment during bed
bathing or bathing to ensure no risk of pressure injuries or other related concerns. Although,
along with the critical aspects of care, the importance of communication and protecting the
dignity of the patient is also needed to be discussed here. Communication is very important in all
aspects of planning care, even when conducting assessments or carrying out extensive care
activities such as bathing of bed bathing. Consent was taken before commencing with all the
activities which protects patient rights and dignity and also facilitates empowerment in the
patients. Communication was also shown to adhere to patient safety and provide patient centred
care, where the exact wishes and needs of the patient was addressed adequately. The NMC
codes, 6Cs of care and CQC guidelines was also adhered to effectively to design and implement
effective care.
Challenges of personal hygiene and supportive nursing:

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There are various challenges associated with personal hygiene care. The lack of response
or positive reception from the patient can be considered as one of the most important challenge
that nurses may encounter. In this case, the most important strategy is to ensure that the patient
obtains the most effective and comfortable environment. Drawing from Nightingale's theory of
nursing, physical environment has a deliberating impact on the psyche of the patient helping
them accept the change and work towards achieving the care goals. Similarly, compassionate
communication and rapport also helps in establishing a strong positive connection that might
ease the patient through the initial phase of withdrawal and lack of response (Feo and Kitson
2016). Similarly, lack of independence and the impact of the dependence can create a huge
burden on the patient's psyche leading to behavioral outbursts and complicate the care procedure.
The values of respect, empowerment and empathy can help in overcoming the resistance or
anger. Empowerment is implemented in providing the patient with a sense of control even when
the patient might require assistance to even move. Consent and shared decision making are two
fundamental strategies. It is crucial for the nurses to ask permission from the patient at all times,
starting from entering the room to giving a bed bath, consent will allow the patient's dignity to be
respected and withheld and will help them cooperate easily. Allowing to collaborate in their own
care also provides them control over their life and how it is commencing (McConnell and
Moroney 2015). The patients needing personal hygiene often experience a gripping grief at the
thought of not being able to control their own life or living at someone else's will. Allowing them
to have the ultimate decision-making power safeguards the dignity and control helping them not
lose hope or the will to live. According to the NMC codes of conduct, prioritizing the patients
and addressing the psychosocial needs along with physical needs is a crucial responsibility,
which only intensifies in case of personal hygiene patients (Nmc.org.uk 2019). Moreover,

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communication is key to maintaining safety and designing a patient centred care for patient, yet
for ethnically diverse patients, communication can be a critical issue. As per the NICE and NHS
recommendations, appointing culturally diverse carers for ethnically diverse patients is an
effective strategy. Although, there is undoubtedly a pressing need for ethnically diverse staff and
staff with proper cultural safety understanding. Hence, nurses need to be mindful regarding the
need for adhering to all the above-mentioned responsibilities while deciding nursing care for
patients with need of self-care assistance.
Conclusion:
On a concluding note, care for personal hygiene impaired patients can be very difficult.
There are a variety of different challenges which might complicate the process of care delivery
and affect the patient safety or welfare. This essay has successfully explored the nursing care
fundamentals, theories and models, and the essential skills and expertise required for providing
optimal care for patients. similarly, the essay could also clearly identify the different challenges
that patients with personal hygiene assistance make face while availing care assistance from the
nurses and how the nurses can implement the values principles skills and expertise along with
the knowledge of Nursing to provide a curative care planning for such patients to provide
assistance and yet uphold the dignity of the patient group at the same time effectively and
successfully.

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