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D ow nloaded from w .com /nursing by B hD M f5eP H K av1zE oum 1tQ fN 4a+kJLhE ZgbsIH o4X M i0hC yw C X 1A W nY Q p/IlQ rH D 30z+H 3cjN B C m S cjS FM TN aS FA E crqL78srd7Y G qjcnC P E = on 06/09/2020 Downloadedfrom l Nursing2019 l Volume 49, Number 9 Student Voices A S NURSING becomes more complex, nurses are expected to have the most up-to-date knowledge and clinical skills for providing the best patient-centered care possible. Patients also expect nurses to be compassionate and to communicate effectively. In today’s healthcare environment, due to heavy work- loads and the continual integra- tion of technology into the nursing profession, the art of nursing seems to be slowly diminishing because nurses have less time to practice it.1 This article is intended to help nursing students understand why nursing is both an art and a science and discusses how to best balance the two.

Care, compassion, and communication The art of nursing refers to the highly valued qualities of care, compassion, and communication— three core principles guiding nursing practice.2 These principles encompass all aspects of patient care, including biopsychosocial needs, cultural preferences, and spiritual needs. One case study examined how patients in an inpatient hospital setting perceived compassion in nursing care.3 The authors con- firmed nursing care should focus on treating the patient with dignity, humanity, and respect. This includes demonstrating a caring attitude and treating patients as individuals. Nurses should practice effective communication (verbal and nonverbal) by actively listening to their patients’ needs, wants, and concerns and responding to them directly.

Nurses should be empathic and ask themselves, “How would I feel in my patient’s shoes?†Practic- ing the three C’s (care, compassion, and communication) promotes trust and increases overall patient satisfaction.3 Although all healthcare employees should be incorporating these quali- ties in the care of patients, it is espe- cially important for nurses because they are involved in direct patient care 24 hours a day. A patient’s hospi- tal experience depends primarily on the nurses he or she encounters. Patients are out of their element, in an unfamiliar environment, and do not know what to expect. As nurses, our responsibility is to provide emotional support as well as physical care. The qualities of care, compas- sion, and communication can be challenging to teach, and their effectiveness is sometimes dif- ficult to measure.

However, these qualities are often learned early in life through observation, life experience, demonstration, and role modeling, and they drive many people to pursue a nursing career. In addition, many nursing programs offer communication courses that incorporate the basic concepts of the art of nursing into the curriculum, and therapeutic communication is a test subject on the NCLEX-RN.4 In practice, utiliz- ing the core nursing principles of care, compassion, and communica- tion and applying them to everyday nursing care can increase patient satisfaction and enrich the patient- care experience.5 As healthcare continues to grow into a more customer service- based industry, the question remains as to whether exhibiting care, compassion, and effective communication should be equally weighted with the traditional clinical competencies that are required of nurses and nursing students.

Hospitals have attempt- ed to screen for these competen- cies by requiring potential employees to take preemployment screenings with therapeutic communication-based questions. Preemployment interviews are also a good time to screen for these important qualities. Continued annual education is another effective way to reinforce the significance of care, compas- sion, and communication. This can be achieved during initial hospital/ facility orientations and yearly with online continued education modules. Including simulation videos or examples of patients’ perceptions of nursing care may be beneficial for nurses to understand how the art of nursing can affect care and increase patient satisfac- tion.

In addition, annual competen- cies will help nurses who are experiencing compassion fatigue Blending the art and science of nursing BY HEATHER VEGA, RN, AND KRISTY HAYES, RN Nurses should practice effective communication (verbal and nonverbal) by actively listening to their patients’ needs, wants, and concerns and responding to them directly. September l Nursing2019 l 63 remember why they chose the nursing profession. The science of nursing Although all nurses should exhibit the qualities that are essential to the art of nursing, nursing interventions should be practical decisions based on evidence-based research and rigorous scientific inquiry. Accord- ing to the Academy of Medical- Surgical Nurses, evidence-based practice (EBP) is “a method that allows the practitioner to assess research, clinical guidelines, and other information resources based on high quality findings and apply the results to practice.â€6 EBP helps guide nursing care and is associated with better patient outcomes.

Examples of EBP include clinical practice guidelines to prevent central line-associated bloodstream infections and ventilator-associated pneumonia. Utilizing EBP in everyday nursing care improves patient outcomes and decreases healthcare-related costs.7 Nursing schools focus on the science of nursing and EBP when teaching students about clinical topics such as health disorders and management strategies. To maintain clinical competency, nurses must commit to continuous learning.2 Nurses need to develop and use critical thinking and clinical decision-making skills to incorporate new academic and scientific knowledge into every- day practice. Striking a balance For the 17th consecutive year, nurses were recently ranked as the most trusted professionals in a national survey.8 Although many factors contribute to this, the most satisfying comes back to the art of nursing.

Healthcare organizations should explore strategies that support nursing and enhance the patient experience. For example, as nurses are continually expected to do more with less time to do it, they can make the strong business case that hospitals hire extra concierge or liaison staff to perform nonnurs- ing duties, such as providing blan- kets and keeping patients informed about time frames for procedures. Some hospitals are already utilizing concierge or liaison support staff in certain areas of the hospital, and studies have shown that having this type of role can decrease anxi- ety and increase patient and family satisfaction.9,10 In lieu of hiring extra staff for these duties, engaged volunteers or preprofessional stu- dents seeking general experience in the healthcare setting may also be considered.

As the nursing profession continues to grow more complex, it is important for nurses to do all they can to unburden themselves from extra or unnecessary duties on the unit. This initiative may include working with IT to make the electronic health record less burdensome by removing fields that have low utility or by streamlining care processes on nursing units. Though small, these improvements can provide extra time for the nurse to practice the 3 C’s of the art of nursing. Our responsibility as nurses is to provide the best patient care possible. Patients and families expect nurses who care for them to be both knowledgeable and com- passionate.

When nurses can combine their technical skills and clinical knowledge with compassion and sensitivity, patients receive optimum care. Mastering the powerful combina- tion of the art and the science of nursing comes with time and experience. As nurses, we should strive every day to intentionally incorporate both art and science into patient care to produce the best possible outcomes. â– REFERENCES 1. Nash BA. Maintaining the art of nursing in an age of technology.

Ohio Nurses Rev. 2014;89(6):12-13. 2. Palos GR. Care, compassion, and communication in professional nursing: art, science, or both.

Clin J Oncol Nurs. 2014;18(2):. 3. Bramley L, Matiti M. How does it really feel to be in my shoes?

Patients’ experiences of compassion within nursing care and their perceptions of developing compassionate nurses. J Clin Nurs. 2014;):. 4. National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

2013 NCLEX-RN® Test Plan. 2013. org/2013_NCLEX_RN_Test_Plan.pdf. 5. Bloomfi eld J, Pegram A. Care, compassion and communication.

Nurs Stand. 2015;29(25):45-50. 6. Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses. Evidence- based practice.

2018. resources/evidence-based-practice. 7. NursingCenter.com. Translating evidence into clinical practice. basedpracticenetwork/home/tools-resources/ collections/translatingevidenceintoclinicalpractice. aspx. 8.

Brenan M. Nurses again outpace other professions for honesty, ethics. Gallup. 2018. com/poll/245597/nurses-again-outpace-professions- honesty-ethics.aspx. 9.

Herd HA, Rieben MA. Establishing the surgical nurse liaison role to improve patient and family member communication. AORN J. 2014;99(5):. 10.

Tabanejad Z, Pazokian M, Ebadi A. A systematic review of the liaison nurse role on patient’s outcomes after intensive care unit discharge. Int J Community Based Nurs Midwifery. 2014;2(4):. Heather Vega is a SICU RN at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., and Kristy Hayes is an RN at West Tennessee Healthcare in Jackson, Tenn.

The authors are also BSN students at the University of Tennessee at Martin in Martin, Tenn. The authors have disclosed no fi nancial relationships related to this article. DOI-10.1097/01.NURSE..54139.4e

Paper for above instructions

The Art and Science of Nursing: Balancing Compassion with Evidence-Based Practice
Nursing is a unique profession that blends both art and science. While the technical aspects of nursing are grounded in rigorous scientific inquiry, the interpersonal components—such as care, compassion, and communication—constitute the art of nursing. This essay explores how nurses can effectively balance these two elements to enhance patient-centered care, based on recent literature and resources available as of October 2023.
The Core Principles of Nursing: Care, Compassion, and Communication
The "art" of nursing encompasses the essential qualities of care, compassion, and effective communication. These attributes are crucial as they not only fulfill the biopsychosocial needs of patients but also cater to their cultural and spiritual preferences (Vega & Hayes, 2019). A case study highlighted that patients perceive compassion in nursing care as a fundamental aspect of their hospital experience. They expect nurses to treat them with dignity and humanity, underscoring the importance of emotional support alongside physical care (Bramley & Matiti, 2014).
Evidence suggests that when nurses exhibit empathy and actively listen, it fosters trust and enhances overall patient satisfaction (Palos, 2014). For instance, utilizing the “three Cs” (care, compassion, and communication) in nursing practice can significantly impact the quality of care provided in healthcare settings (Bloomfield & Pegram, 2015). Moreover, as front-line providers of care, nurses are pivotal in shaping patients' experiences during unfamiliar and often distressing circumstances (Vega & Hayes, 2019).
Despite the importance of these qualities, the ability to teach and measure compassion may present challenges. Nonetheless, nursing programs are beginning to incorporate courses on therapeutic communication which not only emphasize the art of nursing but also prepare future nurses for assessment tools like the NCLEX-RN, which includes interpersonal communication (National Council of State Boards of Nursing, 2013).
Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) as the Science of Nursing
Alongside the humanistic elements, the scientific foundation of nursing—evidence-based practice (EBP)—is paramount in guiding clinical interventions. EBP is defined as the method of integrating research findings and clinical guidelines into practice to yield better patient outcomes (Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses, 2018). Recent studies have shown that implementing EBP can significantly reduce the incidence of hospital-adquired infections, such as central line-associated bloodstream infections and ventilator-associated pneumonia (NursingCenter, n.d.).
Nursing education heavily emphasizes EBP through clinical practice guidelines. The focus on continuous learning empowers nurses to refine their critical thinking and decision-making skills, thus enabling them to stay abreast of emerging evidence and improve patient care (Vega & Hayes, 2019). As such, an effective nurse is not only skilled in technical tasks but also adept at interpreting and applying the latest research in clinical settings.
Striking a Balance between Art and Science
The recent push to intertwine both the art and science of nursing arises from the evolving demands of patient-centered care. A survey conducted by Gallup revealed that nurses are consistently regarded as the most trusted professionals, largely due to their ability to blend compassion with competency (Brenan, 2018). However, balancing these aspects can be challenging, particularly in a healthcare environment that demands efficiency due to heavy workloads and the increasing integration of technology.
Healthcare organizations are recognizing the need to devise strategies that alleviate nurses from extraneous duties, thereby allowing them more time to practice the art of nursing. Innovative roles—like nurse liaisons—have emerged to enhance communication with patients and families, reducing anxiety and improving satisfaction (Herd & Rieben, 2014). Additionally, hospitals can explore employing concierge or liaison staff to manage non-nursing duties, which would free up nurses to focus on patient care.
Moreover, engaging volunteers or pre-professional students to assist with basic patient needs can also help alleviate the burden on nursing staff. Such strategies aim to not only enhance the patient experience but also support nurses in practicing compassion amidst a demanding workload (Tabanejad, Pazokian, & Ebadi, 2014).
For nurses struggling with compassion fatigue, annual education and competency-based evaluations focused on communication and interpersonal care can serve as both reminders and motivators of their initial commitment to the nursing profession (Vega & Hayes, 2019). These educational initiatives can help professionals rediscover the significance of balancing the humanistic aspects of nursing with clinical competencies.
Conclusion
Nursing is rooted in both art and science, and achieving a harmonious balance between the two enhances patient care quality and outcomes. As healthcare organizations continue to evolve, the emphasis on compassionate care and effective communication is paramount. By integrating evidence-based practices within a framework of care and compassion, nurses can optimize their effectiveness and fulfill their ethical obligations to patients. Ultimately, the art and science of nursing are interdependent, and relentless efforts should be made to ensure that nurses maintain their humanity in an increasingly complex and technology-driven environment.
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References
1. Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses. (2018). Evidence-based practice. Retrieved from resources/evidence-based-practice.
2. Brenan, M. (2018). Nurses again outpace other professions for honesty, ethics. Gallup. Retrieved from com/poll/245597/nurses-again-outpace-professions-honesty-ethics.aspx.
3. Bloomfield, J., & Pegram, A. (2015). Care, compassion, and communication. Nursing Standard, 29(25), 45-50.
4. Bramley, L., & Matiti, M. (2014). Patients’ experiences of compassion within nursing care and their perceptions of developing compassionate nurses. Journal of Clinical Nursing.
5. Herd, H.A., & Rieben, M.A. (2014). Establishing the surgical nurse liaison role to improve patient and family member communication. AORN Journal, 99(5).
6. National Council of State Boards of Nursing. (2013). 2013 NCLEX-RN® Test Plan.
7. Nash, B.A. (2014). Maintaining the art of nursing in an age of technology. Ohio Nurses Review, 89(6), 12-13.
8. Palos, G.R. (2014). Care, compassion, and communication in professional nursing: art, science, or both. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 18(2).
9. Tabanejad, Z., Pazokian, M., & Ebadi, A. (2014). A systematic review of the liaison nurse role on patient’s outcomes after intensive care unit discharge. International Journal of Community Based Nursing and Midwifery, 2(4).
10. NursingCenter.com. Translating evidence into clinical practice. Retrieved from home/tools-resources/collections/translating-evidence-into-clinical-practice.aspx.