Introduction:
This concept aims to provide a conceptual framework and
to present reflections on the meaning of human senses, as well as their
relevance as a phenomenon present in nursing practice. Not like the human
senses in general this conceptual framework describes the distinctive
characteristics of these human senses possessed by the nurse. It is quite
different because of the special functions of being a nurse. It stresses the
indispensable quality of the senses that determines the uniqueness of a nurse
and what a nurse define of.
The importance of this conceptual framework is to
understand and be aware of the quality we have and we ought to possess through
the use of our human senses. To make it grow and fonder, just like a diamond
from rough structure to its shiny, shimmering, sparkle image… are made under
fire and pressure.
The
senses are vital to the human being and essential for life and provide
interaction with nature and living. Our senses have amazing functions and
purpose, incredibly complex, highly productive that should be treated with the
outmost care.
Terminology:
Essence
- the intrinsic nature on indispensable quality of something, that determines
its character.
- The
ultimate nature or quality that makes a thing what it is.
Nursing
– it is a profession and a calling of nurturing which includes the promotion of
health, prevention of illness and treatment process
- is the protection, promotion and
optimization of health and abilities, prevention and illness and injury,
allegation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response
and advocacy in the care of individuals, families and communities and
population - ANA, 2015`
Senses
– the five natural powers (touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing) through
which you receive information about the world around you. (Meriam Webster)
-
Consist of organs with specialized
cellular structures that have receptions for specific stimuli linking to the
nervous system and thus to the brain.
-
A person’s body function integrated into
sensations in the nervous system and interpreted by the brain to receive
information to understand and be aware of provide data for perception.
Conceptual
Framework
This conceptual framework shows the five
human senses, as the basic yet the strongest tool that a nurse must use to
perform on duties and responsibilities to nurture and give quality care as our
major role in nursing.
Our five human senses are sight, hearing,
touch, smell and taste. These are our connection to the outside world. They
send message to our brain, which intercepts the messages and perceives what is
around us creating a life experiences. This concept is used to bring together
insights drawn from philosophy, physiology and science.
This conceptual framework shows that the
five human senses are related and connected with each other. We nurses, as
human, have five senses that play a dominating role in our profession and
practice. It is important for nurses to raise their perception and sensory data
in clinical settings to utilize the full spectrum of their human senses. These
are significant in our practice when properly used and developed.
Their conceptual framework shows
foundations into four segments that support the five human senses of the nurse
to make it stronger and for the improvement to be effective as the clinical
settings required to. The basic foundation is the knowledge from basic
education to advance on obtaining a degree in nursing, attending trainings,
acquiring certifications and making research. Then the next foundation to step
up is to apply your knowledge into practice. We become better nurse through
practice and experience. Self-awareness in a deeper level identify own
weaknesses and strength is the next step to do. Be aware of the belief system
that we have. Enrich it with positive and good things. Heal yourself with the
things that stopping you. Move forward. Making your personalities stronger and develop
a good leadership skills. Lastly, is to form a good character that the nurse
must have. A character with dignity, vision and philosophy…. To live a life of
excellence, where commitment not circumstances, dictates the outcome. Taking
full responsibility to what you have created in your life.
Importance of Nurse’s Senses in the
Practice
Therapeutic
use of self (Therapeutic Communication; NPI)
Therapeutic use of self is the ability to
use of one’s personality consciously and in full awareness in an attempt to
establish relatedness and to structure nursing intervention. One way is through
therapeutic communication and establishing nurse- patient interaction
therapeutic communication is a face – to – face process of interaction to
provide support and information to clients. Listening requires hearing and
sight. To listen actively is to be attentive to what the client is saying, both
verbally and non-verbally. Good eye contact is to established to see and
understand the verbal and non-verbal messages. Making observations and giving
recognition by telling the client ‘’ I notice that you’ve embed your hair!” is
an example of therapeutic communication technique using sense of sight. Touch,
when appropriately use, particularly important and can provide the therapeutic relationship
to achieve trust and support of physical and emotional needs. Therapeutic
communication is used in nurse – patient interaction. It has a major influence
in the patient care experience and should be vigilantly considered
Nursing
Process (Nursing Care Plan from assessment to evaluation)
Nursing process is the essential core of practice to
deliver holistic patient-focused care. Assessment is a systematic and dynamic
way to collect and analyze data about a client observation is the one of best
method for assessment associated with human senses to collect information and
clinical findings. The success of nursing care, from assessment to evaluation,
depends a great deal on and accurate observation for data collection, nursing
care plan is not possible. Nurse must have a clinical eye. It is the ability to
see through and read deeper meaning in thoughts, feelings and actions beyond
what meets the eye. Using the clinical eye, you will able to see and observe
the clients condition, emotion through facial expressions, non – verbal
messages, pain, and behaviors. In getting the vital signs, you mainly need the
sense of touch for pulse rate; sense of hearing for respiratory rate and heart
rate; or combination of the human senses of smell. Maintaining a good
environment by putting fresh flowers of free from bad odor is a way to support
health and relaxation, to ease the pain and suffering or to promote safe and
comfortable environment in a small creative way. These are some example of
importance of the human senses used in our practice and how it appears our
clients and way to providing care.
All human senses are important to properly use for
obtaining accurate data for proper diagnosis so that we can formulate a right
and directed good leading to proper implementation and evaluation. We aim to
make as effective nursing care plan which is patient-centered, helping to
ensure that our patients’ health problems and responses are the focus of care and
properly addressed
Therapeutic
Activities
Therapeutic activities such as health
education, circle meeting, remotivation, occupational or vocational activities,
counseling, self-care, exercise and more, help the client to reestablish
constructive self-attitudes and restore self-confidence and a sense of
security. Monitoring client’s behavior and attitude is very important to assess
the effectiveness of these therapeutic activities given. Empathy is putting
yourself in their situation makes you further understand thus leading you to
give more concerns and importance to each of every client we handled. Touch is
very important. Good eye contact makes our client feels that we are sincere.
4 Ways to Improve Nurse’s Senses
1. Enhancing Knowledge
Registered nurses who seek additional
education and obtain a masters or doctoral degree can become advanced practice
nurses in the specialty. It is essential for proper development of professional
competencies and skills to provide exceptional nursing care. Thus, it is a
grave importance that nurses are well-equipped with knowledge in order to avoid
incorrect practice which can lead to behaviors or decisions that can
potentially endanger a patient’s health. Remember, that we handle lives, not
just paper that when we write something wrong we can easily edit or erase it
with an eraser.
2. Putting into Practice
Experience is the best teacher. Value
experience and find them as fulfilling to the role “as a nurse”, the most
trusted person in patient’s life, when struggle between life and death, pain
and suffering or in sickness or in health.
3. Development of Personality and
Leadership Skills
Self-awareness in a deeper level
identify own weaknesses and strength is the next step to do. Be aware of the
belief system that we have. Enrich it with positive and good things. Heal
yourself with the things that stopping you. Move forward. Making your
personalities stronger and develop a good leadership skills.
4. Forming A Character
Lastly, is to form a good character that the nurse
must have. A character with dignity, vision and philosophy…. To live a life of
excellence, where commitment not circumstances, dictates the outcome. Taking full
responsibility to what you have created in your life.
Conclusion:
The
author conclude that a comprehensive use of senses will contribute to human
care, especially in assessment, nursing diagnosis, providing quality care,
establishing therapeutic activities, and implementation of our nursing
functions. In our generation today, technology has been increasingly complex,
transforming the way of nursing care with the use of robots, equipments,
monitoring devices and machines. But nothing will compare with the human. A
human with senses and feelings and emotion…. A human with a Brain and a Heart.
Before extensive application of technology, nurses relied on their senses to
monitor patient’s status and provide care. Always remember, the best tool of
nurses are their own senses.
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