The role of a nurse is essential, as nurses serve on the front lines of patient care and uphold the inherent dignity of each patient. What it means to be a nurse may be different for each RN, but nurses typically find it a meaningful line of work.
Becoming a nurse is a dream, an ambition and a calling for many students. A nursing career requires initiative and constant dedication, from the challenge of earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree to carrying out daily responsibilities and patient care as a registered nurse (RN). What it means to be a nurse may be a little different for every RN, but nurses generally agree that serving others is meaningful work.
At Marian University, our Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program infuses our nursing curriculum with Catholic values that teach servant leadership, nursing ethics and respect and dignity for all. Our ABSN students embrace nursing and patient care as a higher calling.
Nurses apply their drive to care every day in each patient interaction. The public values how nurses contribute to healthcare, which is why nurses have ranked as the most trusted profession in the U.S. for over two decades.
To more fully understand what it means to be a nurse, look at the role of nurses in the healthcare system. Explore how nurses care for patients and how they apply nursing values to effect positive change, both on individual patients and on the healthcare system.
The Vital Role of Nurses in Modern Healthcare
The role nurses fill within the healthcare system is crucial, especially with more people in need of care than ever. Nurses are a patient’s first point of contact to their care team, performing triage and assessments. Nurses also administer treatments while carefully monitoring patient status and coordinating the efforts of the rest of the care team.
Nurses work with a hands-on, holistic approach grounded in evidence-based practice. This is equally essential in the successful treatment of patients. Nurses spend more time with patients than is feasible for other care team members, so they often have a more complete picture of each patient’s condition. Nurses take a person’s range of needs into account, which helps build personal connections and rapport.
The nursing role complements other elements of patient care and ensures individuals receive the best care possible. At Marian University, our ABSN program focuses on providing a high level of compassionate care. Our students graduate prepared to step up as future nursing leaders, thanks to the instruction they receive in ABSN classes and firsthand experience during in-person nursing clinicals at Ascension St. Vincent in Indianapolis, Indiana, or Ascension Saint Thomas in Nashville, Tennessee.
Discover the important role that nurses play in their communities.
How Nurses Live Their Values Through Ethical Practice
Just as the instructors and administrators in Marian University’s 16-month ABSN program are driven to provide each student with the best nursing education possible in the academic sense, we are also dedicated to graduating practice-ready nurses with an emphasis on nursing values and ethics. Our Franciscan values align with the types of nurses we will always need more of: those who view nursing as a calling and are ready to transform lives, as well as society, through their care.
If you're thinking of nursing as a second career, here's what you'll need to know.
How Nurses Advocate for Patient Dignity and Autonomy
In reference to the holistic care that nurses deliver, respecting a patient’s dignity and seeing them on a human level is a crucial nursing value. As a nurse, you’ll care for people of all backgrounds and circumstances, which could differ radically from your own. Upholding the dignity inherent in each human life during each patient interaction can make a real impact on a patient’s recovery.
How Nurses Ensure Inclusive Care
Many days as a nurse can be challenging, and patients can sometimes be difficult to interact with. Despite the challenges, nurses are driven to provide the same high standard of care to everyone. Whether they’re pleasant or challenging, cooperative or not, every person deserves quality, compassionate treatment when ill.
As the frontline member of each patient’s care team, you are the face of the care they receive. Demonstrating compassion for all and never letting interactions affect the quality of care is one of the most necessary parts of the nursing profession.
See how Marian's ABSN program prepares you for your real-world career in nursing.
Understanding the Nursing Code of Ethics
As you begin to explore the intricacies of nursing and patient care in the ABSN program, you’ll also need to become familiar with the American Nurses Association’s (ANA) Code of Ethics for Nurses. This code sets the standard for ethical nursing practice. Some of the highlights of the code include the following provisions:
- Elimination of health inequities
- Respect for the inherent dignity, worth and unique attributes of everyone
- The advocacy of the rights, health and safety of patients
- Self-respect through integrity and professional competence
- Advancement of the profession as a whole
When you become a practicing nurse, and even sooner as a nursing student during clinicals, it is your responsibility to ensure that your actions and words uphold the ethical code.
Begin Your Nursing Journey at Marian University
What it means to be a nurse won’t be the same for every clinician, but every nurse needs to uphold a core set of nursing values. When you’re ready to begin your nursing journey as an ABSN student, Marian University is here to support you. You could complete your education in as few as 16 months and begin to experience the role of nurses firsthand after obtaining your nursing license.
Contact an admission advisor today and take the first step toward a new career as exciting as it is rewarding.