Group 9: Buerano, Emradura, Santamena Community Health Nursing

BSN 3C Reporting

Qualities and Values of a Community Health Nurse

Qualities of a Community Health Nurse

1. Good Leadership
a. Effective leadership enables followers to succeed. It sets direction, builds a
vision, and adapts as circumstances require. Leadership is about mapping out
where you need to go to "win" as a team or an organization. It's dynamic, exciting
and inspiring.
2. Effective Communicator
a. An effective communicator is someone who conveys their message thoroughly
and is receptive and responsive to others' input. Those who are strong
communicators speak in a clear, direct manner, using easily understood
language.
3. Observant
a. pays a lot of attention to things and notices more about them than most people
do. Improving your observation skills allows you to “listen” with more than just
your ears and make better decisions.
4. Resourceful
a. A resourceful person is one that is able to quickly adapt to new or different
situations, is able to find solutions, think creatively and sometimes manage with
what they have available to them. It helps you to be prepared to problem-solve in
the moment and to turn challenges into advantages. It is about optimizing what
you have to work with.
5. Even-Tempered
a. Not getting visibly angry or upset with patients is important no matter how difficult
the day has been. Healthcare is an emotionally demanding industry, and each
day brings highs of joy and lows of sadness. Nurses must be able to manage
their responses to difficult situations in order to solve problems and concentrate
on their patients’ health and safety.
6. Empathetic
a. Empathy can be shown to patients in many ways. Nurses can listen to
patient concerns without interrupting or questioning what patients think
might be causing their illness. Empathy can be as simple as being told
what to expect during a treatment process. The way most healthcare
professionals develop empathy for patients is by imagining what they
would want if the roles were reversed
7. Detail-Oriented
a. A successful nurse pays close attention to detail. From keeping medical
records to developing a care plan, a nurse must avoid making errors at all
costs. In this field, mistakes can have severe consequences. For this
reason, successful nurses pay special attention to detail and are thorough
in completing their work.
8. Hardworking
a. One of the qualities of good nurses is willingness to put in the hard work it
takes to meet their goals. At times, lengthy shifts spent on one’s feet make
this career physically demanding. Yet, fueled by their passion and desire
to help others, exceptional nurses put in the necessary effort
9. Knowledgeable
 a. Nurses must possess extensive knowledge to care effectively for their
patients, they must have the skills to apply healthcare theories in real-life
situations.
10. Critical Thinker
a. Nursing requires strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Specifically,
strong critical thinking skills are necessary to put together pieces of
information that may seem unrelated (such as medications for different
conditions) and draw rational conclusions. Nurses may have to think
quickly under pressure to troubleshoot patient needs

Values of a Community Health Nurse

1. Altruism
a. The AACN (2008), defined altruism as "a concern for the welfare and well being
of others." Altruism is putting someone else's needs first; and at its core, is both
nurturing and selfless. Ideally, altruism is one of the five core professional values
that all nursing students and nurses should exemplify, because it is believed to
contribute to ethical decision making while caring for patients. While most nurses
enter the profession with altruistic ideals, it does not always translate as easily
into practice. Altruism requires that Community Health Nurses put the needs of
their patients before their own needs, which can be difficult at times. Altruism is
the backbone of patient-centered care because it requires that the patient be
ever present in the mind of the nurse, especially in the community setting where
she does not care for one person at at a time, he/she could also care for one
family at a given time like in home visits, etc. A nurse who shows understanding
of the cultures, viewpoints, and beliefs of others exemplifies the value of altruism
in thoughtful contemplation that will result in altruistic action. A nurse who
advocates for patients' rights, and in particular the most vulnerable populations,
such as the very young or the mentally ill, is displaying altruism. Ultimately, an
altruistic nurse will take risks on behalf of patients and coworkers without regard
to self.

2. Autonomy
a. is a unique concept that can be applied to nursing in two ways. For example,
autonomy according to the AACN (2008), is defined as "the right to
self-determination". In essence, this is the right that patients have to make their
own decisions. However, autonomy also refers to nurses acting independently
within their scope of practice. While somewhat different, both of these versions of
autonomy are beneficial to patients. Undoubtedly, the person who should
ultimately make decisions regarding the patient's care is the patient. This is true
even when a decision made by a competent patient is not one that the healthcare
providers believe is in a patient's best interest. As advocates, nurses are uniquely
positioned to protect and promote patient autonomy.
3. Human dignity
a. it is defined as "having respect for the inherent worth and uniqueness of
individuals, families, and communities and it characterizes all interactions a nurse
should have with them". While the definition for human dignity is simple enough
to understand, the concept is far more difficult to put into practice. The healthcare
setting is, at its core, made up of patients who are at their most vulnerable
because of illness or injury. It is when people are most vulnerable that they find
themselves in situations that might have an impact on their sense of dignity. In
order for a nurse to respect the dignity of patients, it is imperative that the
Community Health Nurse first see patients as individuals with unique needs and
desires. In essence, when nurses decide to value human dignity, they will be
 practicing altruism and promoting the autonomy of patients. In order to exemplify
or promote all other professional values nurses must first recognize the
importance and uniqueness of each individual patient within society.
b.
4. Integrity
a. The AACN (2008) explained that integrity in nursing “refers to nurses acting in
accordance with an appropriate code of ethics and accepted standards of
practice”. Therefore, as with all of the other values, integrity is intrinsically
linked to the ANA’s (2015) Code of Ethics with Interpretative Statements and
with the standards of practice that have been implemented by the profession.
While integrity is a value that should be practiced and upheld by all
nurses, it is often one of the values that nurses struggle to maintain or
reconcile in their professional practice. This often is due to ethical dilemmas that
nurses face that can challenge them to either violate or uphold their own
sense of professional integrity. A lack of resource availability also can challenge
nurses’ integrity if they do not have the staff, equipment, and supplies to safely
care for patients. Another factor that can negatively impact nurses’ ability to
practice with integrity is when they feel they are unable to spend adequate time
with patients. Therefore, it is imperative that nurses have adequate resources
and time to care for patients as well as a solid understanding of ethical
guidelines. Nursing professionals must also consider the integrity of
patients. Nurses should be cognizant of the ways in which they can violate a
patient's integrity while caring for them. Nurses should endeavor to respect
patients’ values at all times even when a patient’s values do not conform to the
nurse’s own set of values. When a nurse respects a patient’s values, it will help
preserve the integrity of the patient. A nurse should help patients uphold their
own set of values when taking action or making healthcare decisions so patients
do not feel as if they have to violate their own dignity in order to receive
adequate care
5. Social justice
a. The AACN (2008) stated the term social justice "refers to upholding moral. legal
and humanistic principles". The position of the AACN is that social justice, like
the aforementioned values, should be embodied by all professional nurses. It is
suggested that each of the values listed, including social justice, should be
included in the curricula of all nursing programs as a core component.
Throughout history, nurses have been advocates for some of the most vulnerable
populations, so it is only natural for nurses to be advocates for social justice. In
fact, part of ensuring that patients receive adequate care requires nurses to take
responsibility for the role they should play in calling for a system that allocates
limited resources fairly and does not discriminate based on personal factors.

References:
● https://bmcnurs.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12912-019-0351-1#:~:text=Core%
20values%20of%20nursing%20include,approach%20to%20the%20nursing%20professi
on.
● https://www.slideshare.net/maheswarijaikumar/functions-qualities-of-
● https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/university-of-perpetual-help-system-dalta/bachelo
r-of-science-in-nursing/chn-lect
● https://www.gcu.edu/blog/nursing-health-care/top-11-qualities-good-nurse
● https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_41.htm
● https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/effective-communicator#:~:te
xt=What%20is%20an%20effective%20communicator,manner%2C%20using%20easily%
20understood%20language.
● https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/observant
● https://www.brantfordlibrary.ca/en/news/the-power-of-observation.aspx
● https://insights.pickeverard.co.uk/post/102g3m6/the-importance-of-resourcefulness-durin
g-the-covid-19-pandemic#:~:text=Resourcefulness%20is%20a%20crucial%20leadership
,they%20have%20available%20to%20them.
● https://your.yale.edu/ct-scene-resourcefulness-workplace-april-2021
● https://www.gcu.edu/blog/nursing-health-care/top-11-qualities-good-nurse
● https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/university-of-the-philippines-system/nursing/mod
ule-11-nurse-values/22232799
●