Thinking like a nurse requires perceiving the world as a nurse

European University of Lefke (EUL) Vocational School of Health organized a conference themed “Thinking like a Nurse”. Academician of Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Nursing and Head of Nursing Education Association (HEMED) Prof. Dr. Hülya Okumuş attended the conference as a speaker.

Okumuş: Nursing education has five tendencies in the future

Talking about the historical background of nursing, Okumuş said that, the profession of nursing occurred with the description of “angel” between 1854 and 1945, it was referred as “hero” between 1930-1945, assimilated with the concept of “mother between the years of 1946 – 1965 and until 1983 till today nurses are mentioned as “carrierists”. Okumuş further suggested that, nursing education has five tendencies in the future and listed these five tendencies as; technology, patient education, complementary medicine applications, holistic nursing and nursing roles.

Okumuş stated that, technology education must include; use of high-tech (nanotechnology) simulation in nursing applications, patient education must include; deep knowledge about patient education; complementary medicine applications must be included in the curriculum;  holistic nursing must include; patient oriented, traditional and protective care approaches and nursing roles must include; cooperative, multidisciplinary education approaches.

Okumuş: Clinical experience is the most important learning strategy that improves the ability to make clinical decisions

Okumuş said that, “Thinking like a nurse is not just acting like a nurse, but it requires perceiving the world as a nurse” and added that not only the student-centered activities, but also the processes of high-level thinking and clinical decision-making approaches should be used in education. Pointing out the importance of clinical experience, Okumuş said that, clinical experience is the most important learning strategy that improves the ability to make clinical decisions.

Okumuş: To become a good nurse, students need to understand a lot of patient-specific special situations.

Okumuş underlined that the best role models are the instructors who “think like a nurse” and said that, “The basis of nursing practices is knowledge and care. In other words, nursing is science and art”. Okumuş described the term “care” as respecting the other side and the desire of conducting a work and said that in order to become a good nurse, students need to understand a lot of patient-specific special situations.

Talking about three traineeship principles, Okumuş listed these principles as thinking like a nurse; acting like a nurse and teaching to make a decision and questioning; and teaching ethical, compassionate/loving and related behavior for the benefit of the patient. Okumuş stated that, “thinking like a nurse” is firstly taught via discussions of real cases in the clinic and classroom with an approach that covers ‘thinking like a nurse’ and added that teaching to think like a nurse is not conducted with offering medical information, but it is possible with focusing on the concept of “care”.

Okumuş finally said that, in order to cope with difficulties, future nurses need to be leaders who are decisive, open to changes, and who has ability to meet changing community and patient needs.