Why is professionalism in nursing important? Essay

Professionalism in Nursing is very important. As a nurse, you are dealing with people's lives every single day. Some of the aspects of professionalism that I think are important as a nurse include time management, attitude, appearance, having integrity, self-motivated, being compassionate and caring, among other things. Professionalism is defined as having a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace. When you have a professional demeanor, you should be able to evaluate the quality of your own work and make corrections when necessary to improve in any are where you have lacked.
As a nurse, you are expected to have high standards in the workplace and conduct yourself in a certain manner. You should always show respect to not only your patients, but to your coworkers as well. One of the simplest ways that you show respect to your coworker is by showing up to work on time and prepared. This is something that some nurses don't take serious and they don't realize that it's disrespectful to the nurse that is waiting for relief and it's unprofessional. It's a horrible feeling when you're finished your shift (anywhere from 8-16 hours) and the nurse that is supposed to come, doesn't show up.
Another aspect is attitude. In life, we all know that when someone is around you with a bad attitude, it can even mess up your mood and nursing is no different. People who are sick do not deserve to be subjected to your bad attitude. That's honestly not fair to them. You should come to work with a positive attitude and be ready to work.
Your appearance is also important. People that look sloppy may be perceived by others as unorganized, lazy, and uncaring. If you do not care about yourself, how can you truly care for others? If someone came to you looking for a job and they had on wrinkled clothes or clothes with stains on them, I doubt you would hire them so why not go to work looking your best. A little attention to how you look goes a long way to display your professionalism.
As a nurse, you should also be organized and be able to prioritize. You will have patients with different diagnosis and needs. It is important to be able to differentiate between the highest and lowest priority. This also helps with time management because you are expected to finish your work in your shift. It definitely doesn't look good for you to try and scramble to finish up your work when the next nurse has come to start her shift.
Nursing is a profession that people look at very highly. When people think of Registered Nurses, they think of someone who is caring and compassionate. They think of someone who is selfless, organized and efficient. When you're a nurse, people think of you as being part of a high class society that not everyone is a part of. Yes, there are high expectations of you, but they should be.