2. DEFINITION
A profession is an occupation with ethical components that is devoted to the
promotion of human and social welfare, which also results in a definite fee or
salary.
A profession is always based upon the specialized knowledge and skills and
preparation that have been developed in a learned and scientific manner.
3. CRITERIA OF A PROFESSION
Body of knowledge
Specialized education
Service to the society
Accountability
Autonomy and independence
Code of ethics
Professional licence
Representative organisation
Evidenced based nursing practice
4. Body of knowledge
Nursing requires a specific body of knowledge that is derived from
experiences and researches. Judgement made by a nurse and a rationale for
modifying actions according to a specific situation is based on this body of
knowledge. This knowledge is orderly and exact. A nurse keeps on constantly
expanding this body of knowledge to improve her techniques and skills for
rendering nursing care.
5. Specialized education
A nurse requires specialized education as well as training and it is an
important aspect of professional status. Various schools and colleges have
been set up to provide specialized education and training.
6. Service to the society
Nursing means to care. It is a service that is essential for the well being of the
person and of the society as a whole. It is concerned with health promotion,
maintenance and restoration. The goal of nursing is to help each others and
attain the highest level of wellness of which they are capable. It is an
altruistic profession in which an individual puts the life and well-being of
patients above theirs.
7. Accountability
Being accountable means being answerable to oneself and to others for one’s
own action. A nurse is accountable for making judgements, taking actions,
maintain competency and uploading quality patient care.
8. Autonomy and Independence
Nurses deals with various patients and provide care. To provide quality care,
the nurse has to work with physician, hospital administrations, pharmacists
and essential others. Nursing has developed and refined its own approach to
practice which called nursing process that requires logical, critical and
creative thinking and serves as the basis for providing nursing care.
Therefore, nursing is an interdependent and independent practice.
9. Code of ethics
According to Webster, ‘’ethics are the moral concerned with or relating to
what is right or wrong’ in matters of human behavior”. Code of ethics provide
professional standards and framework based on which the nurse should render
the care.
10. Professional license
Beside having a specialized education and advanced body of knowledge, a nurse must have a
professional license to practice. Granting a license is a legal activity which states that the
individual has passed a national licensure examination and is now qualified to practice nursing.
11. Representative organization
Various international and national professional associations have been formed
for the improvement of nursing rofession. The purpose is to promote and
maintain the standards of nursing, promote educational advancements and
research in nursing and promote the welfare of nurses. In India TNAI and SNRC
are the representative organization for nurses.
12. Evidence- based nursing practice
All interventions and care rendered by nurses are based on some evidence
and data collected from various researches that have proven to be successful
and appropriate.
13. CHARACTERISTICS OF A PROFESSION
Well defined body of knowledge
Strong service orientation and provide specific services.
Standardized formal education
Practice is based upon professional standards and code of ethics
Members of the profession should have autonomy in decision making and
practice.
Profession is practiced in a specialized setting
14. Well defined body of knowledge
The profession should have specialized body of knowledge for guiding the
practice of profession. Specific knowledge, behaviour and skills related to
particular profession are not possessed by the non-professional.
15. Strong service orientation and provide
specialized services
The primary aim of the profession should be to provide services to the
society. A profession render specialized services to the society based on
advanced body of knowledge and skill. Services are provided in the interest of
the general public for a definite salary or fees. Individual practitioners are
characterized by a strong service motivation and lifetime commitment to
competence. Service must be guided by certain rules, policies or code of
ethics.
16. Standardized formal education
All profession are based on standardized education like diploma, degree, post
graduation and doctoral education as per established norms and curriculum.
Professional education is regulated by various regulatory bodies.
17. Practice is based on professional
standards and code of ethics
Professional practice is always based on professional standards and code of
ethics by various regulatory bodies. Profession will set minimum standards for
membership of profession and procedures for detecting breaches.
18. Members of the profession should have
autonomy in decision making and practice
Members of profession should have freedom in making decisions related to
client services. Decisions made by the members are based on existing body of
knowledge, practice standards and code of ethics.
19. Profession is practiced in a specialized
setting
Each profession is concerned with an identified area of need or function and
it is practiced in a specialized setting.
