Nursing is a challenging, rewarding and a very exciting career. The nurse's role is not limited to changing bandages, giving needles and offering support, as the past has indicated. In fact, the role of the nurse in the present, is now one of advocate, caregiver, teacher, researcher, counselor, and case manager. The role of the nurse is limitless and it's importance to our health care system is vital in providing quality care. According to PÃÂépin (1999), "nurses make up the largest body of health care providers in the system".
In nursing, according to Kozier, Erb, & Blais (1997), "the caregiver role has traditionally included those activities that assist the client physically and psychologically while preserving the client's dignity", (p.129). In order for a nurse to be an effective caregiver, the patient must be treated as whole. The caregiver role, is vital in providing direct quality care to a patient and is greatly influenced by the attitude of the nurse.
By treating the whole person, the nurse can build trust between the nurse and client, thus promote healing and peace of this individual. Everyone is an individual and a caregiver must consider this in order to deliver quality care and love. A nurse must do this by following the code of ethics. By following the code of ethics, and providing care to the individual, the client feels that he or she is viewed as a whole and complete person, regardless of their illness or disease. Being a caregiver encompasses the physical, developmental, psychosocial, and also the spiritual part of a client. In today's fast growing technology, medical science, and the goal of "curing" a patient seems to be cold and calculative. This is where the nurse takes on the role of caregiver, by not doing for the client, but the nurse...