Abstract
A nurse who has practiced in different countries reflects on the words used in various languages to name our profession, and what those words have to say about the deeper meaning of nursing.
As the cost of travel and basic living expenses has risen sharply and the value of the dollar is sinking low, fewer peole can afford to travel. On July 23, 2008, National Public Radio reported that only 40% of all U.S. citizens will take a summer vacation this year. This is a shame because traveling can be such an enriching experience that can help us to understand better the world in which we live.
I never appreciated the richness of what nursing means until I looked at how the concept of nursing is expressed in different languages. Starting with English, what is the deeper meaning of nursing? The way I see it, in North America the word nursing is not only used to describe the work I do but is also a term used for the way many mothers feed their babies. Mothers give of themselves to help their babies get stronger and grow. Isn't that a key part of what we nurses do on a daily basis? We give of our knowledge and expertise to help patients achieve higher levels of independence, as well as using our physical abilities to help patients get stronger.
The Dutch use the word Zorgen to describe nursing care. Zorgen literally means “to worry.” How true is this! When I work as a hospice nurse, I am very much in touch with a sense of worry. For instance, when caring for terminal patients who have young children, I worry about how they will be able to cope. After I leave my patients’ homes, I worry if their pain or antinausea medications will be sufficient. I still remember clearly how after leaving a busy medical/surgical unit I would worry that I had forgotten to give a medication or unclamp an IV.
The German word for nursing is Pflegen. The same word is also used to describe, for instance, a well-kept garden. When a German says that your garden is gut gepflegt, it means that you have planted your vegetables in straight rows, weeded out any unwanted plants, and watered consistently on warm, dry days. In other words, your garden is well kept. How true is this in nursing as well! Being well-organized is key to providing good care. Having the IV lines well organized and giving medication at the right times helps patients recover faster and prevents errors.
What struck me when I was contemplating the differences in meanings is how they all encompass what I believe to be the backbone of quality nursing care. Just worrying doesn't really make me a good nurse, and if all I did was give of myself, I would probably burn out pretty fast. Finally, if all I had to offer was great organization-the ability to run a tight ship-the unit might look great, but it would probably not be the place where I would want my loved ones cared for. We need a balanced mixture of all three concepts to convey the heart of nursing care.
In America the word nursing is not only used to describe the work I do, but is also a term used for the way many mothers feed their babies.
Footnotes
Hans-Peter de Ruiter, RN, MS, is a teaching specialist in the University of Minnesota School of Nursing.