Chapter 1: The context of nursing
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Context of nursing
It is argued that the role of the nurse is as essential in responding to the healthcare needs of society today as it was over 30 years ago. In the current NHS England Leading Change, Adding Value: A Framework for Nursing, Midwifery and Care Staff (NHS England [21]) it is stated that:
Though the world has changed, our values haven't. As nursing, midwifery and care staff we know that compassionate care delivered with courage, commitment and skill is our highest priority. It is the rock on which our efforts to promote health and well‐being, support the vulnerable, care for the sick and look after the dying is built.(NHS England [21], p.5)
However, in 2020 the context of nursing is different in many ways from that in 1984, when the very first manual was published. In this chapter, two specific influences are identified: political and professional.
