Question

What are the differences between an occupation and a profession – why is this distinction important to nursing? You should address this question by looking at various health fields (such as: PT, OT, dietitian, social work, speech pathologist, psychologist, physician etc.) and then ask "What makes nursing different from these fields?" Do you view nursing as an occupation or a profession – provide a detailed rational for your response.

Answer 1

Occupation is entirely undertaken by the person to earn his livelihood.It can be business,profession or employment thata person undertakes to make money.Many think that occupation and profession are synonymous,but the fact is they are different.

Profession is an activity that requires specialised training,knoeledge,qualification and skills.It implies memebership of a professional body,and certificate of practice.The individuals who undertake a profession of renedering personalised services are called professionals.

I personally regard that Nursing is a profession.It has a code of conduct.There are ethical and moral standards that nurses are required to conform with when caring for people.Nursing profession is not an easy task,it requires a lot of hardwork and determination.The ethical and moral issues can be dependent upon the unique circumstances of that individual such as a person with a terminal illness,a person with a mental illness,a person with a disability,the spiritual needs of people must be considered.Nurses undertake a course of undergraduate training to enable them to be registered to work at the level of healthprofessional.They are commited to ongoing professional development even after undergoing training for it.