Vinciya Pandian, Sarah E Hughes, Michael J Brenner
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Otorhinolaryngology-head and neck (ORL-HN) nursing encompasses complex, multisystem care for conditions affecting hearing, olfaction, balance, breathing, sleep, swallowing, communication, appearance, and identity across the lifespan. In 2025, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) updated its definitions of nursing and a nurse to better reflect contemporary practice, emphasizing professional autonomy, cultural safety, health literacy, health equity, environmental stewardship, and interprofessional collaboration. These concepts are highly relevant to ORL-HN nursing, where care is technologically advanced, interdisciplinary, and deeply connected to quality of life.
Purpose: To synthesize and interpret the ICN's 2025 definitions of nursing and a nurse through the lens of ORL-HN nursing practice and to examine their implications for clinical care, education, leadership, and equity across the continuum of care.
Methods: A narrative review was conducted drawing on international nursing, otorhinolaryngology, head and neck oncology, airway, hearing, and rehabilitation literature, alongside the ICN's 2025 definition report. Key themes were identified and mapped to ORL-HN nursing roles across acute, perioperative, rehabilitative, survivorship, and community-based settings. Illustrative case scenarios were used to contextualize the application of core ICN principles in specialty practice.
Results: The ICN definitions affirm ORL-HN nurses as autonomous, accountable professionals who integrate scientific knowledge, ethical judgment, and culturally responsive communication. Across subspecialty areas, nurses operationalize these principles through airway vigilance, early complication detection, device-based rehabilitation, health literacy-responsive education, caregiver engagement, and coordination of interprofessional care. The framework also highlights nursing leadership in clinical pathways, simulation-based education, telehealth, survivorship programs, and global equity initiatives that reduce preventable harm and enhance person-centered outcomes.
Conclusions: The ICN's 2025 definitions provide a timely and unifying framework that aligns closely with the realities of ORL-HN nursing. Applying this framework strengthens professional identity, clarifies nursing contributions within interprofessional teams, and offers guidance for advancing equitable, person-centered care, education, research, and policy in an evolving specialty.
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