A Personal Philosophy Of Nursing

The purpose of this assignment is to enable the student, myself, to rediscover his or her personal philosophy of nursing as it exists upon the completion of the baccalaureate nursing program. Throughout the semesters, the view I had on what nursing meant to me has grown deeper, but one thing has stayed the same; my philosophy. In my philosophy project from the very first semester, I stated that nursing involves many different parts that all come together to make one great final end product, just like cookies. I compared nursing parts and all the different items nurses bring into the field, to being similar to the ingredients used to make cookies. I still believe that nursing is comprised of many different parts that all come together in order to give the best patient care possible. The personal philosophy paper now is an extension on that first semester’s assignment, to show the growth and development I have had while in this nursing program. It will explore what my personal definition of nursing is, the purpose of nursing, what assumptions in nursing there are, and will conclude with the principles of nursing.

My personal philosophy of healthcare is something that I want to perfect, and change to make sure, I look to it at times when I might doubt myself or even question why I want to be a registered nurse in the first place. The American Nursing Association defines nursing as the “Abilities to protect, promote, and prevent injury and illness, alleviate suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of families, individuals, communities, and populations” (American Nurses Association, 2014). However, nursing is a lot more than these points that were stated above and in this paper I will be discussing my personal philosophy as a future registered nurse. A belief that I will incorporate, in my philosophy of healthcare are as follows: striving to be the

“Philosophies of nursing are statements of beliefs about nursing and expressions of values in nursing that are used as bases for thinking and acting. Most philosophies are built on a foundation of beliefs about people, environment, health, and nursing” (Chitty & Black, p. 298). By using person, environment, health, and nursing as a guideline to achieve the ultimate goals of nursing; I will discuss my personal philosophy and how these factors are used in nursing.

Nursing is based on caring in nursing. Compassion and concern for protecting and enhancing the

When my grandmother was dying of cancer in hospice, I had no intentions of becoming a nurse. Consistently, I repositioned her because she was in pain. Dutifully, I opened her windows because she loved the sunlight. Respectfully, I rubbed lotion on her skin because it made her comfortable. Devotedly, I prayed with her because her faith was strong, and she was ready to be reunited with my grandfather. Wistfully, I held her hand as she took her last breath, and told her it was okay to go. Afterwards, when the hospice nurses had told me that I would make a great nurse and I should consider nursing as a career, I politely said “No, thank you, nursing is not for me.”

When one thinks of a nurse they often think of a caring, compassionate, knowledgeable individual. They don’t often think that every nurse comes from different situation, past experiences, and life changing events that make nurses who he or she is. Everyone on this earth is unique and has something to contribute. The same goes for patients. Each patient has a different background and have different interests which make them who they are. In order to give the optimal care to the patients nurses must accommodate to the patient’s uniqueness.

Community beliefs and values change based on varying locations. Different communities find different beliefs to base their values off of. One community may not find it important to have their women

Abstract: This paper will explore my personal nursing philosophy that I want to convey in my nursing career. My personal believe is that the nature of nursing is rooted deeply in commitment to public service and the desire to help those in need. I think nursing is more than treating an illness or disease; rather it is a focus on delivering quality care that is individualized to the needs of individual patients. My philosophy of nursing incorporates evidence based care, experience and compassionate caring for my patient. My opinion is that I nursing care should be holistic and comprehensive while honoring patient values. I think, a crucial aspect of nursing is interprofessional and intraprofessional relationships, and collaborative efforts among healthcare professionals that promote quality patient care. My philosophy of nursing extends to my community which I serve and strive for continues health promotion.

Philosophy is a distinct disciple on its own right, and all disciplines can claim their own philosophical bases that form guidelines for their goal” (Meleis, 2012, p. 28). In simpler terms, philosophy is your worldview and thought process of life. Our philosophy transcends into our beliefs and values’, examining our philosophy allows us to discover what is important to us and helps define priorities and goals (Meleis, 2012, p.28). Being aware of our philosophy creates individuality in each person creating the foundation of the person we want to become. As Meleis (2012) stated, our philosophy helps set priorities and evaluate those priorities against societal and humanistic priorities.

One of the most difficult things I have had to do in quite a while is determine my personal philosophy on nursing. Hours upon hours I have spent contemplating this. Why I am a nurse? What values do I hold and use daily in the care of my patients? I know the type of person I am; honest, compassionate, optimistic and goal oriented. I also know that without hesitation these are the same values that I thrust upon my patients. Every shift I work, every patient I encounter I give my true self. Putting into words the core nature of oneself is a difficult task. It takes a great deal of introspection. So, after much time and thought provoking questions I have decided what my philosophy for nursing has been and will continue to be. In the darkest time of a patient’s life they look to a handful of people to let them see the light again. They desire good health, spiritual wellness and love of a family. As the nurse, I am someone who helps them succeed in the journey. I offer them the ability to maintain spiritual wellness, allow them the love and support of a family, and provide the appropriate care to get them back to good health.

Discovering one’s own philosophy in nursing reveals dynamic aspects and history that is authentic within one’s own journey. My personal nursing philosophy is a phenomenon by itself, I am calling it integrative holistic sensitive care. This theory fits into a metaparadigm that is intimately connected to personal experiences, learned behaviors, combination social and public health, laughter, harm reduction and patient centered care. The theorist who expressed in words and contributed to my own personal philosophy include Hildegard Peplau, Virginia Henderson, Madeleine Leininger, and Betty Neuman’s.

It’s a great personal challenge in modern times to combine life as hectic as it can be with work and study. It has become for many of us a race against time and daily nuances of life. To successfully manage work, family, and study is a hard thing, they all have their own goals and demands, and on top of that the Nursing Career takes extra sacrifices, the long hours together with working with sick people requires a personal disposition that not everybody possesses. Sacrificed must be made, and after all this is an excellent way to help the sick and perform professionally. A personal philosophy of nursing is the core values and beliefs that a nurse upholds when taking care of another person, it is the reasoning why we do nursing the way that we do. I believe that each patient should be treated as an individual and given the best quality of care. It is important as a nurse that we develop trusting and therapeutic relationships with not only the patient, but their families and significant others so that we are able to provide

The integration of nursing theories with a philosophical perspective lays the framework for nursing practice (McCurry, Revell & Roy, 2008). My philosophy of nursing is to provide holistic care meeting the physical, social, economic, cognitive, and spiritual health of a person. This philosophy embraces the four elements of the nursing metaparadigm, which is person, environment, health, and nursing. While theorists have differing concepts and definitions of nursing, the American Nurses Association (ANA), defines it as follows; “Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and

Being a nurse is not just like any other profession. Instead, it is a calling to serve the people. Considering that health concerns are part of the community since time immemorial, the nurse has become the most sought after person in the world. In this regard, nurses have to adopt a worldwide view of nursing, which entails the delivery of care in a culturally attentive manner. On the other hand, a nurse should be responsive to what happens around him or her. This means the need for quick response in times of emergency to ensure the patient’s health is safeguarded. Nurses should also be physically fit to enable them carry out their duties appropriately. Physical fitness translates to active senses, which is essential for care delivery.

The application of a personal philosophy provide meaningful direction for a nurse’s career. It serves as a basis for andsustain exceptional nursing practice, and the ability to decrease the cases of insensitive and ineffectual practice. Furthermore, it has been claimed that it can close the relevance gap between nursing practice and nursing scienceand helps in gasping knowledge regarding patients, their environment, the workplace, and health and wellness(Meehan, 2012).