Essay about Nursing Philosophy and Nursing Theory

It also includes the families, communities, and other groups who are involved in the life of the patient (Peterson & Bredow, 2017). When providing nursing care, the focus should not be on the physical properties of the person and treating their illness alone. I believe nurses should always take into account the person’s emotions, culture, family structure, and spiritual beliefs when providing care and developing future self-care plans. Each aspect of the person, as described by the nursing metaparadigm, can affect the patient’s progress toward optimal well-being. When constructing a patient plan of care, consideration needs to be placed on their physical and intellectual needs; their thoughts, feelings and behaviors; and their support network. A holistic view of the person allows the nurse to connect with patients on a personal level and develop care plans that are individually tailored.

“Philosophies of nursing are statements of beliefs about nursing and expressions of values in nursing that are used as bases for thinking and acting,” (Chitty & Black, 2010). Having a personal nursing philosophy can help one provide better nursing care, as well as provide an outline for living one’s personal life. Developing a personal nursing philosophy requires reflection on how one feels about nursing within four categories; personal health, patient’s health, patient’s families, and fellow healthcare professionals.

Personal Philosophy of Nursing N421 The philosophy of nursing states our thoughts on what we believe to be true about the nature of the profession of nursing and provide a basis for nursing activities. It endorses ethical values we hold as basic and bases our beliefs in theory. As I began to ponder my philosophy of nursing, certain questions popped in my mind, such as “What does being a nurse mean to me?” and “Why did I choose this career path for myself?”

Like the other metaparadigm concepts, health is also quite general. Health does not deal with well being in a strictly clinical manner. The concept of health must include an individual's physical, mental and social well being. A person's health must be seen as relative, as it range is quite broad, as it goes from a high level of wellness to terminally ill (Fawcett, 1996). “A person does not need to be disease free to be healthy; rather one must simply maximize optimal potential to be in a healthy state” (Selanders, 2010, p. 85). It is the responsibility of nurses to identify where the patient's health may be on that scale and to take steps to improve their health.

’s care to promote positive patient outcomes and patient and family

When discerning about my respective philosophy of nursing, I think back to all of the theories and elements of advance nursing that we have been educated on throughout the duration of this program. I have stepped back and considered the following three elements for the construction of my philosophy: 1) the definite science, 2) the constructive knowledge, and 3) the position in which nursing lies as a societal arrangement. For further construction of the advanced philosophy, it was vital to consider the four paradigms contusive to nursing: 1) human beings, 2) health, 3) environment, and 4) nursing.

I believe that the foundational principles of nursing remain steadfast, nursing practice however is dynamic and ever changing. We as nurses, take care of the sick, infirm and the dying with open arms, minds and hearts. We are their advocates when they cannot do so for themselves. Nurses aid in physical recovery as well as spiritual recovery and healing. Nurses help the patient to see their full potential physically as well as spiritually and we are the bridge to help the patient reach that potential. It is important in nursing that we care for the patient holistically, that is caring for the whole patient. We recognize the connection between the mind, body, spirit, relationships, and the environment and how each one of them have an integral part in healing. With nursing practice becoming more dynamic, I believe that the route to exceptional nurses begins in the classroom. The student nurses need to understand not only the skills and science necessary to provide and care for the patient, but they need to understand the art of nursing. I have heard from my grandmother who was a nurse educator that nursing is a science and an art, and now I truly believe it. Recognizing the art begins with the student making a decision to care for others and realizing that it is not a self-serving decision. I believe that the art of nursing is innate in all individuals, which is to appreciate every single person’s contributions and worth in the world. Every person has a story, and most often

Holistic, patient-centered care is my philosophy when caring for the patient. It allows the patient to be in the driver seat as the care is being offered and provided. Nurses are a support system to their patients, sick or healthy. Healing cannot be done unless the patient is willing and is able to understand and accept the care being offered. Nurses deliver therapeutic environment conducive to healing which includes safety, acknowledgment of the patient, support, education, guidance, and encouragement. Establishment of a positive and compassionate relationship is key. While doing so a nurse must be aware of his or her own culture, values, and prejudices in order to prevent transferring them onto the patient. Patients’ cultural, religious,

Personal definitions of health and health can be strongly influenced by cultural. It is, therefore, imperative for nurses to understand the patient’s view of health in order to comprehend the needs for healing.

“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us” (Campbell, n.d.). Spirituality has many definitions, for many people of different ages, genders religions and cultural backgrounds, having spirituality has proven to improve quality of life and patient outcomes. The concept of spirituality, clarification of its meaning, in addition to its influence on patient outcomes will be explored using Walker and Avant’s Concept Analysis Method (2012) The aim of this paper is to gain a deeper understanding of how patients, nurses and people from all religions and cultures understand the concept of ‘spirituality’.

Religion plays a vital part for many patients. When disease threatens the health, and perhaps the life of a patient, they are likely to seek treatment with both physical symptoms and spiritual concerns in mind. Many nurses have instinctive and subjective impressions that the views and religious practices of patients have a significant effect upon their experiences with illness and the threat of dying. Nursing focuses mainly on healing the mind and body, however, the spiritual side needs attention as well. When patients are faced with a devastating illness, religious and spiritual factors often figure into their coping strategies and influence important decisions such as advance directives or living wills.

Underlying any set of principles that guide a particular behavior in an individual and his perception of reality in their nature is their unique personal philosophy in life. This view becomes a natural extension of what we understand as truth and in nursing underlies the desire to be in the practice. It, therefore, forms the basis for personal standards and ethical standards that direct the wisdom of the nurse in their daily practice as they relate to all the stakeholders of caregiving such as their families and fellow workmates. A personal philosophy of nursing is also a pointer for what it entails and why it is practiced therefore providing the nurse with a vision to endeavor.

Philosophy has influenced the development of nursing. Philosophy of Nursing promotes the application of nursing knowledge and helps develop nursing theory and knowledge. Nursing theories and philosophies of nursing influence each other. Nurses designed Philosophy of nursing to explain the beliefs, role, and interaction with patients. Philosophy is the application of one 's knowledge to different situations that occurs when practicing as a nurse. It changes the identities, belief systems, and practices of nurses. Philosophies and experiences guide nurses in their professional decision making. (Marchuk, 2014). To be able to articulate a personal philosophy of nursing and identify the philosophical influences, nurses must have basic understanding past contribution to the theories and philosophies that have helped shaped nursing today. Knowledge development and different methods have played a huge part in nursing 's history.

The PICOT statement: (Population) In critical care patients in acute care units. (Intervention) The nurse’s role as a primary member of the patient-centered care is to include spirituality into the care of the patient and exploring the patient’s spirituality. (Comparison) The nurse’s role to just give the patient standard care without including any type of spirituality within their treatment plan. (Outcome) When the nurse includes spirituality within their patient’s treatment it can improve the patient’s outlook on their care and their choice of their treatment. This statement is very important to the nursing profession because including spirituality within the care of the patient is something that is avoided because many people do not understand spirituality or know the thin line that comes with it. It is important to include spirituality because of the impact it is has the patient’s outlook of their treatment, how they look at their self, and how they handle their care all together. Spirituality is something that is vital to the patient because the patient needs to have a positive outlook when everything does not seem positive.

The four elements to the nursing paradigm according to Potter, Perry, Stockert, & Hall (2013) is person, health, environmental/situation, and nursing. Potter, Perry, Stockert, & Hall (2013) state, “Nursing is an art and a science” (p. 1). Nurses are the first people see in the hospital or medical facility, they must strive to be knowledgeable in their field of practice. I have learned throughout the years as working as an emergency medical technician (EMT) and my time at various clinical locations of some of the morals and ethical dilemmas a nurse will face. To truly understand the paradigms, I feel that one must