Personal Philosophy of Nursing: What I Choose to Follow

“Philosophy is concerned with the values and beliefs of a discipline and with the values and beliefs held by member of that discipline”. It's importanat to keep this phrase in mind if you want to write “Personal philosophy of nursing essay” with your examples. So here I will define my personal philosophy of nursing by looking into the reason I chose to be a nurse, what I view as the core elements of nursing, and my personal values and beliefs.

Choice of Nursing

From the time I was a very small child, I admired the heroism of all of the front line service workers in the small town that I grew up in. I knew at age 4 that I wanted to help people by either becoming police officer, a teacher, or a nurse.

My decision to become a nurse became concrete during my freshman year of high school, following job shadowing day. Job shadowing, for me, included an exciting day in the emergency room following a long time nurse. Watching her care for the patients was absolutely amazing, but the one memory that really sticks out about that day, was watching her care for a patient’s family who had just lost their loved one. Job shadowing day is the day I realized, that as a nurse not only could I impact my patient’s life but I could also impact many others along the way.

The realization I made on Job Shadowing Day, as well as my want to be a respectable part of society were the driving forces that pushed me through to getting my nursing degree.

Essence of Nursing

There are many things that work together to form the core of which the nursing profession is based around, but I will focus on my views of the historical, ethical, and political aspects of nursing.

Historical

The profession of nursing, as it is known today, has a long outstanding history that began as early as the 1800s, with the works and beliefs of Florence Nightingale, Dorthea Dix, Virginia Henderson, Clara Barton, and many other nursing greats like them. These ladies in history have brought the profession of nursing from a disgraced job to a well-respected profession. As we look back at the works done by the nursing greats of the past, we use those foundations as a major basis of nursing practice today. Though times have changed tremendously, I believe that to find the true definition of nursing, you must look at the valuable historical information as well as taking into consideration the current times.

Ethical

According to Singer, ethics is the philosophy that looks at morals used to decide what is good, bad, right or wrong. There are many instances throughout the wide spread nursing profession where a nurse has had to look within themselves and decide what is right or wrong, and the ethical dimension is what helps drive that decision. While individuals may have differing morals depending on the way that they were brought up, it is very important for nurses to be able to look beyond themselves and have a basis for what is right and wrong according to the nursing profession. The Nursing Code of Ethics provided by ANA has laid the ground work for the nursing profession to decide what is right or wrong. I believe that by following these ethical guidelines, the nursing profession has been able to grow as a respectable profession.

Political

Nursing from an outside perspective may appear to be free from political influences, but from the inside one can see that politics plays a very large role in the nursing profession. Groenwald and Edlridge stated, “Nurses have fought many uphill battles against prevailing cultural restraints involving sex, race, socioeconomic status. Nurse leaders have broken through those constraints to successfully advocate for legislative and social change.” I agree with this statement; without the advocacy by nurses for nurses in the legislative (political) realm, I believe this profession would have continued to be viewed as a disgraceful line of work. I believe that as new political concerns arise, the nursing profession will continue to be affected and it is necessary for nursing leaders to continue to advocate for the profession.

Beliefs and Values

I have many beliefs and values that affect how I will provide my nursing care for the patient. The patient themselves is the first area I will explain. I believe that for the most successful healing process, the patient must take an active role in their healing, knowledge, and health promotion. With this being said, I think that a patient has the right to view any part of their medical record and to decide who else can view it. While a patient may need assistance during an illness, I believe that encouraging them and assisting them to get back their self-sufficiency will positively impact the overall health of the patient by giving them a huge morale boost.

A patient’s family and significant other play a huge role in the healing process of the patient as well. I believe that a patient has the right to privacy, and only the things the patient wishes to share with the family should be shared, but I encourage patients to let their loved ones be involved in their healing process. Having family involved while a patient is in the care setting has many benefits such as patient being in higher spirts, less knowledge deficits after discharge, and I have a new found respect for their role in keeping the care staff on the top of their game. I believe that if a patient has a good support system in their corner, they will reach optimal health sooner than if they are in the battle alone.

Healthcare providers have a very big role in society today. These professionals have been seen as responsible for helping millions of people in a time of crisis, and many consider them super heroes for this. I also believe that healthcare professionals that work throughout the many angles of healthcare have the obligation to stand up to what has been expected of them. I believe that a healthcare professional should put the patient’s health, safety, and overall wellness at the center of their thoughts. Many times it appears that people forget why they have chosen to work in the healthcare profession, and I believe those that have need to step back and re-evaluate that reality.

While I may not take the time to care for myself to the upmost degree, I believe that my health is a very important aspect of the entire nursing continuum. I believe that I must stay well, both mentally and physically, to be able to provide the best care for my patients. To achieve this mental and physical wellness, one must find the way to balance work life, home life, and “me” life. I strive for this balance daily, but I want to continue to learn and grow in this area, so that I can be the best for the people who depend on me.

Vision for the Future

As I look into the future, I see great accomplishments both in my professional nursing career as well as with personal growth outside of the profession.

Over the next two years, I hope to continue my professional nursing degree through to the Master’s level. I would like to incorporate the knowledge learned into my nursing practice as the Director of Quality and Patient Safety. While I have already achieved this professional position, I believe I have a large amount of room to grow as a leader and in the professional nursing concepts.

Within five years, I hope to have grown in my quality and patient safety role and to have opportunities at advancing to the Chief Patient Experience Officer. I look forward to this growth, because with growth is gained knowledge. I aspire to use the knowledge gained in the next five years to really drive the implementation of changes throughout my current facility to achieve the best care for the patients.

Ten year from now seems like so far away, but setting goals now only gives me open skies to reach for the stars. This milestone will be a very interesting time in my life. While my children will be out of the house at this time, I will most likely find myself with a lot of extra time on my hands. With the extra time, I plan on really expanding my professional potential through nursing research. I hope to achieve the kind of knowledge in this timeframe that I can share with others by practicing as a subject expert in my field and to do consulting across the nation.

Summary

In summary, all of the issues discussed above are a piece to the puzzle of the nurse that I strive to be. Discussing my personal nursing philosophy has been a great way for me to think through many aspects of the nursing profession. While my philosophy will most likely change throughout my professional nursing career, this paints the picture of right now.

I have set many goals to accomplish in through my nursing profession. I believe that some strengths that will help me accomplish these goals are my caring personality, my drive to succeed, my communication skills, and my ability to step back and look from all aspects of a certain situation.

While I feel like I have many strengths towards accomplishing my goals, I also realize that I have some obstacles to overcome. Knowledge deficit is one of the biggest obstacles in my way at this time. As mentioned before, I feel that I have a lot of room to grow in my leadership skills as well as professional thinking skills. Time is another huge hurdle in front of me. As a mother, wife, and Nurse I sometimes find it difficult to find the time needed to be dedicated into learning and growth.