My Personal Philosophy of Nursing

What Does Nursing Mean to Me?

PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING

NURS 401 Career Pathway Assessment

Purpose of Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to enable the student to discover his or her personal philosophy of nursing, as it exists at the beginning of the academic journey toward the BSN.

Student Approach to Assignment

As a nursing student, I have a much different approach to the idea of a personal nursing philosophy than a practicing nurse. Instructors, textbooks, lab sessions, and other nurses currently shape my practice. Sitting down and determining what I believed to be my personal philosophy of nursing proved difficult until I realized what I wanted to be the root of my nursing practice as a student and as a future professional. From this assignment, I learned how important it was for me now, as a student, to determine what I deemed most valuable to me as a nurse and how I wanted to guide my patient care as a professional nurse. In the end, I determined that maintaining and protecting a patient's dignity and always advocating for my patients were the two most important factors I wanted to shape my nursing practice. I approached this assignment with a lot of thought and an open mind because I had yet to form my own ideas of what I deemed my personal philosophy of nursing. After completion of the assignment, I believe I fully know what my personal philosophy of nursing is and I hope to remember it in the future as I begin my career.

Reason for Inclusion of this Assignment in the Portfolio

To me, developing a personal philosophy of nursing should be the basis of any nurse's practice. Determining what you deem important to you as a practicing nurse helps guide and shape your practice into quality, safe patient care. I feel this assignment showed extreme growth in myself as a student nurse. Prior to this assignment, I had no idea what I wanted my personal philosophy to entail. I now am sure of my philosophy and know that it plays on my strengths as a current student nurse and will carry over into my practice as a professional nurse.

Critical Thinking

Uses nursing and other appropriate theories and models to guide professional practice.

In my paper, I used Jean Watson's Philosophy of Science and Caring to shape my personal philosophy of nursing. I emphasized the need for nursing care that centered on the patient and focused on their needs as a whole. Additionally, I mentioned how this theory has been the basis of my nursing practice and will continue to guide me as I enter into the professional world of nursing.

Leadership

Assumes a leadership role within one's scope of practice as a designer, manager, and coordinator of health care to meet the special needs of vulnerable populations in a variety of practice settings.

In my paper, I included an example of a patient situation that was the first defining factor in what I stated as my personal philosophy. In this situation, I stepped up to advocate for a patient, as their life was nearing its end, to meet their requests and protect their dignity. In the end, my nursing practice was changed for the better by knowing when to speak up for a patient, when it has their best interests in mind.

Articulates the value of the profession and the role of the nurse as a member of the interdisciplinary health care team.

In this paper, we were asked to give our values and beliefs of the profession of nursing. I stated that every aspect of nursing whether CNA, LPN, or RN, played an integral role in the patient's outcome. I emphasized how nurses are the first line of communication of the patient's status and needs to the other members of the interdisciplinary team and how important this role was in relation to patient outcomes.

Professionalism

Applies an ethical decision-making framework and legal guidelines to clinical situations that incorporate moral concepts, professional ethics, and advocacy for patient well-being and preferences.

Creating a personal philosophy caused me to think of my moral concepts in reference to my nursing practice and in turn apply them to my paper. In my paper I stated my personal philosophy of nursing as being centered on dignity and advocacy. I spoke of a time where I implemented this practice during end of life care for a patient, where I had to take measures to bring an increased level of comfort to this patient at that time.