Nursing Philosophy Paper

If you had asked me on my first day of nursing school what a philosophy of nursing was, I would have told you that I had no idea. I assumed that everyone’s idea of nursing is the same, and that nurses are simply kind hearted people that take care of people’s needs. However, nursing is so much more than that. A nursing philosophy guides a nurse in how he or she carries out their work. I believe nursing philosophies are different for everyone. It isn’t just this cookie cutter label that every nurse feels. My personal philosophy about nursing is similar to this. Everyone is their own unique human being, and their care should reflect this. I believe that a nurse should be a leader, but also should know how to be a follower. Nurses should be confident in their abilities and holistically caring to their patient’s needs and feelings. Nursing isn’t just about curing; it’s about taking the time to help you’re patients learn more about what’s going on and comforting them in a very vulnerable time in their lives. Nurses also need to be very observant of everything around them. This paper will discuss more on nursing philosophies and their impact and how my beliefs and values have shaped my views on nursing. When I think of philosophy, I think of higher thinkers like Aristotle. Never would I have thought that one day I would be coming up with my own philosophy and using it in my everyday life. Believe it or not, everyone has their own philosophy that impacts the way they carry themselves in life. Philosophy is “the study of the principles underlying conduct, thought, and of the nature of the universe” (Chitty & Black, 2011). A nurse’s personal philosophy impacts the way he or she cares for a patient. If a nurses personal philosophy is to give the patient hollistic care, then they need to sit and listen to their patient and notice their patient’s emotions, not just