The Importance Of Nursing Philosophy

Caring is the essence of nursing. As a nurse, we establish a caring relationship with our patients, and provide the best individualize care and interventions to promote healing. Jean Watson’s focus of practice is the patient and the theory places the patient in the context of the family, the community and the culture. The major concepts of Jean Watson’s theory of caring are transpersonal caring relationships, caring moments/caring occasions and the ten caritas processes. I will describe how this theory can be applied in practice and show an example from my own practice.

All healthcare professionals should applied therapeutic communication and understanding of effective communication in health care setting to create a positive relationship with the patient and families. As stated by the article “Good communication is not only based on the physical abilities of nurses, but also on education and experience” (Lambrini & Ioanna, 2014). Learning how to provide effective communication is a beneficial application to nursing practice since nurse

Building therapeutic relationships allows the patient to feel supported and understood and may help to provide health information, which may otherwise be held in a nontherapeutic relationship. Other values I practice often are advocating, listening, autonomy, and beneficence. I truly believe everyone is an expert in their own health and deserve the time to express their concerns. I also feel very strongly about people having the right to be in charge of their health. In my nursing practice, I vow to always listen to my clients and advocate to promote a holistic well-being of the individual.

We as nurses are here to restore health and prevent further health detriments through caring for our patient. While giving care and preventing illness is the central idea of nursing, none of it would be possible without the foundation of knowledge learned in nursing school. A requirement for professional status would be “A profession has a theoretical body of knowledge leading to defined skills, abilities, and norms.” This statement summarizes so much of what I love about nursing. Nurses are constantly throughout the day putting their extensive knowledge to use. This in turn shows how well defined the skills and abilities of a nurse actually are.

Nursing is a science and an art (Appleton, 1993). To become a nurse one must gain scientific knowledge and understanding of the human body in order to care for their patients; this is done in the classroom. More importantly though a nurse must possess the ability to care, so they can provide top care for their patients. Clinical settings allow this learning to happen as one gets to experience how important a caring partnership between the patient and nurse is (Finfgeld-Connentt, 2008). A nurse needs to have the ability to skillfully and morally take a course of action to care for their patient, while intertwining a sensitive and intimate connection with them (Finfgeld-Connett, 2008).

I am a licensed practice nurse who is compassionate, competent, and displays empathy for all my patients. My personal and professional experiences help me contribute to clients’ recovery and wellness which gives me a sense of pride that strengthens my commitment to this profession. I enjoy making people feel better and that is what drove me to this profession and is currently driving me to further my career in the nursing field. I am currently pursuing a degree as a registered nurse at Gwinnett Technical College. I believe this degree will help me to furthering my career, which will allow me to expand my passion to care for the sick and ill.

My philosophy of nursing integrates the importance of knowledge base practice of medicine, combined with addressing holistic needs of the patient and family, including the physical, psychological, cognitive, emotional, spiritual and social care (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network, 2010). Additionally, a vital aspect of nursing is effective interpersonal relationships with other healthcare professionals to promote quality patient care. Moreover, my philosophy includes the importance the client-nurse relationship to aid in health promotion to prevent illness and increase the level of health of clients. Factors Influencing the Development of Personal Philosophy My philosophy is based on my personal values and beliefs as it relates to the body of work in nursing. The practice of nursing not only involves applying knowledge but the ability to differentiate the needs of the client and being empathetic to their needs.

Each nurse has their own set of values and practices that affect how they care for patients. Through my education I have been well informed about all of the parts of nursing that will make a great nurse. All patients deserve equal care and they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. I want to be a nurse that focuses on educating patients on how to better their quality of life. Each patient should be treated with a holistic approach and be a part of their own care.

My philosophy involves having a strong base knowledge of medicine as well as being able to provide compassionate patient-centered care. I believe nursing is holistic and committed to achieving the best patient outcome. My belief of nursing being holistic is that it involves a person, environment, health, and nursing. I also believe that it is extremely important for nurses to be able to work in interprofessional teams as well as work together with other healthcare professionals to stimulate superior patient care. My personal nursing philosophy with be something I continually follow and strive for throughout my career.

As a nurse practitioner, I will evoke a sense of moral and hope in the patient and in my work team, as I have in the past. With the increased knowledge I will have under my belt, I will make the best suggestions for my patients. If given this opportunity, I will become a small part of an enormous community of nurse practitioners. To conclude, my personal belief is that, education is a never ending process and by getting more and more knowledge, I am able to justify my position in society. My understanding is, that the future of medical care lies in how well you treat your patients and how well one understands the background of the patient.