Running head: NURSING PHILOSOPHY 1

Nursing Philosophy
Lacy Salazar
Diie S!a!e Uni"ersi!y
NURSING PHILOSOPHY #
Nursing Philosophy
$he philosophy o% nursing is going !o di%%er %ro& person !o person' I! depends on !he "alues(
)elie%s( and personal eperiences o% !he indi"idual' $his paper includes so&e o% &y o*n personal
eperiences *i!h nurses *hich ha"e helped !o &old &y philosophy o% nursing' I! also includes so&e
o% +ean ,a!son-s !heory o% nursing( *hich has so&e i&por!an! aspec!s !ha! I agree *i!h *hen i!
co&es !o nursing'
Personal Experiences of Caring
Un%or!una!ely I ha"e had se"eral !rips !o !he hospi!al and &os! o% !he& ha"e )een %or &y o*n
care' So&e o% &y eperiences ha"e )een horri)le and so&e o% &y eperiences ha"e )een as pleasan!
as can )e epec!ed' .y *ors! eperience *i!h a nurse happened in #/1/' ,e *ere pregnan! *i!h our
second )a)y and *e *ere ecs!a!ic' ,e had )een !rying %or se"eral years' 0arly in !he pregnancy I
had s!ar!ed )leeding hea"ily' I *en! !o see &y doc!or *here *e disco"ered I had Placen!a Pre"ia' I
*as pu! on )ed res! a! ho&e and !old !ha! i! *as going !o )e a long #1 *ee2s and !o !a2e i! easy' One
day a! 11 *ee2s I s!ar!ed passing clo!s !ha! *ere !he size o% a grape%rui!' I 2ne* !his *as no! good so
&y hus)and dro"e &e !o !he 0&ergency Depar!&en! 30D4' ,hen *e go! !here and I *as pu! in a
roo&' $he nurse ca&e in and s!ar!ed as2ing &e a)ou! &y &edical his!ory and *hy I *as !here' 5s
soon as I !old her !ha! I had Placen!a Pre"ia she s!opped *ha! she *as doing( loo2ed righ! a! &e( and
*hile shrugging her shoulders she )asically !old &e !ha! *i!h Placen!a Pre"ia I *as going !o )leed
and clo!' $ha!-s 6us! *ha! happens' $hen she ga"e &e ano!her shrug o% !he shoulders' $ha! *as all i!
!oo2' She did no! !ype any&ore( she did no! as2 any &ore 7ues!ions' She *as )asically done *i!h &e'
I *as in !ears and !ried !o eplain !he size o% !he clo!s )u! she con!inued !o re&ind &e in a "ery cold
!one !ha! i! *as nor&al' 5%!er so&e !i&e( I *as a)le !o con"ince !he& !o le! &e ha"e an ul!rasound
done !o gi"e &e so&e peace o% &ind' $he ul!rasound sho*ed &y s*ee! )a)y pa!!ing his 2nee' He
*as doing *ell' $hey sen! &e ho&e( e"en righ! a%!er I passed a large clo! in !he res!roo& and sho*ed
NURSING PHILOSOPHY 8
i! !o !he&' $his &ade &e %eel %oolish %or e"en going !o )e chec2ed' $ha! nigh! a clo! %or&ed inside o%
&y u!erus' I! gre* so )ig and so %as! !ha! i! pushed agains! &y cer"i and pu! &e in!o la)or' 9ecause
o% &y eperience in !he 0&ergency Depar!&en! earlier !ha! day I did no! *an! !o go in again and )e
sen! ho&e %eeling li2e a %ool %or e"en !hin2ing I needed help' I ended up deli"ering !he )a)y !ha!
nigh! a! &y house' He *as no! ali"e'
$he )es! eperience I ha"e had *i!h a nurse happened in .ay o% #/18' I *as a pa!ien! %or a
%ull *ee2 a! Diie Regional .edical :en!er' I had de"eloped a clo! in &y %e&oral "ein during !he 1;
!h
*ee2 o% &y pregnancy' Needless !o say( &y doc!or pu! &e on a heparin drip and s!ric! )ed res! %or an
en!ire *ee2' I had se"eral nurses !a2e care o% &e )u! no! all o% !he& cared %or &e' $he nurse(
<irginia( !oo2 such grea! care o% &e and &ade &e %eel as !hough I *as !he only reason she had gone
in!o *or2 !ha! day' $he %irs! !hing !ha! s!ood ou! !o &e *as !ha! she ca&e in!o &y roo& and s!ood
ne! !o &y )ed( she ligh!ly !ouched &y %oo!( and as2ed ho* I *as %eeling !ha! &orning' 5ll o% !he
o!her nurses ca&e in!o &y roo&( *en! s!raigh! !o !he co&pu!er and as2ed &e 7ues!ions *hile s!arring
a! !he screen' 5s !he day *en! on( <irginia con!inued !o &a2e &e %eel li2e she !ruly *an!ed !o 2no*
a)ou! &e and *ho I *as as a person and no! 6us! !he pregnan! chic2 *i!h a clo!' She as2ed &e all
a)ou! &y %a&ily( )eing pregnan!( and ho* I %el! a)ou! s!ar!ing !he nursing progra& in a %e* &on!hs'
She !old &e a)ou! her eperiences in nursing school and )eing a nurse' ,hen &y hus)and and son
go! !o !he hospi!al she sho*ed so &uch 2indness and in!eres! in &y %a&ily !ha! I *as a)le !o rela
and en6oy &y !i&e *i!h !he&' She go! &y son snac2s and drin2s and crayons and a coloring )oo2'
She eplained !o &y son !he !hings !ha! she *as doing !o &e so !ha! he *as no! scared or *orried'
She did no! spend &uch !i&e in &y roo& )u! e"ery !i&e she *as in !here( all o% !he a!!en!ion *as on
&e and &y needs' I *ould ha"e ne"er 2no*n *he!her or no! she had o!her pa!ien!s' I 2ne* !ha! she
*as gi"ing &y %a&ily and I !he )es! possi)le care and I 2no* !ha! helped &e heal'
NURSING PHILOSOPHY =
Las! se&es!er I *as a)le !o %ollo* <irginia during one o% &y clinical days' 5l!hough a! !he
!i&e *hen I *as her pa!ien! I had no idea !he a&oun! o% 2no*ledge she had( all I 2ne* *as !ha! she
*as !a2ing grea! care o% &e' ,hen I %ollo*ed her as a s!uden!( I ca&e !o %ind !ha! she is incredi)ly
s&ar! and is con!inuing her educa!ion as a nurse'
$he eperience *i!h !he 0D nurse has a%%ec!ed &e on a couple o% occasions *hen &a2ing !he
decision on *he!her or no! I should see2 care' I al&os! did no! go in!o !he 0&ergency Depar!&en!
*hen I had &y clo! )ecause I *as so a%raid !ha! I *as going !o ge! !here and !hey *ere going !o !rea!
&e li2e I *as du&)' I *as ner"ous !hey *ere going !o !ell &e !ha! i! *as &y scia!ic ner"e )o!hering
&e( !here *as no!hing !hey could do a)ou! i!( and !ha! i! *as a co&&on pro)le& *i!h pregnancy' I
!ried di%%eren! %or&s o% !rea!&en! !o relie"e !he pain including pain &edica!ions( chiroprac!ic
ad6us!&en!( res!( and a &assage' 5%!er se"eral days o% no relie%( &y &o& and hus)and %orced &e !o
go in!o !he hospi!al' I a& so !han2%ul no* !ha! !hey did'
My Nursing Philosophy
$hese !*o eperiences ha"e helped &e de!er&ine !he 2ind o% nurse I *an! !o )e' I% &y
pa!ien!s recei"e grea! care( !he ne! !i&e !hey %eel !hey need %or &edical in!er"en!ion( !hey *ill no!
hesi!a!e !o re!urn !o )e cared %or )ecause !hey did no! %eel li2e a )urden or an annoyance' ,hen I %el!
cared %or I *as a)le !o rela and &y )ody *as a)le !o ge! !he res! i! needed !o s!ar! healing' 0"en i% I
a& a nurse !ha! canno! %i &y pa!ien!-s illness or disease( I can s!ill si! and !al2 !o &y pa!ien!' I can
lis!en !o !he& as !hey epress !heir %eelings and help !he& %ind so&e peace and co&%or!' I *an! &y
pa!ien!s !o 2no* !ha! I care a)ou! !he&( so each !i&e I crea!e a care plan( !he %our &a6or concep!s o%
caring *ould )e included' I! *ould ha"e !o s!ar! *i!h &e' I ha"e !o 2eep &ysel% heal!hy so !ha! I a&
a)le !o 2eep up *i!h !he needs o% &y pa!ien!s' I *ould ha"e !o arri"e !o *or2 *i!h &y ga&e %ace on(
ready !o *or2 hard !o help i&pro"e !he *ell )eing o% &y pa!ien!s' $hen i! *ould )e necessary !o ha"e
pa!ien!s in need o% care' I *ill do e"ery!hing in &y po*er !o i&pro"e !he o"erall *ell )eing o% &y
NURSING PHILOSOPHY ;
pa!ien!s and !ha! *ould include crea!ing an en"iron&en! !ha! pro&o!es healing %or !he indi"idual and
&a2ing sure !ha! &y !eaching is e%%ec!i"e and !hey unders!and *ha! !hey need !o do *hen !hey ge!
ho&e'
Jean Watson
+ean ,a!son is a %a&ous nursing !heoris!' She is *ell 2no*n %or her !en cari!as( *hich are
cen!ered on caring as !he )asis o% her nursing philosophy' 5 %e* o% ,a!son-s cari!as include: !he
%or&a!ion o% a hu&anis!ic>al!ruis!ic sys!e& o% "alues( an ea&ple *ould )e %or &e !o !a2e care o%
so&eone *i!hou! !he concern o% *ha! I &ay recei"e in re!urn' ?ai!h>hope( !his *ill co&e in handy
*hen &odern &edicine can no longer help a pa!ien! )u! I can pro"ide a sense o% *ell )eing !hrough
)elie%s !ha! are i&por!an! !o !he pa!ien!' 5nd cul!i"a!ing o% sensi!i"i!y !o one-s sel% and !o o!hers(
*hich &eans I need !o )e a)le !o share appropria!e e&o!ions *i!h each pa!ien! as i! presen!s i!sel%
)ecause I *ill )e a)le !o pro&o!e a higher le"el o% healing as I %or& pa!ien!>nurse rela!ionships
3Noel( #/1/( p' #84'
In !he 55OHN +ournal( Noel 3#/1/4 s!a!es:
@one o% !he uni7ue %ea!ures o% ,a!sonAs $heory o% Hu&an :aring is !ha! i! s!resses !he
i&por!ance o% !he li"ed eperience o% no! only !he clien!( )u! also !he nurse' I! "alues &ul!iple
*ays o% 2no*ing and suppor!s a holis!ic( open approach !o connec! &ind( )ody( and spiri!'
Her !heory is consis!en! *i!h a 7uali!a!i"e( non>eperi&en!al( or o)ser"a!ional research
&odel' I! is one o% &any nursing !heories !ha! help nurses %ra&e prac!ice and !he nurse>clien!
rela!ionship' 3p' 1B4
0rci e! al' 3#//84( %ro& $he +ournal o% 5d"anced Nursing( discussed a s!udy !ha! applied +ean
,a!son-s &odel o% caring on ;# pa!ien!s *i!h hyper!ension !o see i% !he care i&pro"ed !he pa!ien!-s
7uali!y o% li%e and decreased !he hyper!ension' $he resul!s *ere clear and !he )lood pressure nu&)ers
NURSING PHILOSOPHY 1
dropped and !here *as a signi%ican! di%%erence %ro& )e%ore and a%!er in !he o"erall *ell )eing o% !he
pa!ien!'
Conclusion
I )elie"e !ha! as a nurse &y responsi)ili!y *ill in"ol"e &uch &ore !han ad&inis!ering
&edica!ions and !rea!ing &y pa!ien!-s physical needs' I! is i&por!an! %or &e !o !a2e i! one s!ep %ur!her
and assess !heir &en!al and spiri!ual s!a!us' I *an! !o send each o% &y pa!ien!s ho&e *i!h a co&ple!e
sense o% *ell)eing and !he only *ay I can acco&plish !his is )y es!a)lishing a helping>!rus!
rela!ionship 3one o% !he 1/ cari!as4 *hich de&ons!ra!es genuine care'
NURSING PHILOSOPHY C
Re%erences
0rci( 9'( Sayan( 5'( $or!u&luoglu( G'( Dilic( D'( Sahin( O'( E Gungor&us( F' 3#//84' $he
e%%ec!i"eness o% ,a!son-s caring &odel on !he 7uali!y o% li%e and )lood pressure o%
pa!ien!s *i!h hyper!ension' Journal of Advanced Nursing, 413#4( 18/>18B'
doi :1/'1/=1G6'181;>#1=H'#//8'/#;1;'
Noel( D' 3#/1/4' Occupa!ional heal!h nursing prac!ice !hrough !he hu&an caring lens' AAOHN
Journal, 58314( 1C>#=I 7uiz #;>1' Re!rie"ed %ro&
h!!p:GGsearch'pro7ues!'co&Gdoc"ie*G#1B8;;H1CJaccoun!idK#C/=;