Nursing Philosophy

In addition to the ANAs definition, each nurse contributes their personal values,
beliefs, and professional ethics. These two components underscore the complexity of
modern nursing and the importance of gaining insight from identifying a personal
nursing philosophy.

My personal nursing philosophy is a critical tool which contributes to my

professional development and promotion of good patient care. The aspects of nursing
that resonate most with me are advocacy, integrity, and lifelong learning.

Advocacy

I strive to meet each patient where they are at so that I can help to ensure their
rights, safety, and well-being. As nurses, we encounter people when they are most
vulnerable. Through the nurse-patient relationship, we encourage the autonomy of our
patients as individuals and help maintain their sense of dignity and self-worth. I believe
that through advocacy, we work as partners with patients to redirect their sense of
vulnerability to achieve the best possible outcome.

Integrity

The word integrity is a broad term, but I believe it means to act in ways
consistent with doing the right thing. I view integrity as going beyond, taking the extra
step, when necessary to help a patient overcome illness. Additionally, this value holds
true in my view of teamwork and my interactions with my colleagues.

Lifelong learning

The intricacies of human health mean that care is multifaceted. My view is that
we have a personal responsibility to remain current with skills proficiency, empirically-
based knowledge, and interpersonal competence so that we can make the best-
informed decision toward the restoration of the health for our patients.

My values and beliefs as an individual are compassion, honesty, persistence,

lifelong learning, and family. I use these to make personal decisions in my every day life.
The qualities that make a good nurse cannot be turned off at the end of a shift, but are
a part of me as a person. Necessarily, my personal and professional philosophies are
aligned because my personal values overlap with my professional beliefs about nursing.

Finally, I remind myself that even though I always try to do my best, I am human,
and am not perfect. When I encounter personal or professional setbacks, I examine the
situation, and try to learn from it so that I stay on track with what I believe are best
nursing practices.