Ashley Campbell

Personal Philosophy of Nursing

When people talk about nurses, the words that are generally used reveal the high

level esteem placed on our profession; words like noble, caring, honorable, trustworthy,

and compassionate. Nurses must subscribe to a set of ethical principles that uphold the

perception and reality of the profession and it is my personal mission to do just this. The

number one priority in my career is to act as the best patient advocate that I can be. All of

my ethical beliefs, in one way or another, help to support this primary goal.

Firstly, I believe in the principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence. I strive to

always take an active role in the wellbeing of my patients, working towards good health

and positive outcomes. I also work towards preventing harm to my patients by always

performing tasks within my scope of practice and maintaining the most up-to-date

nursing knowledge. Another ethical principle that is very closely related to these efforts is

the idea of patient autonomy. In order to be a proper patient advocate, I believe that

nurses, including myself, must always give priority to the wishes and beliefs of the

patient.

Personal accountability is another principle that I strongly believe in. Being a

good nurse, and a good patient advocate, requires competency and accountability. The

best way to maintain competent, evidence-based practice is to pursue advanced

credentials, participate in continuing education, and to stay abreast of current nursing

literature. Throughout my nursing career, I intend to expand on my education of the

profession so that I may always practice competent and skilled nursing care.
 There is one characteristic that functions as a sort of glue, holding all of these

ethical and professional principles together and making them cohesive: compassion. All

humans have the capacity for deep compassion but it is our job as nurses to cultivate and

protect our instinct to help people and empathize with them. To accomplish this, I intend

to be aware of my own well-being and to practice daily self-care so that I can be

authentic and present in all of my interactions with my patients.