Running head: PERSONAL NURSING PHILOSOPHY 1

Personal Nursing Philosophy

Mary Ellen Dietz R.N.

Delaware Technical Community College

NUR 300 RN to BSN transition

PERSONAL NURSING PHILOSOPHY 2

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to discuss and develop my personal nursing philosophy. I will

discuss the importance of education, specifically attaining my BSN. I will examine the nursing

theory based on Imogene Kings theory of goal attainment. I will also discuss personal wellness

and conflict management and how it pertains to my nursing practice. Finally, I will discuss the

importance of leadership. My hope is that this nursing philosophy will help describe and guide

my current and future nursing practice.

PERSONAL NURSING PHILOSOPHY 3

Personal nursing philosophy

My personal nursing philosophy is based on giving the patient as much control over their

wellbeing as possible. I am have a strong belief that every patient has the ability to be involved

in their care, at any level. When we look at a patient as a whole person and not just a multitude

of disease processes, we can begin to formulate a plan for the best outcomes possible.

Imogene Kings theory

Imogene Kings theory of goal attainment is centered on the concept that the nurse and

the patient communicate information, set goals together and then take action to achieve those

goals. The topic of motivational interviewing mirrors this concept.(webpage) Motivational

Interviewing has grown in popularity, in particular in the mental health field, and allows the

patient to guide the nurse with their specific goal and needs. The primary objective of this work

is to facilitate a collaborative, personalized consoling stance where the patient move into the

planning phase of their care. (Lewis p.197)

Education

The importance of education in todays growing and competitive nursing field is of the

utmost importance to new nurses. Most hospital systems now are magnet status. This means

that a vast majority of their nurse must have a Bachelors level nursing or higher. Many of these

hospital systems now are helping to pay for higher education. This benefits both the professional

nurse and the hospital system. It is my personal belief that the associates level nurse is more

prepared for bedside patient care. The program that I graduated from would not allow an

incompetent nurse to graduate based on their care of a patient.

PERSONAL NURSING PHILOSOPHY 4

Personal Health/Wellness

Physical Health

My current state of physical health is deceptive. I look thin and fit, but truthfully,

I am a physical mess. I went through a divorce and finished my RN last year, which was

extremely stressful. My diet is terrible and I get little to no exercise. I have been working on

getting more physical activity. I walk as often as I can and try to eat a better diet, but I defiantly

have a long way to go. My plan to improve my physical wellbeing includes small steps. Cooking

dinner three nights a week, walking three times a week, and maintaining time for myself to be

still. I think with small, attainable goals, I can reach a better state of physical wellbeing. Studies

have shown that more than half of all nurses are overweight or obese. (American nurse p.15)

While this is a staggering statistic, it makes sense to me. In the practice of nursing, you take

care of other people. Often times, we work long hours, miss holidays and special occasions, to

provide that care. This leaves us little time to take care of our physical bodies. I think an

interesting concept to think about in this context is the enormity of the charting that we have

to do as nurses. After completing and endless stream of patient focused care, we then have to

sit at the computer and chart every heartbeat, breath and bowel movement for the day. At my

place of employment, and most others, we are not allowed to eat or drink at the nurses

station. It is my observation that once we get done all of our work, we are so starved for food

that we reach for the easiest, and usually not most healthy options for meals. It would be

interesting to delve into this topic more as I move along through this program. Is the increasing

weight of our nurses congruent with the overwhelming about of paperwork and charting we

have to accomplish?
PERSONAL NURSING PHILOSOPHY 5

Spiritual Health

My current state of spiritual health is probably the best it has been in my entire

life. I have found that praying, meditation and yoga practice has helped me immensely in

dealing with the stressors of life. I like to incorporate this into my nursing practice quite

frequently. I see patients in the urgent care that are often times going through a stressful

event. Most times, people dont even realize how much stress they are under until someone

asks them. I like to remind my patient, which also reminds, me, to take a moment and breathe

through the day. Sometimes, just two full minutes of silence can help clear your mind and help

you focus on the important tasks at hand.

Social Health

I have always been a very social person. For as long as I can remember, I have

always had a huge circle of friends. Maintaining relationships get more difficult the older I get. I

think this is mainly due to raising children. Once I became a mother, my social relationships

took a back seat. That was until, I realized how vital those relationships were to my survival.

We are not an island is a term frequently used in nursing. I think this is applicable to every

aspect of my life. It is because of my strong interpersonal relationships, that I have been able to

reach out for help in my worst times.

PERSONAL NURSING PHILOSOPHY 6

Emotional Health

Today, I feel emotionally strong. On any given day this is the area that can

fluctuate. I have children, school, work, an ex-husband and a boyfriend. At any point, one of

these central parts of my life can cause emotional stress, therefore leading to emotional strain

on myself. With regard to one negative person in my life, I am realizing not everything he says

or does requires a reaction, therefore, allowing me to maintain control of my emotional health.

This strategy is something I plan to use frequently in all aspects of my life. Patients can become

combative or abusive at times. When we step back and realize that the emotional abuse that

they are tossing towards us, had nothing to do with us, then we can begin to try to dissect the

real problem and get them refocused.

Intellectual Health

This area is one I am constantly improving on. I am enrolled in school, which

helps me grow professionally. I work with some amazing doctors and practitioners that love to

teach. I find that I am the most experienced nurse at my particular work place right now, and I

am looking for a growth opportunities within the health system. I find that if I am not being

intellectually stimulated, I get complacent. Complacency has no place in medicine. Thankfully, I

have recognized this before I am checked out, but I feel as though if Im not being challenged

mentally, Im not reaching my full potential.

PERSONAL NURSING PHILOSOPHY 7

Leadership/Conflict Management

Being a strong and flexible leader is of the utmost importance to being a productive

nurse. A leader can determine the tone and pace of an entire unit. The nurse leader is looked

upon for guidance with tasks and emotional support of their staff. If a leader is not willing to

pitch in and help their staff, there is a breakdown and can in turn effect patient care drastically.

If you are a leader that is willing to assist any person on your team with any task at hand, you are

sure to garnish their loyalty. Having a loyal staff will help staffing ratios and will also increase

productivity. People will respond how you treat them. If your staff always observes you staying

late to assist them, they will be more willing to help you when you ask them for a task to be

completed.

In this class we took a personality test. I found it so interesting that most of us were found

to be in the same personality type, consul. This personality type seems to fit well with the nurse

that has a more leadership driven path. It is my belief that we are all in that same belief structure

based on the fact that we have all chose to continue our education as Bachelor level nurses.

In conclusion, my personal nursing philosophy will change and evolve as my practice

evolves. I think having a foundation of giving the patient the rights and responsibilities to their

care will always be the guiding cornerstone to my nursing practice.

PERSONAL NURSING PHILOSOPHY 8

References

http://nursing-theory.org/theories-and-models/king-theory-of-goal-attainment.php

Healthy Nurses: Perspectives on Caring for Ourselves. (2014). American Nurse, 46(5),

15.

Lewis, T. F., Larson, M. F., & Korcuska, J. S. (2017). Strengthening the Planning Process

of Motivational Interviewing Using Goal Attainment Scaling. Journal Of Mental Health

Counseling, 39(3), 195-210. doi:10.17744/mehc.39.3.02