RUNNING HEAD: Nursing Philosophy 1

My Nursing Philosophy

Lindsey S. Scott

James Madison University

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Abstract

I believe that nursing is more than caring for the illness, rather, for the whole patient. My nursing

philosophy incorporates medical knowledge and nursing skill. It also incorporates empathetic

care that respects the dignity of each patient. Nursing care should be holistic while honoring the

patients right to choose. Nursing is more than a chosen profession. Nursing is a calling and a

state of mind. This paper explores the nursing philosophy that I plan to employ through my

nursing career. It will also address the reflection, reading, and thought process that led to the

development of this philosophy.

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My Nursing Philosophy

Philosophy is defined as a theory or attitude that acts as a guiding principle for behavior

(Philosophy, 2018). This theory or attitude will vary based of the presenting person and the

subject of the philosophy. The philosophy that will be discussed is that of nursing. Nursing is a

complex profession that varies greatly between disciplines. Every nurse has their own

interpretation of what nursing is to them and what they strive for in their personal careers.

Nursing philosophy may also be influenced by the nurses’ journey to becoming a nurse. For me,

this philosophy was influenced by my journey, my experience, my past careers, and those who

have guided me through the best career choice I have made. Creating and living by a nursing

philosophy helps to make the transition from nursing being your job to nursing being your

passion.

Nursing as a Calling

Nursing was a second career choice for me. As a high school senior, it was suggested that

I consider nursing as a career. Like some teenagers, I ignored the suggestions. I took a position in

a bank where I discovered a love for working with the public. After some life changes, I found

myself in a new state unable to secure a job of the same path and I took the only available

position I was able to find at the time. I took a job as a nurses’ aide. This was supposed to be a

temporary job where they trained me onsite and provided compensation, but I discovered a

second love in the relationships I formed with my residents.

After being unable to find a job and needing additional compensation, I made the

decision to take a 16-month course to obtain my licensure as a practical nurse (LPN). I knew this

was no longer a temporary career path. After six years as an LPN, I was able to obtain my
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Associates Degree in Nursing and passed a second NCLEX exam to become a registered nurse. I

am now approximately 12 weeks away from graduating with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

I like to believe that I did not choose nursing. Instead, I believe that nursing chose me. As

a banker with several years of experience, I did not think obtaining employment would be as

difficult as it was. Nursing was the only available choice without going into food services.

Through obtaining my nurse aide certification and my LPN, I continued to look for banking jobs

available. This is what led to me taking every step along the ladder of nursing rather than

choosing a more conventional path. I am forever thankful for the struggle of finding employment

because it was this struggle that led to me to find passion and purpose in my work. It was also

this struggle that provided me with different levels of experience throughout the nursing

hierarchy.

While every nurse has a different journey from student to nurse, I do believe all nurses

have something in common. They have the passion to serve others and have the same love for

people that I do. Another thing that all nurses have in common is that the experiences that led up

to their licensure and the journey thus far are what make up the values and beliefs they have for

their job. This is the start of the creation of the nursing philosophy.

Education and Patient Care

Nursing is an ever-changing field. With nursing being an evidence-based field, nursing

policies and procedures change frequently to reflect the best care for the best outcomes. To

provide the best evidence-based care the nurses must be in a state of continued learning. Much

like the nursing field, our nursing philosophy must also be open to change. According to Denehy

(2001), “a statement of philosophy is a work in progress, it is ever changing as we change and as

the world around us changes” (p. 2).

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Formal education provides us with the foundation to start our careers. It is from this

foundation that we build our skills, concepts, and care models. It is up to the nurse to continue

with life long learning through continuing education, certification, advanced degrees, and

experience. The nurse must remain up to date on current practices to ensure that she is providing

the best care to the patient. Nursing is not only education but also uses theory and research to

help answer difficult questions related to nursing care (Black, 2017). I frequently tell new

graduate nurses who are new to my department that when the formal learning is over, it is

refined. I also tell them that learning must be a daily goal.

Becoming a Nurse

Every nurse has something that has shaped the nurse that they have become. For some, it

is a friend or a mentor while for others it is a memorable patient. For me, it was a combination of

influences that have shaped the provider I have become today.

I am fortunate to have a close friend who is also a mentor. We have worked together in

many settings and she has remained a role model to me professionally. This nurse displays

respect, compassion, professionalism, and patience daily. When beginning my journey as a

certified nursing assistant, she was the first nurse that I set out to emulate. I ensure to strive daily

to be the nurse that she displayed daily. She has also helped me to understand what it means to

be a leader. Leaders exist at all levels of nursing, including the bedside, and I strive to be one

daily.

Another large influence has been my experience. I learn something from several patients

daily. The setting I currently work in deals with complex acutely ill patients who demonstrate

new symptoms, presentations, and challenges. This helps to instill new learning experiences

daily. If I am unsure of a diagnosis, symptoms, or how a medication treats the condition, I look it
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up. I also reach out to other nurses I consider to be a resource and discuss symptoms with them

to ensure that I am understanding. Experience is not always through your profession, but through

being a patient. I have often had providers that I liked or disliked. I have taken attributes from all

those who have cared for me and built them into the nurse practice that I display daily.

Conclusion

It is my philosophy that we as nurses have the responsibility to provide empathetic,

compassionate and holistic care to patients using evidence-based practice. This philosophy is

derived from many values. These values are honesty, respect, patience, compassion, excellence

and integrity. We need to be advocates for our patients needs and safety. We must empower our

patients. Nursing is not simply a career, rather a calling to serve your patients and your

community. It cannot simply be a paycheck and cannot be treated as such.

It is my belief that education will play an important role in maintaining my philosophy.

Continued education is very important to providing excellent and competent care. It is through

learning and evidence-based research that best care practices are formed. This is essential to

providing best patient outcomes using safe care.

We should always uphold our ethical standards. If confronted with conflict between the

patients’ beliefs and those we hold to ourselves, we must remember the autonomy that the patient

has and ensure that their wishes and beliefs are followed. We have no authority to use our

personal beliefs to alter patient decisions. We must treat all patients with dignity and respect

regardless of personal beliefs.

The qualities that make a good nurse cannot be discharged at the end of shift as they are

part of that nurse as a person. We must be easy on ourselves when a mistake is made, but we

must also learn from those mistakes to prevent reoccurrence. We must also be forgiving of our
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colleagues. These nurses are out support system and our resource. We must not be quick to judge

others mistakes as we would want the same forgiveness. We must always uplift each other and

help one another.

My philosophy is one which I will stand by and honor for the duration of my nursing

profession, however long I am fortunate to call this a career.

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References

Black, B. (2017). Professional Nursing, Concepts & Challenges (8th ed.). St. Louis: Elseier.

Denehy, J. (2001). Articulating your philosophy of nursing. The Journal of School Nursing,

17(1), 1-2. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/105984050101700101

Philosophy. (2018). Retrieved from Oxford Dictionaries:

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/philosophy