My Nursing Philosophy

After completing my undergraduate education at the University of Arizona, I have developed my

own personal philosophy of nursing. To me, nursing is the opportunity to make a positive impact

in someone’s life each and every day. I believe that the core of quality nursing care is having

compassion for every patient I care for. According to Merriam-Webster, compassion is

“sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it.” As nurses,

we must remain aware of the position our patients are in. To ensure quality care is delivered, we

need to retain the desire to alleviate our patient’s distress, whether physical, mental, or spiritual.

Every patient is different and has their own unique needs that need to be addressed. For some

patients, this is technical nursing care such as giving an injection or inserting a nasogastric tube.

For others patients, this is a listening ear and a hand to hold.

This philosophy translates into my own nursing practice. With every patient I care for, I put

myself in their position, asking myself ‘how would I feel about the care I am receiving today?’

Taking care of every patient the same way I would like to be cared for helps me provide the best

possible nursing care. An important skill to exercise while providing nursing care is avoiding

distraction. This is critical when completing tasks such as medication administration, but also

when speaking with a patient. When a patient is speaking, the use of active listening can help

identify patient needs that may not be immediately obvious.

As nurses, we have the responsibility to continue our education throughout our careers. Along

with compassion, quality nursing care requires the use of the most up-to-date evidence- based

practice. Staying informed on current research results in patients obtaining the best possible

outcomes based on scientific research at that time.

Finally, I believe teamwork is a critical aspect of nursing care that must be incorporated into

every patient’s care. Teamwork is combining one’s own knowledge with the expertise of those

around them. In healthcare this means working respectfully with one’s own and other disciplines

to provide the best possible care for the patient. Teamwork can also mean stepping up to help

others when it is needed. A teamwork mentality requires the understanding it is the entire

healthcare team’s responsibility to ensure all patients are receiving excellent care.
 References

Merriam-Webster. (2020). Compassion. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/compassion.