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Nursing Philosophy Reflection

Lexi Leskovac

Delaware Technical Community College

NUR 460 Nursing Capstone

Dr. Wagamon

November 7, 2021
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In my nursing philosophy, I said that nursing expertise is learned overtime through

experience. I started this program the same time that I started my career. As a new graduate

nurse starting her career in the intensive care unit, amidst a pandemic, while simultaneously

earning her bachelor's degree online, I was overwhelmed to say the least. For quite a while, my

feedback from my preceptors consistently stated that I was way too hard on myself. Which I was.

I constantly compared myself to everyone around me and felt I wasn’t good enough. I felt like

my achievements in nursing school meant nothing, and that I would never get to where these

nurses were. I have been a nurse for 15 months now and I have watched my theory unfold before

my eyes. Through time and experience, I have gained more learning opportunities than I

imagined I would. I went to Thomas Jefferson University to train for our new neuro-surgical

patients, I took our unit’s first craniotomy patient, I cared for a patient with an intra-aortic

balloon pump, I did continuous renal replacement therapy, and I offered my love, support, and

empathy for many end-of-life situations. The most rewarding, “full-circle” moment that

happened recently was a new graduate nurse complimenting my level of organization and

attention to detail, stating that she hopes I become her assigned preceptor, and that she aspires to

be like me.

My nursing theory was Dr. Patricia Benner’s Clinical Wisdom in Nursing

Practice. This theory proposes that skills and understanding are developed over time through

proper educational background and various patient experiences (Nursing Theory, 2020). Dr.

Benner’s model includes five stages of clinical competence – novice, advanced beginner,

competent, proficient, and expert (Masters, 2020). My nursing philosophy and chosen nursing

theory summarizes how the new graduate nurse is at a novice level, due to lack of clinical

experience and a task-based mindset. In my nursing philosophy, I included that Dr. Benner’s
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theory provides reassurance that overtime, through clinical experience, continuing education, and

teamwork, my clinical competence as a new graduate nurse will progress to the next level of

proficiency. 15 months later, I can certainly say that my clinical competence has not only

progressed, but I have become less hard on myself. I have learned things I didn’t know that I

would, I have stepped into leadership roles that I didn’t think I would, and I have developed

confidence. Through this development, I have become more driven to seek more learning

opportunities.

My nursing perceptions, attitudes, and experiences in my young nursing career have

strongly reinforced my nursing philosophy. My philosophy mentions how nursing is extremely

complex, demanding, and how we are faced with cognitive overload. Starting my Bachelor of

Science in Nursing (BSN) at the same time of my career was an immense challenge. Initially, it

was easy to feel defeated and be hard on myself. Overtime, I developed more skills at work, I felt

more confident in my role as a nurse, and I appreciated the bigger picture of what I was doing. I

became proud of myself for achieving the goal I had set out for myself. I always knew I wanted

to work at a higher-level trauma center as my next career step. I also knew that my BSN was my

ticket to do so. Prior to beginning my job, I outlined all the classes I needed and I created a plan

to complete them within 16 months. I am so proud that I stuck to my plan. I have an interview at

a level one trauma center in Virginia next week and I will be completing my BSN next month.

Having a nursing philosophy is great to look back on and see how you have grown and

developed as an individual. My theory discusses how competent level nurses include preceptors

or charge nurses that help novice and advanced beginner nurses ensure that important patient

needs do not go unattended (Benner 1982). They help them critically think since they need

assistance in setting priorities because they operate on a task-based mindset (Benner, 1982).
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When I wrote about that in my philosophy, I never thought that at this stage, I would be

considered a competence nurse. I have trained for charge, and I have precepted new graduate

nurses, new full-time nurses, and travelers. Just as my philosophy states, skills are developed

overtime through education and experience. One of the best things I took away from having a

philosophy was the realization that every other nurse felt exactly what I felt when they first

started their jobs. I also learned that even the nurses and practitioners that I admire most have

moments of self-doubt and insecurity. Dr. Benner’s levels of nursing are not linear. We all reach

new phases in our career where we may have previously been an expert, and now we are a

novice once again. I am nervous to be a novice again at my next job, but this time I will have the

reassurance of my philosophy to remind me that it is only temporary.

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References

Benner, P. (1982). From novice to expert. The American Journal of Nursing, 82(3), 402-407.

https://doi:10.2307/3462928

Masters, K. (2020). Role Development (5th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Nursing Theory. (2020). From novice to expert.

https://www.nursing-theory.org/theories-and-models/from-novice-to-expert.php