Personal Nursing Philosophy

University of Arizona – College of Nursing

NURS 478: Nursing Leadership and Management in Health Systems

Professor Sarah Hoogasian and Philip Moya

October 26, 2022

 Introduction
Each nurse has a distinct reason that has guided them down the challenging pathway to

the nursing profession. Within this paper, I will be discussing my personal experience regarding

my choice to become a registered nurse, how I view nursing, what truly matters to me in this

profession, and how I feel I can make a lasting contribution on the health of my patients.

Personally, the profession of nursing means showing up and providing care to individuals on,

possibly, the worst day of their lives. It also means unselfishly comforting an individual when

they need it most and ensuring that they always feel heard and understood. Becoming a nurse is

the opportunity to make a lifelong impact on someone’s life. In accordance with my view of

nursing, I have written a mission statement that encompasses my personal overarching goal as a

registered nurse which is: “As a nurse, I aim to provide the best quality and individualized care

to patients in order to improve their physical health as well as their mental health. I strive to

provide empathy, sensitivity, a sense of dignity, and a positive and long-lasting impact on each

of my patients.” Throughout my career, I hope to maintain this goal and the mindset necessary to

achieve it.

Body: Elaboration on Personal Views of Nursing and the Six Integrative Nursing

Principles

To continue, when choosing a career, the question is always: “Why?”. Of all possible

careers, nursing is certainly a challenging one; however, I believe the rewards this path offers

significantly outweigh the hardships, and that is my fundamental reason for choosing to become

a registered nurse. I have seen this through my experience, personally and professionally, and

know the remarkable impacts nurses make on the lives of uncountable individuals. In 2011, my

family of five was in a traumatic motor vehicle accident in which our car’s left front tire blew
out, causing the vehicle to flip twice in the air over oncoming traffic and once on the desert

ground. After landing on all four tires, right-side up, I peered at my mother in the driver’s seat

and saw blood pouring down her face as she was partially scalped with a broken neck. As well as

my mother, my father’s injuries left him almost immobile as he broke twelve ribs, two vertebrae,

and his right scapula. Both alive, my mother and father were transported by ambulance to the

nearest hospital for emergency care. This is when I first experienced the magical work of the

emergency room nurses. Without their immediate care, each of my parents may have not

survived and would have left their triplets behind, which included my brother, sister, and myself.

Entering this specific profession is allowing me to have the opportunity to give back what these

healthcare professionals did for my parents and is truly the greatest gift of my life.

This profession holds a major significance and importance within my life. To be a nurse

is to be there for individuals in a difficult time of their life. To be a nurse is to save lives. The

work this specialized career performs can be considered one that is most important to the safety

of the society. It is essential that an individual who holds this profession cares for patients as

wholistic beings while putting aside biases and negative perceptions. Many patients do not

receive the care they deserve as humans, and that is what makes nursing so important to me as it

is the opportunity to unselfishly provide health care to those that are in need. Advocacy is also a

significant role of a nurse and is an element I plan to carry through my nursing career to ensure

patients are being treated with the dignity, respect, and empathy they deserve.

As an individual, my core values consist of integrity, empathy, continuous learning and

personal growth, and hard work. Because I choose to follow these in my daily life, I hope to

demonstrate each throughout my profession as a nurse. Specifically, I believe being empathetic,

participating in continuous education, and integrity are at the core of the nursing profession.
Without each of these factors, the best quality care for patients would not be possible, and patient

health would be compromised. Because these core values drive this concept, my personal values

align with my mission statement and core beliefs as a nurse of providing patients with the best

care. As a nurse, there must be an openness to continuously learn as each patient is different and

there is a revolving door of research that may change best practices. As well as this, nurses face

difficult decisions throughout their entirety of their career which is where integrity comes in

place. Without honesty and strong moral principles, nurses would not have the ability to guide

these hard decisions in the best interests of their patients. Best care also incorporates the ability

to listen, understand, and take on the feelings of others which is where empathy is essential. I

plan to practice these core values and beliefs throughout my career as a registered nurse for the

best interest of the patient.

In accordance with my core beliefs and values as nurse, I aim to embody the qualities that

align with my personal nursing mission and philosophy to make a safe, effective, and caring

nurse. I believe the most important qualities as a nurse incorporate those that ensure the patient is

receiving the care necessary to meet their needs and wishes. These qualities include compassion,

patience, dependability, kindness, and flexibility. I embody these characteristics as an individual

who is willing to show kindness, empathy, and patience to each of my patients knowing that they

are experiencing a time of difficulty within their life. As well as this, it is essential to be reliable

in order for patients to feel as if they have a trusting relationship with their caregiver, and I

possess this quality. I will be gracious in carrying out the duties of my profession and making my

patients feel certain that I have their best interests in mind.

In my future practice I hope to exemplify the core values and qualities that make an

effective and caring nurse. By exemplifying these, I hope to make a long-lasting impact on not
only my patients, but the profession of nursing as well. To do this, I strive to utilize evidence-

based practice that shapes my nursing care into the most effective practice for my patients. For

continuation of maintaining competency on the best practices for patients, I will ensure that I join

the nursing organization that aligns with my unit and that I am following the most current

evidence from research. I hope to contribute my hard work, dedication, and drive to continuously

improve the nursing profession. I will set an example for other nurses to follow to allow the

development of a safe nursing culture and will provide leadership during necessary times. With

leadership, I will make sure I speak up against unsafe and unethical practices to guarantee that

patient safety and dignity is not compromised. I will always advocate for what is right for the

patients as well as my colleagues, to maintain an effective place of working as well as healing.

In order to fulfill my objective of being a great nurse, it is essential to integrate the six

Integrative Nursing Principles into the care of patients. These six principles emphasize health

and wellbeing as a whole and focus on the concept that humans are whole beings with the

capacity for well-being, mentally, spiritually, and physically. The first integrative nursing

principle states: “human beings are whole systems inseparable from and influenced by their

environment” (Kreitzer, 2015, p.3). This is essential in nursing care of a patient as it is important

to assess the patient’s environment and implement actions that will address the patient’s

environment with purpose to promote comfort and healing. To uphold this, I will frequently

assess each of my patients’ environments and evaluate what may be detrimental to their healing

or mindset. In addition to this, I will also integrate the principle that humans have an innate

nature of healing and to help them do this, the patient must be in an adequate space, mentally and

physically (Kreitzer, 2015). To address this principle in my nursing care, I will show kindness

and compassion to patients as these traits support the body’s innate capacity of healing. The third
principle states “Nature has healing and restorative properties that contribute to health and

wellbeing” (Kreitzer, 2015, p. 4). Knowing this principle, I will ensure that I am incorporating

nature into their healing process. For instance, I could open a patient’s blinds in their room, take

them outside if appropriate, or show them a view from the hospital window. The fourth principle

means having an effective nursing-patient relationship that is patient-centered (Kreitzer, 2015).

As a nurse, I will apply this principle by discussing options and providing active listening and

empathy to each of my patients to form a trusting bond and have a patient-centered approach.

Wen discussing options for patient treatment, I will offer the least invasive intervention first in

my nursing care as well as implement a full range of integrative therapies, such as breathing

techniques before use of medication to help alleviate pain, to embody the fifth principle

(Kreitzer, 2015). Lastly, the sixth principle states “integrative nursing focuses on the health and

wellbeing of caregivers as well as those they serve” (Kreitzer, 2015, p. 5). To ensure that I am

applying this principle, I will participate in self-care activities, such as exercising daily, to

prevent burnout and compassion fatigue. As stated, these principles are essential to integrate

throughout the practice of nursing in order to promote a wholistic approach that provides a

proper healing and recovery for the patient.

Conclusion

The profession of nursing is one of the most rewarding careers that exist in today’s

workforce. However, it is also a difficult and demanding career, so that is why it is essential to

develop and follow a nursing philosophy that embodies a compassionate and moral basis of care.

When my nursing career becomes challenging, I will remember my own personal nursing

philosophy and the qualities I need to possess in order to be an effective and impactful nurse. I

will carry this mindset and these expectations throughout my career to be the best nurse I can be.
 References

Kreitzer M. J. (2015). Integrative nursing: application of principles across clinical

settings. Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal, 6(2), e0016.

https://doi.org/10.5041/RMMJ.10200