Personal Nursing Philosophy Paper

Sarah Medeiros

College of Nursing, University of Arizona

NURS 478: Nursing Leadership and Management in Health Systems

Professor O'Connell and Professor Hoogasian

November 10, 2022

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Introduction

When I think about nursing, I am overwhelmed with emotions of pride, excitement, and

honor. The field of nursing is such a unique career that allows a person the privilege of being

able to provide care to someone during their most vulnerable and difficult times. As a soon-to-be

registered nurse, I promise to take on the responsibility of upholding integrity, compassion,

respect, as well as providing holistic, patient-centered, and evidence-based care for all my future

patients regardless of their race, sex, age, sexual orientation, religion, language, or culture.

Body of Paper

My philosophy on nursing is based around the idea that it is a privilege to take care of

others, not just a career. Nurses have the opportunity to be a part of deeply intimate moments in

their patients’ lives and it is important to stay conscious of the significant impact that we can

have on these individuals. Patients are far more than their condition, or their room number and it

is vital that nurses continue to remind themselves of that. As nurses, we have the responsibility to

advocate for our patients and vocalize their desires and needs when no one else will listen to

them or they are unable to speak for themselves. One of the integrative nursing principles that

touches on this concept states discussing how care is “person-centered and relationship-based”

(Krietzer, 2015). Nurses should aim to create supportive and trusting relationships with their

patients in order to make them feel heard. The plan of care is up to the patient’s discretion and

allowing a person the space to make their own medical decisions is a necessary step in creating

this healthy patient-nurse relationship. Therefore empathy, respect, and unbiased care are all

qualities that a nurse must possess. Implicit biases cannot cloud one’s perspective. Instead, they

must be acknowledged and reevaluated because every single individual deserves the right to

equal and ethical care. For example, I had a patient who coded and unfortunately passed due to
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an aortic dissection while completing my preceptorship in the emergency department. It was the

family’s wish to have the chaplain come see the patient before they took his body, which to some

people may not be their personal wish when thinking about death. This is a moment where

healthcare workers who have implicit biases towards a certain religion must reframe their

thought process and call for a chaplain because it is what their patient and the family want, which

is all that matters. This devastating time is centered around the patient and their needs, not the

personal feelings that the nurse may have.

I also believe that it is a nurse’s duty to stay educated on all current health science and

best practices. We owe our patients the highest quality of care from evidence-based research and

nothing less. Nonmaleficence is a key ethical principle that is discussed within the context of

nursing, meaning do no harm (Rosenberg, 2021). Nurses must be informed of all levels of care

from least to most intensive to minimize the amount of pain caused. This is addressed in

integrative nursing principle #5, which highlights the importance of utilizing reliable evidence

and a wide range of therapeutic modalities to promote the healing process in a manner that starts

with the least invasive treatment and progressively becomes more invasive based on needs.

(Krietzer, 2015). There is so much beyond solely medications to help treat individuals'

conditions when they come into the hospital. As nurses, we should explore these alternative

options to avoid inflicting more discomfort on our patients. This concept is further discussed in

integrative principles #1, which reflects how human beings are going to be impacted by their

surrounding environment (Krietzer, 2015). Certain holistic and environment-based modalities

such as closing the door to make the patient’s room quieter and turning off the lights can help

decrease stress and allow the body time to heal. Anytime I have a patient who comes in with a

headache, I always make sure to turn off the lights to provide them with a calm and relaxing
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environment. Along with the setting of the hospital environment, I believe that it is very useful to

incorporate nature into the healing experience as well. Integrative nursing principle #3 represents

the ability of nature to provide healing properties that foster health and wellbeing (Krietzer,

2015). I believe that nature has the power to bring peace and restore energy in those who are

sick. I personally was a patient in the ICU during COVID-19 when no guests were allowed to

enter the hospital. I was a lonely and terrified 20-year-old in the hospital for the first time with a

massive oak tree covering the one window that I had in my room. I did not see sunlight for

almost a week, and finally on my way to a CT scan the transporter offered to take the long route

so that I could sit by the big window for a few minutes and feel the sunlight. This was a pivotal

turning point for me both mentally and physically on my journey to healing and something that I

never forgot. To experience the daylight and feel the hope that it brought me was nothing short

of magical. That moment gave me the motivation to keep fighting. Since then, I have promised

that I will incorporate nature in any capacity that I can for my patients whether it be opening the

blinds in their room or taking them for a stroll down the hall to the nearest window. Along with

the influence of our environment, integrative nursing principle #2 mentions that human beings

are born with an “innate capacity” for health (Krietzer, 2015) which is something nurses must

keep in mind. The human body is capable of healing itself, however, outside influences such as

the quality of care received, and the environment provided play important roles in how quickly

the body can restore its health. We must be mindful of this and always provide the most

therapeutic care possible.

A final aspect of my philosophy of nursing that I want to address is the need for nurses to

provide self-care. It is impossible for someone to take care of others at their highest ability when

they are not taking care of themselves. We must fuel ourselves so that we are energized
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physically and mentally to be the best support for our patients. This is the general theme of

integrative nursing principle #6, which I constantly come back to when I am feeling low.

Something that I do to make sure that I am ready to conquer the consuming tasks of being a

nurse is working out in my free time. Exercise allows me the time to decompress, process my

thoughts, and show my body some love. After a workout, I am eager to perform at my peak and

share the rush of endorphins that I am feeling with others around me.

Conclusion

Nursing is a field that I am beyond passionate about and am beaming with pride to be a part of. I

do not take the incredible responsibility of taking care of others lightly. I will continue to push

myself to learn more each day and be the most compassionate and respectful nurse that I can be.

My patients deserve the highest quality of care and I have every intention of giving them nothing

short of that. I will continue to pour love into myself in order to fill my own cup, but also be able

to pour my heart and soul into others as well. I look forward to this journey and cannot wait to be

a bright light in someone's cloudy day.

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Reference Page

Kreitzer, M. J. (2015, April 29). Integrative nursing: Application of principles across clinical

settings. Rambam Maimonides medical journal. November 10, 2022, from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4422455/

Rosenberg, S. (2021, April 28). Why ethics in nursing matters. Southern New Hampshire

University. November 10, 2022, from

https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/health/ethics-in-nursing#:~:text=Non

%2Dmaleficence,negligent%20care%20of%20a%20patient.