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My Nursing Philosophy

Samantha Aydin

College of Nursing, University of Arizona

NURS 478: Nursing Leadership and Management in Health Systems

Professor Sara Hoogasian

April 18, 2023

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Introduction

Even from a young age when my career possibilities were limitless, I’ve always known

that nursing is my dream profession. Although there are many different avenues and specialties

within this field, nursing to me always stems from the same root – providing care to those who

need it most. When discussing care within the scope of nursing, I believe it is important to look

at a patient holistically. With a holistic approach, the nurse should consider a patient’s physical

and psychological well-being while also evaluating their spiritual and social needs. By

considering all these factors when working with a patient, the nurse may incorporate their

personal needs and concerns to provide individualized care to the patient and family. I hope to

always incorporate my focus on the patient and family into my nursing practice and mission. My

nursing mission is to deliver competent, compassionate, and holistic patient-centered care. I plan

to emphasize patient experiences and outcomes, rather than looking at their physiologic

developments alone.

My Nursing Practice

I believe that the nurse is the bridge between the healthcare team and patient. Like a true

bridge, a nurse should be reliable and facilitate the connection between the patient and their

team. While other members of the healthcare team come and go for set tasks, the nurse is the

person who forms a trusted relationship with the patient while also working with the members of

the interdisciplinary team. My personal and career values align, as I believe that strong values

should always be embodied no matter the situation. I place high value on compassion, integrity,

altruism, excellence, and pursuit of knowledge and aim to incorporate them into all aspects of

my life. I believe my greatest strength as a nurse lies in my communication and collaboration

skills, although I believe I am also a good problem solver, have a strong work ethic, and am
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teachable. These skills are what set me apart as a nurse and person as I am intrinsically motivated

to put my best effort into everything I do, aim to continue to expand my own knowledge, and

work with others to create a healing environment.

I think back to a patient I had during my preceptorship in the intensive care unit. An older

adult who had suffered a fall and had a subdural hematoma was under our care. Because of

orders from their advanced directives, they were not put on any type of ventilatory support. At

this point, the patient was surrounded by their family and loved ones who were there to say their

goodbyes. While this was not a patient I could help get better, I was still able to follow my

values as a nurse to support their family. I focused on the family and did my best to show them

compassion and provide support throughout their experience. We provided them with a

bereavement cart and worked with the interdisciplinary team to allow them to discuss their

course of action with palliative care and the hospital chaplain. Outside of the patient’s room, I

worked to learn more about their diagnosis so that I could better answer questions that the family

had for me. I answered honestly and sensitively, as I wanted to be a trusted resource for them

while still being considerate of their emotions in that moment.

Integrative Nursing Principles

I plan to implement the integrative nursing principles into my nursing practice, as these

concepts align with my own beliefs. The first integrative principle states that humans are whole

systems that are influenced by their environments (Kreitzer, 2015). This aligns with my nursing

mission as it takes a holistic approach by looking at patients’ mind, body, and spirit when caring

for them. During my pediatrics rotation, I cared for an older teenage patient. I noticed that they

seemed to be under added stress and identified what these were. In response, my nurse and I

created a calmer environment by asking someone to leave, turning down the lights, and adjusting
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the environment to help the patient relax. Additionally, I aim to promote independence in my

patients by allowing them to what they can on their own. By encouraging patients to do what

they can on their own, I promote their autonomy and implement the first principle, while still

being available for support. The second principle states that humans have an innate capacity for

healing and wellbeing (Kreitzer, 2015). This principle reminds me that as a nurse, I should

support my patients to explore their own capabilities, rather than doing tasks for them. For

example, I had a patient who, post-surgery, was unwilling to ambulate for the first time. Rather

than leaving them in bed or physically helping them, we discussed why they feared doing this

alone, and I verbalized and showed my support of them by being there. Once they realized their

own capabilities, they were able to ambulate to a chair and expressed pride for doing it alone.

The third integrative principle closely aligns with my own beliefs, as it states that nursing

is person-centered and relationship based (Kreitzer, 2015). I plan to always hold integrity as a

nurse because to have a trusting relationship with a patient, a nurse should be honest and

maintain morality. I have seen how my relationship with patients improves their experience. For

example, a patient who is seen by their doctor oftentimes stays silent when asked if they have

any questions. Once the doctor leave and I am back as their nurse, they ask all the questions they

had before, stating that they just feel more comfortable with the nurse they know. By fostering

relationships with patients and individualizing care to them, we can expect improved patient

outcomes. The fourth principle focuses on the healing impact nature has on the body (Kreitzer,

2015). I even when a patient is unable to leave the hospital, I aim to bring them closer to nature

in little ways such as opening their blinds to let in natural light and suggesting taking a walk

outside when possible. Even in my own life, I notice an improvement in my wellbeing when I

step barefoot onto grass or take a hike in nature, which I oftentimes do to recenter myself.
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The fifth integrative principle implements both conventional and integrative evidence-

based interventions into practice. Additionally, it suggests beginning with the least intensive

interventions before moving on to more invasive ones (Kreitzer, 2015). This ties in with my

value of the pursuit of knowledge and my mission to deliver competent care. I plan to always

look to both integrative and conventional interventions when communicating with the

interdisciplinary team to deliver the best possible care to our patients. I plan to base interventions

on the context of a situation and continue to expand my knowledge so that I may apply

innovative practices in the care I provide. The final integrative nursing principle focuses on the

wellbeing and health of patient caregivers (Kreitzer, 2015). I know that the wellbeing of nurses

and caregiving family members affects patient experiences and outcomes. Regarding myself, I

plan to always prioritize my well-being by taking moments to myself when I need them and

practicing my own self-care outside the hospital to prevent burnout. I will show compassion and

work towards my mission of focusing on the family to ensure that they feel supported in their

roles as caregivers.

My Impact on the Profession

I view my role as a nurse as one that expands outside the walls of the hospital, as I hope

to have an impact on the community and society at large. Coming from a cultural background

that is oftentimes underrepresented in the medical field, I see how there can be a disconnect for

many patients in this regard. Even in my own family, I see how language and culture can create

barriers in care. As a nurse, I hope to always maintain an open and accepting demeanor with my

patients so that I may learn from them and do my best to individualize my care to them. I will do

this through observation and asking how I may adjust my own behaviors to better support them. I

value diversity and hope to work in a community that does the same by placing an emphasis on
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the individual patient experience. By portraying my values of compassion, integrity, and

communication, and collaboration, I hope to continue the legacy of nursing as a trusted

profession which facilitates care for the excellent patient outcomes.

Conclusion

As I begin my career as a nurse, I will base my actions on the foundations of my beliefs,

mission, and values. Additionally, I will continue to expand my knowledge and mindset to

provide the best possible care to my patients and carry out my mission. I hope to individualize

my care to my patients’ diverse needs, show them compassion, and always maintain my own

integrity and morals in my practice. I will do my best to maintain an open mind and seek out all

possible interventions for my patients so that we as their team may provide them with individual

plans that support positive outcomes. With a lifetime worth of nursing ahead of me, I aim to

never stop learning from my patients and experiences and plan to implement one day’s new

knowledge into my next day’s practices.

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References

O’Connell, M. (2023). Integrative Nursing Principles [PowerPoint Presentation]. Arizona D2L.

https://d2l.arizona.edu/d2l/le/content/1235880/viewContent/13675368/View

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
Kreitzer, 2015