1

Professional Nursing Philosophy

Ryan Williams

Delaware Technical Institute of Technology: Nursing Department

NUR 300-602: RN to BSN Transition

Ms. Pamela McEvoy

April 23, 2023

 2

Lifelong learning is my favorite out of all the Nursing Philosophies, simply because I

find it the most inspiring. The fact that a profession demands lifelong learning but does not

exactly outline what should be learned is the focal point. Once learning is regimented, it loses its

passion and excitement. Lifelong learning as it relates to me is simply becoming more

knowledgeable year by year to enrich not only your professional life, but personal life as well.

Nursing is a hard profession, and often thankless or even villainized by patients depending on the

unit.

My personal beliefs and values relate to Lifelong learning by never wanting to be caught

off guard. There was a moment once where I had to stroke alert my patient after she had three

seizures before ten-o-clock in the morning. The moment the stroke alert team came up to the

floor, and I had to give a quick handoff summary; I was not prepared. I knew everything I

needed to know about the patient but when I needed to know it most, I cracked under the

pressure. Everything prior to the report I did great, but I could not provide an accurate last

known well time to save my life. I felt really bad at my job, and that was a terrible feeling.

Granted it was my first ever stroke alert as an actual Registered Nurse, but I vowed after that to

get my situation together so that next time I will be on top of it.

After that vow to myself, I started learning as much as I can to be prepared in those

situations and react accordingly. I just got my certifications for Trauma Nursing Core

Curriculum as well as Advanced Cardiac Life Support. Luckily, through the nursing residency

program; I was able to get a boatload of education through the classes that they provided, which

even more prepared me for the day that something goes wrong. Though learning is not

something that you can pick up and put down at your leisure, it is something that you have to be

extremely disciplined. For example, going through these classes to get my BSN is not even
 3

remotely close to easy. After going through what felt like torture of the nursing program, having

a little bit of free time, starting work and then willingly coming back and finishing it out; that is

hard. Though we vowed (and signed a contract) to continue and propel ourselves to the highest

level we can achieve.

Nursing theory in how it relates to my values and personal beliefs is constantly evolving.

Within nursing theory, I look more so towards the future. Towards development of new mediums

of care that will benefit our patients more than the current. For example, within the nurse

residency program at Christiana Care; we are completing an Evidence Based Practice project to

help improve patient outcomes and will present it at the end of our program. We specifically

chose intermittent vs long term catheterization as they relate to infection and patient outcomes.

As UTIs are a very common cause of Sepsis, we want to do everything we can to prevent such a

terrible disease.

Nursing theory to me is idealistic, it is utopian. I want to see a world with no hospital

acquired infections, or harm towards patients by non-specific or incompetent care. Nursing

theory ties into learning by continuous research to always move in the direction of improvement

and innovation.

My mind is changed, Personal Wellness is the all time most important when it comes to

being a nurse. Now let us say it loud enough for the people in the back, nursing is not easy, on

the body or the mind. You must take care of yourself and look after your health, both mental and

physical. Using correct body mechanics at work and protecting your psyche. There is something

to be said about not offering too much of your heart to patient cases in the work setting because

that unfortunately can cause more damage to yourself in the event something bad happens.
 4

My personal values and beliefs when they relate to wellness are tied very closely to my

mom. When we were kids, she would often take us out on an adventure and go see something

cool in nature or explore the city. If we were sick, she would stay home and take care of us,

watching tv all day and still finding a way to have a good time. My days off are the most

important thing to me because I need a break from dealing with people’s problems and seeing

terrible cases come in or seeing patients decline. Nature is the companion that I seek out most

often, especially places with running water to help heal my soul and take a load off my

shoulders.

Whatever it is that one might use to decompress and destress on their days off or even at

work, it should be practice often to protect your psyche and body. There are rules though, it must

be healthy. Do not enable a compulsion and claim that it is helping you destress. Our coping and

wellness strategies must be healthy for our bodies and our minds.

Conflict management is a hard one when it comes to relating with my values and beliefs.

I was always raised to dish back what was served to me. This is hard in the hospital because we

are not allowed to hit or curse out our patients, even when they do it to us. I had to learn new

ways to resolve and deescalate conflict as it arises professionally and safely. Luckily, we have

great staff and initiatives in place at the hospital to protect staff and keep patients in line. One

that we use often (mostly on visitors) is a Behavior Contract. Basically stating, if the person is

acting out of line, or aggressively, they are to leave. No ifs, ands or buts. Simple as that.

Christiana also offers great classes to help deescalate conflict. For example, CPI is a class

where you learn to defend yourself and deescalate situations when they reach their all tie worst.

Which I think is probably the most important conflict management that anyone can learn.
 5

Protecting yourself has to be the number one priority, because if you go down, who is going to

take care of the patient?

The QSEN competencies give me a layout of how to structure my professional approach

to nursing and my role as a nurse. Following the QSEN competencies follows directly with my

core values and beliefs because all I want is to be a good nurse. I want to make people feel better

when they are in a not so good situation. Centering care around each individual patient,

specifically creating a care plan for their specific presentation; always following the evidence

and basing our care on the facts and research within our nursing practice; forming bonds and

building chemistry by collaborating and working as a team; never stopping to work to improve

the quality of care provided to patients; always ensuring the absolute safety of patients in the

hospital; trusting the data and technology provided to us to make the best decisions and provide

care in a timely manor all while reducing risk of error. All of the listed competencies are

necessary when it comes to ensuring positive patient outcomes by delivering safe and effective

care.

Finally, leadership. The most daunting of them all. There will be a time for everyone,

where they will have to be a leader. Maybe for you it is next week, and for me it is next year,

regardless we must be prepared. Being a leader does not mean shelling out orders left and right

and being above anyone. Being a leader is simply leading, whether it be in the dark or in the

public eye.

Leadership within nursing has many faces: RN II, RN III, RN IV, Charge Nurse, Nursing

educator, Clinical Nursing Leader, Director of Nursing, etc. IN our journey as nurses, we are

expected to lead when we are called to do so. I am currently heading towards getting my RN II at
 6

Christiana, and after I do, I will be Charge Capable. Meaning, staffing has the opportunity to put

me as Charge. Is this scary, absolutely. Is it also exciting, absolutely.