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Nursing Philosophy

Eretta C. Booth

NSG 270

Blue Ridge Community College

March 29th, 2022

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Nursing Philosophy

What is nursing to me? Nursing is putting aside all political opinions, ethical differences,

physical appearances, and hate to take care of and provide care for a person at a low point in

their health. Nursing is a passion that is driven by caring and feeling empathy for another. It is

the genuine feeling of wanting to better someone’s life and leaving a lasting memory that

changes their life. A nurse is a friend you did not know you had until you met them. They are

your advocate, ally, and shoulder to cry on when you feel alone. A patient once said that nurses

are Heaven's angels, but they are on Earth. Nurses go above and beyond their calling; they are

the first to arrive and the last to leave, but they do not settle for average.

While in clinical, I have developed nurse-patient solid bonds that will forever impact me.

Last semester in the Labor and Delivery Unit, I took care of a young mom who had just given

birth to her firstborn. She proceeded to tell me that she was all alone, and she had just gotten off

the phone with the father, who did not want to be a part of the child's life. I could see she was

upset, so I asked her, "Is everything okay?” She began to tell me that she did not make the best

choices before she got pregnant by participating in recreational drug use and that she was scared

to raise her child alone and that she did not feel like a mom since she could not breastfeed and

relied on her mother for a lot. I began to tell her that my mom raised me as a single mother and

gave me the best life that she could. I told her that things happen in life that makes us grow as

individuals and can change us for the better. I told this young mother that she did not know it yet,

but her getting pregnant happened for a reason and that she needed her child, and that she will

forever have someone in her life that needs her. As she began to smile and wipe her tears, she

asked me if her baby was able to bond with her in other ways. I told her that bottle-feeding

versus breastfeeding is just milk and that she will be able to connect with her newborn by their
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first bath, their first steps, and their first words. After sitting up, she said, "you are right; my child

saved me." This bond I had formed with this patient was one of many that highlights my values

as a nurse. Being her advocate, letting that patient know that mistakes happen, but you can only

go up and that I was her biggest supporter forever changed me. My greatest asset as a future new

graduate is my ability to relate with patients by sharing instances that happened throughout my

life. Having a patient trust you and rely on you is something I value very much in my patient

care.

In my future nursing career, I hope to change the way people view life. While this is a

heavy and broad statement, I can start with small acts of kindness. By being kind to one another

when it may be tough to do so or giving someone a helping hand. I will be right by my patient's

side in my future profession as their world is forever changed. By screaming mothers, scared

fathers, and nervous first-time parents, I hope that after all is said and done, they will remember

the nurse who never left their side and gave them unconditional support and encouragement. I

hope to provide resources and empowerment for parent(s) who may be scared or who may have a

sick child that requires numerous amounts of care. I hope to provide change with new evidence

based practices that can improve processes and prevent adverse events.

As stated throughout this paper, nurses are extraordinary people who are selfless,

compassionate, and dedicated to the betterment of their patients. As a future nurse, I take pride in

my ability to relate with my patients and establish trust with them. Jones (2014) states that nurses

are resources for patients' health and demand change. By adapting to specific situations,

providing unique, compassionate, and individualized care can leave a lasting imprint on a

patient. Being accountable for mistakes, having a voice for not only myself but for my future
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patients are values that I stand for and is shown by the words of Albinsson et al., (2021) “a role

model takes care of human beings” (p. 4).

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References

Albinsson, Carlsson-Blomster, M., & Lindqvist, G. (2021). In search of a caring relationship -

Nursing students’ notions of interactions in the nurse-patient relationship. Nurse

Education in Practice, 50(January), 102954–102954.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2020.102954

Jones. (2014). I found myself in nursing. Nursing New Zealand (Wellington, N.Z. : 1995), 20(5),

24–24.