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Nursing Philosophy Reflection Journal

DeJana Rodriguez

Delaware Technical Community College

NUR 460: Nursing Capstone

Dr. Karen Wagamon

November 5, 2023
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Nursing Philosophy Reflection Journal

In my original nursing philosophy, I stated a nurse’s individual’s beliefs are revealed in

the care that they provide, and I still believe that statement to be true. A nurse’s philosophy is

indeed a foundation as a professional practicing professional. I previously reflected on and

discussed lifelong learning, nursing theory, personal wellness, conflict management, QSEN

competencies and leadership. These topics will be revisited in this journal.

I previously described lifelong learning as an evolving journey that is different for

everyone. I stated that continuing education is key to having an open mind when caring for

patients. I used my philosophy on lifelong learning as a reminder to be open minded and

compassionate when caring for my patients. This allowed me to progress as a professional and

help build trust between me and my patients/families I serve. Continuing my education in the

BSN program has reinforced my original philosophy as I still believe it is important to be

flexible and open minded as a professional. As a leader lifelong nursing is essential as healthcare

is ever evolving and as professional nurses must learn to adapt. Specifically, the goal analysis

completed in the BSN program has shown me that I should always seek to be better and set new

goals.

The nursing theory that I focused on was Imogene King’s theory of Goal Attainment.

This theory focuses on the relationship between the nurse and patient and describes it as the two

working together to develop the best plan of care. From my different experiences in healthcare

outside of nursing I always witnessed how many healthcare professionals used a one size fits all

approach. That is something that I feel should never be allowed as everyone deserves to be

treated as an individual because no instance is exactly the same. Treating each patient as an

individual shows respect and builds trust between the patient and the professional. King’s theory
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follows the nursing process and gives nurses a blueprint to follow. I still believe this theory is

accurate to my views as a nurse and being in the BSN program has reinforced my beliefs. The

BSN program has shown me more how important it is to build trusting relationships with the

patients I serve and how it improves the quality of care provided. Through discussions of

advocacy, I have been able to witness the importance of this theory firsthand.

I previously described personal wellness as being essential in preventing burn out. When

a nurse is not able to provide the patients, they serve with the highest quality of care by their own

abilities they may be experiencing burn out. Working under high pressure over long periods of

time, not feeling support from team, and high nurse to patient ratios contribute greatly to nurse

burn out. When nurses continue to work while in a burnout state, they are prone to making

mistakes that can be life threating to patients. I stated that simply taking the time to ensure all

individual needs are met mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and socially will help to

prevent burnout. I still believe my original statements to be true. I feel the SWOT analysis in

the BSN program has also contributed to my ability to maintain personal wellness by

recognizing my personal needs.

Conflict management is essential when working with a multidisciplinary team in

healthcare. In my previous philosophy I stated that not everyone will agree all the time and

there is a mutual respect that is necessary between all involved parties to ensure productive

conflict management. The key here is to do what is best for the patient. Nurses must be open-

minded and aware of different personality types. Recognizing the personality types involved

will allow a nurse to be more understanding and less judgmental. In the BSN program

working on the group project has shown me how effective communication can make it easy to

reach the end goal. My beliefs on this topic in my original philosophy stand.
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In my previous philosophy I stated Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN)

core competencies included evidence-based practice, safety, patient centered care, quality

improvement, informatics, and teamwork and collaboration. These competencies provide

scenarios that allow the nurse to experience situations they may encounter in the future. This

allows nurses to be more prepared in the future. I stated that these competencies are

necessary to identify and correct bias beliefs. I still believe that it is important to identify and

correct biases as nurses must be open minded, culturally competent, and compassionate in all

scenarios. In the BSN program lessons on ethical and professional behaviors have reinforced

my beliefs. By doing the case study I was able to do the same evaluation of self that would

help me to identify biases. This too will lead to improvement in professional development.

I mentioned previously that I have always been a natural leader, and being in a

leadership position is a goal of mine. The importance of being well rounded as a professional

is essential to being a great leader. I feel professionally my experiences have allowed me to

have an open mind and respect the views of others. Before becoming a nurse, I had experience

in hospitality, retail, and other healthcare settings. Each experience has been significant in my

development as a professional as every experience is a learning experience to me. By

incorporating my past experiences with the nine principles for effectiveness and success for

nursing leaders I can set myself up for success as a nursing leader. Key qualities that I have

that would be beneficial in nursing leadership are organization, integrity, and ability to

communicate effectively. My philosophy has contributed to my views on nursing leadership

by keeping me focused on what is priority as a leader. The ultimate goal is to ensure patients

receive high quality care and if the staff is well taken care of, they will take care of the

patients. So ultimately patient centered care is key as outlined in King’s theory. In the BSN
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program being at practicum provides an example of how nurses are leaders in many ways.

Being in practicum with a school nurse I didn’t expect her role to be so wide ranged. She is

not only a nurse to the students and staff, but also essential in ensuring safety in school and

the community. Nurses wear many hats and practicum has showed me that.

In my conclusion I expanded on the importance of being well rounded as a

professional. King’s theory of goal attainment was key in my philosophy as I felt it was

important to incorporate the patient in their plan of care. I still believe all these things to be

true and being in the BSN program has reinforced all my beliefs from theory to practicum, to

my real-life experiences as a nurse. Furthering my education has been a great asset to me

professionally as it has allowed me to have an open mind in all aspects of being a

professional. I will continue to engage in lifelong learning and work to be the best nurse I can

be.