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Personal Nursing Philosophy

Emily Williams

Department of Nursing, Delaware Technical Community College

NUR 300-202: RN to BSN Transition

Pam McEvoy, MSN, RN

December 1st, 2023

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Personal Nursing Philosophy

Nursing to me is defined as an art and a science, of the heart, and mind. I would define

the professional nurse as a caregiver who demonstrates compassion, leadership, knowledge of

preventing illness, relieving patient suffering, and treating patient's illness through best practice;

all while being an educator, using effective communication, being a patient advocate, and

maintaining competence through professional continuing education. The theorist I have chosen

to guide my nursing philosophy is Florence Nightingale, starting in the early 1900s, Florence's

focus was Primarily on the patient and the environment, with the nurse manipulating the

environment to enhance patient recovery.

Nursing Theory

Using my own values and the metaparadigm of professional nursing, which is “person,

environment, health, and nursing.” (Masters, 2021, p.54) I have discovered my own personal

philosophy of nursing. I believe nursing to be a career of compassion, environmental healing,

promotion of health with surroundings, and a safe area with honesty. Like Florence Nightingale's

philosophy, she believed that the external environment should include, proper temperature,

bedding, and ventilation. The internal environment includes food, water, and medication. Health

is “Not only to be well but to be able to use well every power we are to use.” (Nightingale,

1868/1969, p. 24), (Masters, 2011, p.56) The nursing intervention that Florence used was to alter

or manage the environment to implement the natural laws of health. In my career and my values

of being a nurse, I take part in making sure my patients feel at home as much as possible.

Bringing pieces of their home such as blankets and pillows. Make sure the temperature of the

room is comfortable and the environment as calm as can be. Florence, along with myself also

believed that “Nurses should be involved in health promotion and health teaching with the sick
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and with those who were well.” (Masters, 2021, p.56) Teaching is a big part of my nursing

career. When patients are discharged with medication, I always make it a point to teach them

how and when to take their medication. As a nurse, I believe it's important to help patients

understand their diagnosis and why they are in the hospital. Nursing is a dynamic process

centered fully on the care of others to restore them to their optimal function.

Personal Wellness

Personal wellness in nursing is a huge task. As a nurse not only are you caring and more

times than a few, keeping a patient alive. With the stress of being a nurse and constant critical

thinking, personal wellness is a big key component of nursing. One way I provide personal

wellness myself is by having downtime. Once I get home from work, I like to take an hour or

two to regroup and unwind. Going for walks to get my mind clear, is also another way I calm

down after work. One big thing that is hard to do is turn off your personal feelings before going

to work. I see nurses that come into work who have had a bad day and it not only affects them

but also how they care for their patients. To provide quality and compassionate care to patients,

they need to have a nurse who is fully there spiritually and mentally. Being a role model for our

patients also fits into personal wellness. If a patient is in the hospital and we nurses are telling

them they need to eat a healthy diet, we as nurses also must follow that role. Patients depend on

nurses to guide them in the right direction, and we can’t do that if we don’t do the concepts, we

are telling them to do. The last personal wellness activity I do for myself as a nurse is spending

quality time with family. We nurses see death and dying more than the average person. It’s

important to spend time with family and talk to loved ones about how we are feeling to deal with

the hardships nurses face every day in their careers.

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Conflict Management

Nurses need to always uphold our personal and ethical standards. When conflict arises

between personal beliefs and those of the patient, we need to find guidance whether that’s a

coworker or a mentor to guide us through. Patients come from all cultures and ethnicities and

many treatments, some lifesaving, some patients don't believe in. As a nurse, I make it a standard

to respect patients' wishes. My fellow nurses around me also deserve kindness and respect as

they can be a great resource to me. Nurses should support and assist fellow nurses, nursing

students, and other healthcare providers to provide a positive team environment. Together we can

all collaborate to maximize patients' health. If conflict should arise, we need to speak out and talk

to one another to resolve each conflict. Nurses who do not work together and have positive

attitudes can hurt patient outcomes. As nurses, we can do our part to improve the image of the

nursing profession through daily work ethics and involvement in the community, political, and

professional nursing organizations. The quality and safety education for nurses is an important

role in nursing. To provide quality care and make sure patients are safe, nurses need to take part

in education on safety and new regulations. I make it a point in my nursing care to make sure my

rooms are free of clutter and the bed is always in the safest position. It's also important to lead

other nurses and encourage them to perform high-quality care.

Lifelong learning

As a nurse lifelong learning means climbing the clinical ladder. As I grow in my career, I

will learn how to apply new knowledge, values, and beliefs to my profession as a registered

nurse. Once I can incorporate all the core characteristics of nursing, such as “communication

skills, empathy and compassion, critical thinking and problem-solving, integrity and advocacy,

and willingness to learn.” (American Nursing Association.) I will have the knowledge to be
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successful and well-respected in my career by patients and their families, healthcare

professionals, and colleagues. I will also be able to take on new parts of being a nurse, such as a

charge nurse, head of committees, and making changes to patient care. Becoming a leader and

providing leadership further into my career, will open new opportunities in the future. As I

advance in my career, I will hold myself accountable for my patients' care and safety. I will

ensure I am providing competent care by staying current on evidence-based practice research and

continuing education courses. As I am continuing my education now going through the Bachelor

of Science program, I am exploring nursing theories and core concepts of being a nurse. I will

work hard to treat every patient with respect and dignity and not treat them as a room number or

a diagnosis. Restoring my patient's optimal level of health will be my goal for every patient I

provide care to. I see my own professional growth taking me in a new and challenging direction.

I will strive to maintain and adhere to my nursing philosophy throughout my career and always

be willing to explore and learn new concepts.

Conclusion

Through determining my own values and analyzing the guidelines that establish a

professional nurse. I have come to realize and use my own personal philosophy of nursing and

how it will and does impact my career. As I continue to grow in my nursing career, I am positive

my nursing philosophy will change and grow as well. But no matter how it changes it will

always be structured on my core concepts of nursing: compassion, leadership, honesty, and

respect.
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References

(n.d.). ANA Enterprise | American Nurses Association. https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-

policy/nursing-excellence/qualities-of-a-good-nurse/https://www.nursingworld.org/

practice-policy/nursing-excellence/qualities-of-a-good-nurse/

Masters, K. (2021). Role development in professional nursing practice. Jones & Bartlett

Learning.