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Personal Nursing Philosophy

Tatim L. Kane

Delaware Technical Community College

NUR300-201 RN to BSN Transition

Victoria Pini

February 18, 2024

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“The nurse is temporarily the consciousness of the unconscious, the love of life for the

suicidal, the leg of the amputee, the eyes of the newly blind, a means of locomotion for the

infant, the knowledge and confidence of the young mother, and a voice for those too weak to

speak” (V. Henderson, personal communication, 1964). This quote captures the beauty and

strength in the role of a nurse. Nurses are supporters, healers, leaders, and above all advocates for

the ones they care for. I believe nursing is a lifestyle, and the care given requires a set of formed

values and beliefs shaped over time, education, and experience to provide the best care. As a

nurse, I value kindness, compassion, grit, and continual education. These characteristics guide

many aspects of care and provides comfort to patients during some of their worst days.

Regardless of the goals of care for each patient, being able to show a deep level of love and

comfort shapes the quality of care a patient receives as well as their recovery thereafter. To

provide great care, a nurse must first care for themselves. One must be physically, mentally, and

emotionally aligned to be at their best. Continuing to learn and grow throughout one’s career is

crucial in keeping up with best practice to provide current and safe patient-centered care.

Ultimately, a nurse must cultivate an environment of learning, safety, compassion, and

independence to achieve the greatest patient outcomes.

Of the many nursing theories, Virginia Henderson’s Need Theory resonated with me the

most. This theory addresses the most basic of human needs from breathing up to achieving a

peaceful death. It encompasses the idea of not treating the diagnosis but caring for one

completely and holistically. The theory includes the impact of the external environment, one’s

ability to be independent, and the role of the nurse being that of encouraging independence. A

patient’s basic needs often seem trivial in the larger scheme of things to most. I’ve found it’s the

little things that make the biggest difference. Being able to go to the bathroom, rest, breathe
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easily, feel clean, and move to achieve comfort all play a role in the way a patient starts to heal.

Having the kindness and compassion to listen to concerns or fears is vital in forming trust and

allowing for an open line of therapeutic communication. Without that trust, there are many

scenarios where patients don’t speak up or don’t participate in their care to the best of their

ability. The Need Theory is a set of principles I incorporate in my everyday patient care, as I

want the ones I care for to feel heard as well as participate in their education and therapies to be

able to achieve a safe discharge.

Lifelong learning to me is taking the foundational education one already has and

continuing to build on it. Throughout the course of this class, the thought of lifelong learning has

shown me that education is crucial in nursing and life in general. Professionally advancing and

continuing to learn allows for self-growth as well as career growth. Continuing to learn is no

longer necessarily an option. Articles and new practices throw themselves at any willing

audience. Being able to take valid information and apply it to nursing becomes invaluable in the

ways it can improve multidisciplinary teamwork, patient care, and ultimately overall patient

outcomes/satiety. Continuing to build on one’s knowledge opens the door for greater patient

education, encouraging patient independence and knowledge. I believe continuing to learn

throughout my career will also enhance my compassion as I understand each situation, condition,

and goals of care more. Having the opportunity to continue one’s education is a blessing.

Education opens the door for entering higher levels of care and new career opportunities, starting

a cycle of even more continual education as each new tier is reached. As my knowledge base

grows, my patient’s care develops and improves, and each area of the holistic approached

described by Henderson is achieved and improved upon. Being able to guide and educate

patients on how to adapt and move forward with everything thrown at them during a hospital
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stay as well as continuing to improve upon oneself should be the ultimate goal of lifelong

learning.

Taking care of others is hard. Taking care of others when your own needs aren’t met is

nearly impossible. Prioritizing personal wellness and guiding your own care is an important part

of life and an even more important aspect of avoiding burnout as a nurse. Henderson’s Need

Theory is nursing related but can be applied personally to care for oneself. Making sure to take

care of your own personal needs and ability to be independent, before trying to apply it to others

is important. To maintain personal wellness there are five categories that need to be balanced.

Physical, spiritual, social, emotional, and intellectual wellness require attention to be at peak

personal wellness. These categories also tie into Henderson’s theory as they take a holistic

approach in major areas of life that always need to be fulfilled to feel well. By improving one

area, it spills into aspects of the next and provides the opportunity for a chain reaction in the right

direction. I believe having self-awareness allows room for understanding where others are

coming from. How can a nurse develop a plan of care for improving someone else’s situation if

they can’t do it for themselves? Allow patients to move when they feel stiff. Incorporate time in

the plan of care for patients to fulfill spiritual beliefs. Involve friends and family in patient care

to maximize participation and education. Listen and have compassion when there is fear,

concern, or feelings of accomplishment. Educate and understand the ways in which your patients

learn best to help with achieving a true understanding of goals, medications, and needed lifestyle

changes. But first… do these things for yourself.

Everyone has a different personality and that is what makes people unique. It can also

lead to day-to-day disagreements as everyone has different views and opinions. In the workplace,

and especially in healthcare, there are many areas where conflict arises. Every nurse has a
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different routine. Every nursing assistant has a different technique. There is always going to be a

situation where people disagree. Being able to successfully manage situations in which conflict

arises allows for better multidisciplinary teamwork and patient outcomes. I believe grit is one of

the most important characteristics of nursing. Grit is defined as “an individual’s relentless effort

and enduring enthusiasm for long-term goals” (Yang et al., 2023). Having this in stressful

situations makes staying level-headed and open-minded easier, allowing for better resolution in

moving forward towards long-term goals. Each of the five conflict managements styles has a

time and a place and being able to choose the correct one to amplify patient safety and good

outcomes should be emphasized. I’ve found in practice that a collaborative conflict management

style is usually the most successful. Trying to meet the goals of each side of the conflict results

in satiety on both ends. This is useful with physicians, patients, family, and many more. Meeting

each person’s needs to come to a resolution also helps with meeting patient’s basic needs as well.

A lot of times in healthcare there is a give and a take, and as the nurse you must find a balance to

keep things running smoothly. Having said that, personality also impacts conflict. When

someone is introverted, they may avoid the conflict and not speak up when something is wrong

or needs adjusting. Whereas an extrovert may over speak for the patient, or the patient may be

aggressive in stating what they need/want. The same goes for staff and their personalities as well.

Being able to listen and allowing each side to state their piece, allows for feelings of safety with

a goal of resolution.

At the core of nursing is the importance of patient-centered care. The framework of being

able to achieve the best possible care are the QSEN competencies. There are six competencies

designed to emphasize safety while providing excellent patient care. The first of the

competencies is patient-centered care itself. This section emphasizes involving patients in their
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care as much as possible while understanding barriers, ethical and legal issues, and patient

preference. Being able to understand why a patient is not compliant could be as simple as a

language barrier or as complex as their family dynamic or cultural beliefs. Being able to apply

compassion while identifying stressors is crucial to cultivate a safe environment, allowing for

communication and participation. This competency aligns with that of Henderson, in that it

emphasizes independence in patient care as well as considering each of their needs and beliefs.

The second competency focuses on teamwork and collaboration. This stresses the importance of

involvement from multiple providers and disciplines. For patient care to run smoothly, each of

the disciplines must understand communication and conflict management. I have found that

having a willingness to learn and help as a team, improves patient safety and outcomes. I also

believe not bringing personal conflict or opinions allows for less bias and better teamwork. The

third competency, evidence-based practice, is something that is preached from the time you enter

nursing school throughout the rest of your career. Evidence-based practice guides all

collaborations and deliverance of care. Being able to understand the fluidity of healthcare and

staying up to date on the newest studies to apply it to patient care, allows for excellent and safe

care. This shows that lifelong learning is unavoidable and is a constant in the world of

healthcare. The fourth competency is quality improvement. This incorporates evidence- based

practice and design changes to a healthcare delivery model when needed. Most of the time this is

seen in the case of a root cause analysis related to a sentinel event. In the case of a sentinel event,

the quality improvement initiatives are formed and implemented prevent further serious harm.

The fifth QSEN competency is safety. I believe this is the most important aspect of patient care

and requires nurses to be at the top of their game. Nurses are the backbone of healthcare and

must be at the top of their game to prevent errors and promote a safe environment. A systematic
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review of factors that influence nurse adherence to safety principles states “patient harm during

the provision of healthcare is recognized as one of the top 10 causes of disability and death in the

world” (Vaismoradi et al., 2020). This is an alarming statistic, and only emphasizes the weight

of a nurse’s responsibility to advocate for safe care. The last of the six competencies is

informatics. Informatics looks at the role of technology in delivering patient care. The systematic

review mentioned states that “adherence to the principles of patient safety and the prevention and

reduction of practice errors have been facilitated by technological solutions in recent years”

(Vaismoradi et al., 2020). Informatics equally plays into safety and can be used as a tool to help

catch errors before they occur and form safety nets in healthcare. The QSEN competencies are

something that I try to utilize daily in healthcare to promote meeting my patient’s needs,

providing compassion, safety and excellent care.

To provide effective and outstanding patient care, leadership is an unavoidable skill that

must be learned. I believe nurses are naturally leaders at heart. Nursing requires proficiency in

delegation, teamwork, communication, knowledge in your specialty, as well as motivational

skills. To be an effective leader, you must be compassionate, understanding, and stern. There

must be clear role expectations and efficacy in providing care from admission through

rehabilitation. Henderson believed in relationship-based nursing to cultivate patient

independence as well as participation in care. Masters states in a primary nursing model “the

nurse has the responsibility to identify patient needs, establish an individualized plan of care,

communicate directly with other members of the healthcare team, and coordinate with the team”

(Masters, 2021). This directly lines up with all the values and beliefs I have established and

explained. Masters’ primary nursing model and Henderson’s Need Theory play hand in hand as
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the relationship between the nurse and the patient is the center of providing great care and

improving patient outcomes. Being a confident leader for your patient and team is crucial in the

quality of care delivered as well as personal confidence and growth within healthcare.

Nursing and all its aspects require specific attention to detail, compassion, teamwork,

leadership, and grit to succeed. Nurses are one of the most trusted professions as you must have

quick critical thinking and be a rock for others during some of their darkest moments. To achieve

excellent patient care, the patient must be the center. Meeting patients’ basic needs and

promoting independence once they are able as Henderson believed, I now, also believe is crucial

in achieving positive outcomes. Following and integrating the QSEN competencies cultivates a

safe environment and great patient centered care. Integrating those ideals found through lifelong

learning not only improves the nurse I am but allows for growth as a person. I believe that

integrating kindness should always be a staple in life and healthcare. Meet your own basic needs

and areas of wellness, and then take who you are and what you have to offer and give your all to

those who rely on you when they have no one else. I plan to continue nursing using my values

and beliefs that continue to strengthen and form as I learn and grow.
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Resources

Masters, K. (2021). Role Development in Professional Nursing Practice.

Vaismoradi, M., Tella, S., Logan, P. A., Khakurel, J., & Vizcaya-Moreno, F. (2020, March 19).

Nurses’ Adherence to Patient Safety Principles: A Systematic Review. National Library of

Medicine. Retrieved February 18, 2024, from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7142993/

Yang, C., Yang, L., & Wu, D. (2023, January 16). The influence of grit on nurse job

satisfaction: Mediating effects of perceived stress and moderating effects of optimism.

National Library of Medicine. Retrieved February 18, 2024, from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9884814/#:~:text=Grit%2C%20defined

%20as%20an%20individual's,willingness%20to%20leave%20the%20profession.