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Values Clarification

Marwah Khan

College of Nursing, University of South Florida

NUR3825: Intro to Nursing

Professor Torres Alzate

April 17th, 2022

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Values Clarification

Throughout nursing, professional values must be used to provide quality patient care. We

each have our own set of individual personal values reflecting what is most important to us. It is

crucial to assess these values in order to determine where most of our individual motivation

would come from since it can affect our decision-making processes. There can be many ethical

dilemmas we could experience as nurses, and our values (as nurses) along with our clients’

values must be assessed in order to provide the best quality care to our patients (Blais & Hayes,

2016). After taking the personal values assessment, I realized that the values that are most

important to me are feeling protected and loved, letting go of fears by having the courage to

develop and grow, and making a positive difference in the world (Personal values assessment).

Value #1: Feeling Protected and Loved

After assessing my values, the most important value to me was the idea of feeling

protected and loved. Growing up, I’ve had previous illnesses in which this was all I had desired

when I felt helpless. This is probably why I value it so much. This value would affect my

behavior during clinicals because I would make sure the patient was feeling as secure as

possible, including constant check-ups on them, providing reassurance to them, and

understanding their needs, values, and beliefs. Nursing can challenge this value by not being able

to provide the sense of security a patient may be desiring. Not every patient’s sense of security

would be the exact same, and there can even be challenges in understanding some patients’ needs

if they have an inability to communicate well due to a certain illness they may have. I also feel

the desire to be loved by others since this value is crucial to me, but I could encounter angry

patients too. I would need to abstain from my sensitivities and treat patients with the best care

despite what I may encounter. Valuing protection and love as a nurse compares to the
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professional values of altruism and human dignity described in the Baccalaureate Essentials.

Altruism is concerning for the welfare and wellbeing of others, which can be met by providing

love and protection to patients. Human dignity is when nurses value and respect their patients,

which is crucial to help them feel the sense of security they desire (The Essentials of

Baccalaureate Education).

Value #2: Letting Go of Fears: Having the Courage to Develop and Grow

My second top personal value is letting go of fears and having the courage to develop and

grow. I am always reflecting and attempting to learn and grow to become a better version of

myself. Taking care of ourselves as nurses allows us to provide better care. This value would

affect my behavior during clinicals because I would always strive to create a positive and

uplifting atmosphere for my patients. Often times, patients have a lot of fear, but my optimistic

nature could help reduce or eliminate their fear. Nursing could challenge this value when patients

hold onto their fear instead of taking a risk that could lead to their recovery. For example, a

patient could fear getting surgery that could help them recover since it could have risks involved

as well. As nurses, we can’t impose or force our patients to have the same values as us. This

value compares to the professional values of autonomy and integrity described in the

Baccalaureate Essentials. With autonomy, we would need to respect our patients’ right to make

their decisions. We would have to use integrity to act within the code of ethics, which includes

allowing our clients to use their own personal values to make the decisions they’re comfortable

with instead of forcing our beliefs upon them (The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education).

Value #3: Making a Positive Difference in the World

As a nurse, I would aspire to make a positive change in the world especially since I focus

a lot on my personal physical, spiritual, and mental wellbeing. All these factors take part in one’s
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recovery process. I would make sure every patient is treated fairly and that respect to all religions

is given since spiritual wellbeing can differ based on an individual’s perception of it. This value

would affect my behavior in clinicals by allowing me to be open-minded and accepting of

individual differences in religion since it could affect their decision-making as well. Nursing can

challenge this value when I would encounter pessimistic patients, but I could combat any

challenges faced by using the professional value of social justice in which I would provide fair

treatment to all patients regardless of race, ethnicity, economic status, age, etc. (The Essentials of

Baccalaureate Education). Patients’ mindsets are often a result of their environmental

upbringing, so I would need to remain open-minded in order to help them achieve the positive

change I would aim to provide.

Conclusion

Assessing our personal values to become more self-aware is so important before

becoming a nurse because it would allow us to understand why certain situations in the nursing

field may bother us. We’ll have to take care of patients whose values don’t always align with

ours, so it is crucial for nurses to know themselves in order to provide effective care (Blais &

Hayes, 2016). As a nurse, I know I value feeling protected and loved, letting go of fear, and

making a positive difference. I have to constantly remind myself that all my clients would not

necessarily rank my most important values as their most important ones. Being open-minded and

carrying out my professional values of altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity, and social

justice will allow me to become a successful nurse and make ethical decisions for my patients.
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References

Blais, K., & Hayes, J. S. (2016). Professional Nursing Practice: Concepts and perspectives.
Pearson.

Personal values assessment (PVA). Barrett Values Centre. (2021, September 22). Retrieved
April 17, 2022, from https://www.valuescentre.com/tools-assessments/pva/

The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education. (2008, October 20). Retrieved April 17, 2022, from
https://www.upstate.edu/con/pdf/bacc-essentials.pdf