Personal Nursing Philosophy

Aspen Tramm
College of Nursing, University of Arizona
NURS 478: Nursing Leadership and Management in Health Systems
Dr. Rajni Parmar
April 19, 2024

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 Personal Nursing Philosophy
My journey into nursing was not a straight path. When I was around 12, my older sister

seized at home while we were watching a movie. She had a pituitary tumor and ended up having

multiple surgeries as well as radiation. I was scared at first, but I was fascinated by her

treatments and the science behind them. After a couple years, I made up my mind and decided

that I wanted to become a neurosurgeon and help people like my sister. I earned my certification

in nursing assisting and began working as a patient care technician in an adult neurology unit,

which I initially intended to simply be good patient experience for an application to medical

school. Through my work, I realized that the portion of my job I loved most was interacting with

my patients and being at the bedside. I thought for a long time about whether or not I would

enjoy surgery as much as I had thought I would, and realized I would not be happy, and that

surgery was not my passion. I ultimately decided to go into nursing to continue to spend the

majority of my time at work interacting with patients as individuals.

My fascination with the science of medicine is what initially drew me to the medical

field, but it isn’t the only thing that has kept me here. I believe the values, ethical principles, and

personal attributes I have realized or worked towards in my journey have been a huge influence

on my decision to continue pursuing nursing. When I enrolled in an after-school technical

education program to earn my certifications in nursing assisting and caregiving, I experienced

my first interactions with patients. I felt drawn to medicine more, and began to truly value the

integrity, respect, compassion, and inclusivity modeled for me by my instructors and preceptors.

When I began working full-time, I started to think more about the ethical aspects of my job and

how I felt. Over time, I have realized that fidelity, accountability, beneficence, and

nonmaleficence are major ethical principles that I work hard to embody each day. I have also

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learned a lot about myself through working as a tech, especially having started my first

healthcare job during the pandemic. I am incredibly resilient and adaptable, and I believe

realizing this has made a huge impact on who I am as a person. I have also learned I am

dependable, and calm in the face of chaos. My history, values, guiding ethical principles, and

personal attributes have drawn me into nursing and will continue to guide my path as I develop

as a professional.

My Practice & the Integrative Nursing Principles

The three integrative nursing principles I believe most closely embody my own nursing

practice are as follows:

 Integrative nursing is person-centered and relationship-based (University of Minnesota,

2024).

 Integrative nursing focuses on the health and wellbeing of caregivers as well as those

they serve (University of Minnesota, 2024).

 Nature has healing and restorative properties that contribute to health and wellbeing

(University of Minnesota, 2024).

Respect, compassion, and inclusivity are values of mine that directly relate to person-

centered and relationship-based nursing. It is impossible to form a positive relationship with a

patient without respecting them, showing compassion to them, and modeling inclusivity. I value

forming good relationships with patients and providing person-centered care, and I show my

patients the same respect, compassion, and inclusivity I would want to be shown in order to

develop these relationships. One example of how I have embraced this principle is

communicating with my patients about what they would like to be called. I have cared for many

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patients where the first step in establishing a respectful, compassionate, and inclusive

relationship has been as simple as taking enough time for a full introduction.

The focus of integrative nursing on the health and wellbeing of caregivers as well as those

they serve is directly related to my personal attributes of adaptability and resilience. It has taken

time for me to fully understand the immense value of performing self-care, practicing resilience,

and striving for adaptability. These things are protective for my own mental and physical health,

and I have come to understand that focusing on my health and wellbeing as a caregiver is highly

important to providing compassionate care to my patients. One example of how I have embraced

this principle in the past was making sure I went to the gym to lift weights every time I had a bad

shift or was upset. It calmed me down, so that I could go to sleep in a better mood.

The principle of nature having healing and restorative properties contributing to health and

wellbeing is connected to everything in my nursing philosophy. I love nature, and I absolutely

believe nature is that nature is healing. I feel that providing a patient with access to nature is

related to my values of compassion and respect, my guiding ethical principle of beneficence, and

my personal attribute of adaptability. Providing access to nature shows the patient you have

compassion and respect for them as a human being, it is providing an act of kindness with the

intent of bettering their health, and it requires a certain degree of adaptation depending on the

patient and their condition. One example of a time I have embraced this principle in caring for a

patient, is when I helped a man walk outside to look at the stars. He had been in the hospital for

over a week and wanted nothing more than to take a walk outside. I held his monitor and cables

and wheeled his IV pole so he could walk out to one of the patios. We spent 15 or 20 minutes

looking at the stars, and he pointed out the constellations to me.

My Future Impact on the Profession

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 I believe there are many ways in which I will use my role as a nurse to positively impact

organizations, communities, society, and the nursing profession in the future. One way I am

certain that I will make a positive impact on healthcare organizations and the nursing profession

in the future is by maintaining my passion for learning and embracing change. In order to

provide patients with excellent healthcare based on the latest evidence, nursing practice must

continuously evolve. Improvements to nursing practice can be difficult for organizations to

implement for many reasons, including resistance to change from nursing staff. However, when

trusted coworkers actively embrace evidence-based improvements to practice, it accelerates their

acceptance by the remainder of the nursing staff. One of my goals in my career is to become a

trusted resource for my coworkers, and to be able to offer my experience and knowledge to

others. By becoming a resource for coworkers and also actively embracing change I will make a

positive impact on nursing practice, and subsequently healthcare organizations and the nursing

profession.

The ANA Code of Ethics Principles that I feel are most closely aligned with my personal

attributes, values, and guiding ethical principles are provisions one, four, and seven:

 The nurse practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and

unique attributes of every person (Hegge et al., 2015).

 The nurse has the authority, accountability, and responsibility for nursing practice; makes

decisions; and takes action consistent with the obligation to promote health and to

provide optimal care (Hegge et al., 2015).

 The nurse, in all roles and settings, advances the profession through research and

scholarly inquiry, professional standards development, and the generation of both nursing

and health policy (Hegge et al., 2015).

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 Provision one is closely aligned with my values of respect, compassion, and inclusivity. I

believe that in order to truly care for a patient, nurses must demonstrate compassion and respect

for each individual’s dignity, worth, and unique attributes. This relates very closely to the

integrative nursing principle that describes integrative nursing as person-centered and

relationship-based, which I also identify strongly with. One example of how provision one

manifests in my practice is that I always communicate with each patient with the highest level of

respect and compassion. Communication is key to developing a trusting relationship with a

patient, and communicating with respect and compassion is key to uplifting the inherent dignity,

worth, and unique attributes of each patient.

Provision four is closely aligned with my guiding ethical principle of accountability. I

strongly identify with the belief that nurses hold an obligation to promote health and provide

optimal care. I believe that accountability in nursing is closely related to responsibility. Nurses

should always be responsible and accountable when providing care, as accountability and

responsibility aid in providing optimal care. One example of how provision four could manifest

in my nursing practice is by acting and speaking up when patient care is negatively impacted by

any factor. This could be reporting unsafe patient care practices or unsafe conditions, either to

nursing leadership or via the hospital reporting system.

Provision seven is closely aligned with my personal attribute of adaptability. I have a passion

for evidence-based practice in nursing, and I welcome evidence-based changes. I believe that

research and scholarly inquiry are key to developing nursing and health policies, and that

evidence-based practices allow for optimal delivery of care. This is related to provision four, as

the nurse’s obligation to promote health and provide optimal care extends beyond direct bedside

interaction with patients. One way this provision could manifest in my practice is by involving

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myself in nursing policy creation and dissemination at work. By involving myself in the creation

of evidence-based practice changes, I would aid in advancing the nursing profession.

Defining My Nursing Practice

Nursing means many things to me. Merriam-Webster specifically defines a nurse as “A

person who cares for the sick or infirm, specifically a licensed health-care professional who

practices independently or is supervised by a physician, surgeon, or dentist and who is skilled in

promoting and maintaining health” (Merriam-Webster, 2024). However, being a nurse means so

much more to me than caring for the sick. I believe nursing is a healing profession, and I believe

healing is a word that applies to more than just physical health. Physical health, mental health,

community health, and more are all situations in which nurses can apply their knowledge and

nursing skills in the healing process. Healing is multidimensional and is best performed through

many routes concurrently, including physical, mental, and community-based therapeutic

interventions. To me, nursing means providing our patients and communities with the physical

and mental tools to engage in healing and growth, while caring for patients as individuals with

compassion and respect.

My mission in nursing is to provide exceptional and knowledgeable healthcare for

critically and emergently ill patients to enable these patients to live longer lives with fewer

deficits, while providing compassion, dignity, and respect. One of my biggest career goals is to

be an expert in my field and to be a resource for other nurses. I pride myself on my knowledge

and my commitment to evidence-based practice utilizing the latest research. I feel that my skills

and personality are best suited to caring for the critically ill, and I believe that I can most fully

apply myself as a nurse in high acuity settings. Additionally, I believe that compassion, dignity,

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and respect are essential to all fields of nursing. This is related to the integrative nursing

principles that describe nursing as person-centered and relationship based.

Conclusion

My journey into nursing has been led by my life experience, personal attributes, personal

values, and guiding ethical principles. What started as an interest in the science of medicine has

transformed into a passion for a career that upholds my guiding values of integrity, compassion,

respect, fidelity, and beneficence. Throughout my journey, I have gained knowledge of the

principles of integrative nursing, which I strive to embody in my practice as a nurse. I have

found great value in embracing integrative practices. The Code of Ethics for Nurses has similarly

shaped my practice, providing me with the foundation of ethical practices such as compassion,

accountability, and professional development. To me, nursing means providing our patients with

the resources to heal and grow. My mission in nursing is to provide exceptional and

knowledgeable healthcare for critically and emergently ill patients to enable these patients to live

longer lives with fewer deficits, while providing compassion, dignity, and respect.

In addition to providing exceptional healthcare to my patients, I believe it is my duty to

never stop setting goals and developing both as a professional and as a person. One of my goals

for the future of my nursing practice is to become a trusted resource for my colleagues. I will

achieve this goal by embracing learning opportunities in practice and completing continuing

education activities within my specialty. Another one of my goals is to be a positive presence,

both for patients and for colleagues. I will achieve this goal by continuing self-reflection and

meditation, to allow me to maintain my sense of hope and optimism through hardship. My

journey through nursing has only just begun, and I look forward to my bright future in this

career.

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 References

Hegge, M., Fowler, M., Bjarnason, D., Godfrey, T., Lee, C., Shije, J., Schroeter, K., Robichaux,

C., Ngai, M., Lioci, L., Swanson, E., Zanni, K., Wocial, L., Thomas, E., & Tanner, M.

(2015, January). Code of Ethics for Nurses. ANA.

https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/nursing-excellence/ethics/code-of-ethics-

for-nurses/

Merriam-Webster. (2024, March 26). Nurse definition & meaning. Merriam-Webster.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nurse

University of Minnesota. (2024). Principles of Integrative Nursing. Bakken Center for

Spirituality & Healing.

https://csh.umn.edu/academics/focus-areas/integrative-nursing/principles-integrative-

nursing