Nursing Philosophy University Students – A nursing philosophy promotes the development of nursing knowledge and theories as well as its application. In my perspective, I believe that philosophy is an aspect that influences our attitude towards reality and life as well as our beliefs as nurses. Thus, with this understanding, I have the freedom to use my beliefs without depending on what other people say.
This article will be based on my arguments about various nursing perspectives. For example, most scholars argue whether nursing is a science or art. I think that nursing is both a science and an art, in that nurses use art to create a trusting relationship that facilitates the achievement of optimal care; and they must also understand the utilization of the technical resources and scientific concept of the physiology and anatomy of human body (McCutcheon, & Stalter, 2017).
The utilization of developmental and family-centered care is an example of nursing practice as an art. Therefore, my personal philosophy will use a holistic approach to explore the art of conveying nursing as a science and its dignity and compassion. This paper will address the four nursing metaparadigms as a basis of my philosophy; it will also focus on the nursing theories that align with my philosophy.
My nursing philosophy conceptualizes nursing as a discipline composed of four meta-paradigms which include health, environment, person, and nursing. I believe that the primary goal and role of nursing practice is to care for all people. Delivering care involves addressing all aspects of the patients not just a single health concern or illness (Branch et al., 2016).
Nursing Philosophy and Patients
As a nurse, we focus on improving our patient’s life by looking at all the aspects of his or her life. In addition to this, despite the patient being the central focus of the nursing practices, it is also essential to evaluate their environment. This approach is valuable to nursing as the patients are part of a community that significantly influences them; thus it is necessary to be aware of the different features that may be inseparable from the patient’s life as they are interrelated.
I also view health as a dynamic state that can quickly change from wellness to illness depending on how it responds to the environmental factors. Health is the backbone of a quality life. Being a Nurse, I have encountered individuals who live a traumatic life caused by multiple acute and chronic mental and physical conditions (Branch et al., 2016).
Lastly, I believe that nursing involves playing the role of a temporary caregiver by being involved with the community or individual patients. I think that nurses are influential and patients look up unto nurses for help with their various situations. For instance, it is our duty as nurses to try to make sense of the little details provided by the patients and find out how we can leverage the information for the benefit of the patients. Additionally, nurses need to create meaningful relationships with their patients as part of the care plan.
One of the theories that are in line with my nursing philosophy is the Peplau’s theory that aims at promoting the interpersonal relationship between the patient and the nurse. According to Peplau, both the nurse and the patient play a part in developing the relationship that should unfold between them.
Both parties are viewed as humans with unique perceptions and experiences that constitute their activities, expectations, assumptions, desires, feelings, and thoughts. Therefore, the interaction between the nurse and the patient is dependent on their actions, beliefs, and thoughts and it is a primary component of the nursing process (Deane & Fain, 2016).
This theory matches my philosophy because I believe that it is vital for the nurses to deliver quality care by implementing adequate interventions that will be helpful to the health of the patient as well as his or her entire well-being. Moreover, the relationship is constrained by the hospitalization time, and thus, the nurse is limited to addressing the healthcare needs of the patient.
Nevertheless, nurses should show compassion for their patient to create a comfortable environment. Hence, Peplau’s theory is in line with my philosophy because I believe that as I patient I would appreciate having a working relationship with my provider. Additionally, as a nurse, it is essential to recognize that patients are also part of the treatment process and they should be involved in the decision-making process in cases that might affect their health directly.
My personal philosophy also aligns with the Virginia Henderson’s theory which states that nurses should focus on promoting the independence of the client which will be important in enhancing progressive healing even after hospitalization.
Henderson defines nursing practice as a unique function to help person sick or well, to perform activities that aid in the recovery or the health of individual even in some cases to give a peaceful death. The nurses should help the patients carry out actions that they would perform themselves if they had the necessary knowledge, will, or strength (Ahtisham & Jacoline, 2015). The Henderson’s theory indicates that a nurse can only successfully address the needs of the patients if he or she gets to know the patients better and understand their environment.
This theory matches my philosophy because I believe that nurses must attend to and interact with the patient depending on their unique needs and apply interventions that we help them cope with their post-hospitalized lifestyle. Combining the Henderson’s and Peplau’s nursing theories, it is evident that nursing practices are both an art and a science that involves the application of adequate nursing intervention, compassion, and critical thinking, to help the patients recover from the illness and move back to their personal homeostasis.
Conclusively, I believe that developing a personal philosophy in nursing can be a way of increasing an individual’s engagement in nursing practices and the development and utilization of specific nursing knowledge. Additionally, through a combination of my personal philosophy and the nursing theories, I have been able to reflect and understand the relationship between the issues currently in the nursing and the personal philosophical thought.
My personal beliefs were developed as a result of my understanding of the various aspects of nursing and how they interrelate with each other to promote optimum care for the patients. I believe that nursing incorporates the concept of social justice and metaparadigms that contributes to the enhancement of the nursing practice. From my personal philosophy, it is clear that nursing as a discipline is composed of four interrelated components which include the person, nursing, health, and the environment. Nurses should have an understanding of these four concepts as it will guide them in carrying out their daily duties. I believe that as a nurse having your personal nursing philosophy will also help you in providing quality care by exemplifying the beliefs in various situations.
References
Ahtisham, Y., & Jacoline, S. (2015). Integrating Nursing Theory and Process into Practice; Virginia’s Henderson Need Theory. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 8(2).
Branch, C., Deak, H., Hiner, C., & Holzwart, T. (2016). Four Nursing Metaparadigms. IU South Bend Undergraduate Research Journal, 16, 123-132.
Deane, W. H., & Fain, J. A. (2016). Incorporating Peplau’s Theory of Interpersonal Relations to Promote Holistic Communication Between Older Adults and Nursing Students. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 34(1), 35-41.
McCutcheon, K. A., & Stalter, A. M. (2017). Discovering my nursing philosophy. Nursing2017, 47(5), 68-69.
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Question: How have you handled nursing philosophy throughout your nursing career? Feel free to leave a comment below.
