Personal Philosophy of Nursing
Nursing is a profession whose primary function is to provide care to patients who need it. As a result, the practice is not inclined towards those who pursue it for a hefty paycheck or fame, but rather those who are ready to provide care and show support to their fellow human being. It is for this I decided to pursue the nursing profession. I believe that I was called to the practice and equipped with requisite skills and values such as honesty, caring, and understanding, to enhance the quality of my work. In other words, the nursing practice chose me, rather than I choosing it.
The heart of the nursing practice lies on care. In this case, I believe the basis provides the focal point of the profession as it is one of the core functions of nurses. In this regard, the primary undertaking of all nurses is the provision of care to those who are not in a position to take care of themselves. At this point, such individuals are often in a vulnerable position that disallows them from undertaking routine actions they would otherwise take when they are healthy and well. For this reason, care is provided to nurse the patient back to health and reduce the common risk they might have when they are unwell.
Therefore, I believe the focus of nursing is premised on the provision of care to ensure patient quality. This is in line with the underlying meaning of nursing. According to Martin and McFerran (2013), nursing is defined as the participation in the care, cure, and core concepts of patient care. In this regard, care is the primary function of nurses, whereas healing and core aspects represent nurses’ involvement with other medical personnel to facilitate patient care and quality of healthcare provided to patients.
Based on the context of my nursing profession and the values expected of professional nurses, I endeavor to become a nurse who will ensure that patient care remains central to my work. Furthermore, I will embrace patient advocacy to ensure my patients receive the best possible care, and that their rights are observed and respected throughout this period. In this regard, I will provide the support needed to patients driven by the need for patients to realize the role they can play in their health care process to allow for integrated healthcare planning and achievement of health goals. Additionally, I envision myself as a nurse who will provide personalized care to my patients. This instance is premised on the fact that patient safety and consequent provision of care is personal and different inpatient cases. Therefore, no one strategy applies to all patients as they each have unique and individual needs (American Nurses Association, 2012).
Also, as a firm believer in equality, I will make sure I provide equal treatment to all patients under my care, irrespective of their socio-economic status, ethnicity or existing cultural differences. This action will be in relation to the overall goal of health care provision as that involving access to quality and affordable healthcare. To live out and express my personal philosophy of nursing, I will be sure I pay attention to the following aspects:
My Patients
As indicated above, the core responsibility and duty of every nurse is to provide care to patients. In this case, I believe patients should receive adequate and quality care irrespective of any differences they might have. Also, owing to the complexity of the nature of illnesses, new demands are arising, concerning to proper treatment and management of diseases. For this reason, to remain relevant and provide quality healthcare to my patients, I believe in continuous learning, a practice that ensures proper management of illnesses in regards to emerging needs of the patient. Embracement of this culture will allow my provision of quality patient care to facilitate safety and faster recovery from illnesses.
On the other hand, the aspect of cultural diversity is one that cannot be ignored. In this case, cultural differences should be acknowledged, respected, and taken into consideration. Owing to the significant influence this concept has on the entire health care process, I will endeavor to learn and respect cultural practices and beliefs held by patients under my care.
My Patient’s Family
Owing to the significant role played by a patient’s family in the course of their treatment, it is imperative to form a mutually beneficial relationship with my patient’s family. In this case, proper understanding should be aimed at to facilitate faster recovery of the patient. In addition, family members should be involved in the patient’s treatment. In this regard, they should receive requisite training on how to take care of the patient when discharged from the hospital to facilitate a full recovery.
My Health Care Professional Colleagues
Healthcare is a team effort. It is virtually impossible to care for patients as a nurse working alone. Other professionals such as physicians are responsible for providing treatment and diagnosing the patient. Without their involvement, nurses would not be able to provide their core duty, which is to provide care to patients. As such, trust and respect are non-negotiable in professional relationships, especially those involved in the care of human lives.
My Own Health
It is impossible to accord care to another individual without being in an individual’s proper state of body and mind. As such, I should take good care of my health to take good care of my patients. This aspect entails the adoption of proper lifestyle practices such as maintaining a good diet and exercising regularly.
Conclusion
All in all, the underlying concept of nursing is nested on the provision of care. For this reason, it is important to adopt a personal philosophy that will remind nurses of the values encompassed in the practice and as such provide a proper steering guide to enable proper conduct in the course of their practice. In this respect, this should entail the four dimensions of the patient, the patient’s family, professional colleagues, and the person him/herself.
References
American Nurses Association (2012). Code for nurses with interpretive statements. Washington D.C. Nursebooks.
Martin, E. A., & McFerran, T. A. (2013). A dictionary of nursing. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
