Personal Nursing Philosophy Paper

This narrative paper provides you with the opportunity to share your Personal Nursing Philosophy. Based on your worldview and personal philosophy, develop a framework that describes your philosophy of nursing.Discuss a personal nursing philosophy. Identify a nursing philosophy that best matches your personal philosophy. Discuss a nursing framework or theory that fits that philosophy including how it fits your personal philosophy. Identify a possible situation in which that framework or theory would be a poor fit and discuss why it is a poor fit for that situation. While it is an important skill to be able to match a theory with a situation, it is also critical to understand when a theory or framework does not fit a situation.

A Personal Nursing Philosophy and Nursing Theories that best suits the Philosophy

Nursing is a vital profession in society as it embodies how humans should treat each other. I have always been attracted by many elements that define nursing and especially the fact that it stands for the care and empathy of those in need. Considering that patients come in different levels of demand and state of health, it is required that nurses be prepared to play their roles adequately to the benefit of the patients. Nursing is, therefore, a sacrifice that a person makes to attend to other people’s healthcare needs at all times without discrimination. As such, it is of considerable significance for a nurse to have a personal philosophy that would guide them while delivering their services. This paper elaborates on my nursing philosophy, as well as the nursing theories that best suits my philosophy.

With my experience in nursing so far, I have been able to appreciate the four paradigms of nursing. These paradigms include Person, health, environment, and nursing. My appreciation of these elements has enabled me to make deliberate attempts always to incorporate them into my personal philosophy. My nursing philosophy encompasses these aspects because I believe that the health of the patient not only has to do with the patient but rather, other elements outside of the patient as well. This philosophy enables me to take a holistic approach to the care of the patient. I believe that healthcare involves the patient and all aspects that the patient interacts with. The health of the patient is not isolated to a specific illness which can be managed in isolation. As part of my philosophy, I believe that the care of the patient should put as much focus on the patient as it is on the patient’s environment and those that care for them. By doing this, it is possible to provide an integrated form of healthcare that is of the highest quality and is responsive to the needs of the patient. As a nurse, I consider the position of the nurse as integral in the health and care of patients. I should, therefore, be able to be equipped at all times to engage with patients with different health challenges to be able to provide the most optimum care. This is at the center of my philosophy, recognizing my central role in the provision of care to patients, which propels me to want to learn more and to better myself for the benefit of those that will come into my attention.

In evaluating my philosophy, I find that there are a few nursing theories that significantly match with my philosophy. First and foremost, my nursing philosophy is well-captured by Patricia Benner’s theory of novice to expert. Based on my philosophy that a nurse plays a central role in the care of patients, it is vital that a nurse learns as much as they can so that they can be well equipped to provide excellent care. Patricia Benner recognizes that new graduates in the field of nursing do not have the necessary experience required to serve optimally (Knapton, smith and Cameron, 2018). Her theory holds that this group of nurses might have the knowledge about nursing and the care of patients, but might not have the experience to realize all the elements that play a part in healthcare, as well as the relevant nursing theories that govern the care of patients and how they all interlink. In my philosophy, I agree with this theory as it encourages humility in nurses to accept that at a certain point in time, they might not be having all the necessary knowledge of how to handle a situation. This theory also encourages me as a nurse to accumulate as much knowledge as possible to improve my capacity.

The environment is an integral part of health as it heavily interacts with the patient every day. My philosophy appreciates the role that the environment plays in a patient’s health and care. The environment either interferes or promotes the health and the well-being of a patient. Nightingale’s environmental theory captures this element very well and clearly defines the interplay between the environment and health. Physical aspects of the environment, such as air, water, temperature, and soil, play an important in the health and care of patients (AliSher et al., 2019). When a patient is under the care of a nurse, I hold that it is the role of the nurse to manipulate these factors in a way that aids the healing and recovery of the patient. For example, when a bed-ridden patient is under my care, it is my role to ensure that the patient is availed with fresh air. I can achieve this by making sure that windows are opened to facilitate adequate ventilation. Additionally, I should also ensure that the patient’s beddings are changed at all times and that the patient is turned regularly to avoid such chronic conditions like bed sores. Following the tenets of this theory, my philosophy on holistic care of patients can be attained.

Dorothea Orem’s Self-Care Theory is one of the most significant in the provision of healthcare to patients. In my philosophy, I consider it essential for the role of patients in the care of their health. I believe that patients should be given all the necessary information that they need for them to optimize personal care that they initiate and provide to themselves. This can be achieved through the integration of hospital standards and measures undertaken by the patients themselves to improve their health (Younas, 2017). My role as a nurse in this instance involves assisting the patient to achieve the best self-care status and to educate them on how to improve their methods. It is clear that an informed person is a better person at caring for themselves, and, therefore, health education should be spread out to reach members of the society at large (Orem, 2015). This aids in the prevention of illnesses and promotes health-seeking behavior.

Healthy and productive relationships among nurses and patients are a critical element in the provision of healthcare. In my philosophy, I consider my relationship and patients to be essential. Watson’s theory of caring expounds on the critical contribution that this relationship makes to the well-being of patients (Petiprin, 2016). It is necessary that I ensure that I have healthy and positive relationships with patients if I am to fully contribute to their health. Having a healthy relationship with patients will enable me to understand the patients better as they will be freer to express their problems to me. Another aspect of this is the fact that patients would be more willing to adhere to the directions that I will have given to them for the sake of their health. Considering that I would have such tasks as prescribing medications to patients and instructing them on how to use drugs, a positive relationship with them would enable them to follow those instructions fully.

I firmly believe that part of the provision of professional care to patients is the awareness of when certain methods would not be valid. In some situations, some otherwise effective ways are rendered ineffective. An example can be made of Dorothea Orem’s Self-Care Theory and a patient who is in a coma. A patient in coma is not aware of what is going on in their life, including the fact that they are in coma. Although Dorothea Orem’s Self-Care Theory is an integral part of my philosophy, it would not apply in this case. This theory acknowledges a patient’s role in their health and seeks to promote empowering of patients for them to take care of their health effectively. However, a patient in coma requires total support from outside, and, therefore, this framework would not apply to such a patient. In conclusion, it is essential for a nurse to have a nursing philosophy that would guide them in their service. My philosophy encompasses all the four main areas that interact with an individual’s health. These factors include the individual, the environment, their health, and the healthcare provider such as the nurse. All these elements contribute to the well-being and the care of the patient. It is crucial that they are appropriately integrated to achieve optimum healthcare provision. It is also essential to recognize when a particular theory cannot be applied. For example, it is not possible to apply Dorothea Orem’s Self-Care Theory to a patient who is in a coma.

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