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Running Head: PERSONAL NURSING PHILOSOPHY

My Guiding Principles and Personal Philosophy of Nursing

Kevin Gross

Old Dominion University

It goes without saying that nurses play an integral role in the health care industry. But

what exactly do nurses do that makes them so invaluable? The definition of nursing as described

by the International Council of Nurse states that nurses promote health, they help to prevent

illness, and they provide care to the physically and mentally ill of all ages in all health care and

other community settings. (International Council of Nurses, 2018) This is all accomplished

without consideration of the patient’s race, religion, sex, or financial status. To be an effective

nurse I believe that it is important to ensure that each patient be treated the same no matter where

they come from or what they believe in. If every nurse adheres to the definition of nursing

provided above, how can the profession be as diverse and dynamic as it is today? What is it that

helps nurses differentiate from one another? The answer to that, in my opinion, is HOW they act

out the definition in their daily practice of the profession. This HOW, is their personal

philosophy. It is their framework. It is what guides their interactions with their patients and helps

one nurse stand apart from their peers. The purpose of this paper is to discuss my personal

nursing philosophy and how it governs my actions daily.

Definition of Nursing

Before I get into my personal philosophy we must fully understand what it means to be a

nurse. As mentioned above nurses promote health. But what does promoting health entail? The

World Heath Organization defines health promotion as the process of enabling people to increase

control over, and to improve, their health. It moves beyond a focus on individual behavior

towards a wide range of social and environmental interventions. (World Health Organization,

2018) In simple terms, it means that as I nurse I will provide to my patient education that will

help them to make better choices to live a healthier lifestyle. This education could include

information about dieting, smoking cessation, or other similar topics that promote a healthy
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lifestyle. Nurses also work to help prevent illnesses. This, in my opinion, is accomplished by

teaching them about a healthier lifestyle as mentioned above. According to the definition of

nursing, nurses provide care to the physically and mentally ill. That goes without saying. Nurses

are care providers. It is what we went into the profession to do.

Purpose of Nursing

So why did I choose to take on the responsibilities of a nurse? As with most individuals

in this profession, I was drawn to helping those in need. However, my “calling” wasn’t initially

to become a nurse. I was drawn to helping individuals when disaster strikes as a fire fighter and

by default I became an Emergency medical technician (EMT) to help me enter the fire service.

After working several years as an EMT I began to develop a passion for patient care. I loved the

idea of my actions or lack thereof having an impact on my patients and it is because of that

knowledge that I transitioned from firefighting to becoming a nurse. The patients we interact

with as a nurse often come to us in their darkest moments. They are scared or worried about their

situation and many times they must face these challenges alone. The reason why they are alone

is irrelevant, the simple fact is that they are sick and/or injured and they lack the social support

structure that has been known to provide benefits for emotional and physical wellbeing. (Johns

Hopkins Center for Health Equity, 2018) That is where I come in. As their nurse, I will make it

a point to ensure that my patients never feel that they are truly alone. I will their advocate.

Because of such, they will be able to feel comfortable and confident that I will be there by their

side providing competent, compassionate and empathetic care to them at all times. I will keep

them at the center of my actions ensuring that their needs are met in a timely fashion. In today’s

face paced hospital environment, it is easy to lose sight that we are providing care for an
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individual rather than checking off tasks on a chart. Keeping your focus on the patient will help

to ensure the best possible outcomes for your patients.

Nursing Relationships

Nurses and the Client

Being advocate for your patient means that you have their best interest in the forefront of

every action you do for them. In order to do so you must be able to understand that each one of

your patients are unique. Each patient brings with them their own set of beliefs and values that

will govern how they perceive you and how they will respond to the care that you provide.

Keeping in mind that society is a diversified system filled with varying cultures and personalities

will help you stay in tune with your patients and help you to provide specific care tailored to

their unique needs.

Nurses and the Community

As a nurse, I feel that it is my obligation to give back to the community in which I live

and work. Doing so while representing the health care system that I work for will help to foster a

better relationship between the hospital and the community in which it is found. Some of the

ways that I feel I can build a relationship with community is by hosting events that offer some

sort of benefit to the residents. These events could include blood pressure clinics, food prepping

classes where healthy diet choices are presented along with grocery lists for the residents to use,

and first aid classes. Accomplishing these tasks will help build trust between the hospital and the

residents which will ultimately influence the patient’s decision to come to our hospital rather

than one of the competitors close by.

Nurses and Other Health Care Professionals

Nurses are part of a team. Because of such, I must remember that my actions not only

represent me, they represent my fellow co-workers and the hospital where we work. To make

this type of relationship work, I feel that it is important to have effective communication skills.

Being a good communicator will enable you to accurately discuss your care plans and intentions

for your patients with your teammates so that no action is left incomplete and that all orders are

taken care of in a timely fashion.

Theory

“Relationship based care (RBC) is a model of patient care that has been developed in

order to return the nursing profession back to the basics of caring for and connecting with other

human beings” (Campbell, 2009). This is pivotal because this model brings humanity back to the

health care industry. By implementing this in my nursing profession I will be able to sustain my

focus that I am caring for an individual, a person, with feelings and emotions and expectations.

The care that I provide should be more than routinely treating signs and symptoms. It should

encompass the person h taking into consideration their beliefs, values, cultures, and opinions. By

forming this relationship with my patients, I will be creating an environment that will foster trust,

provide support, and offer guidance that will help my patients heal and recover.

Ethical Principals

Understanding ethics is essential to becoming a well-rounded nurse and clinician. Simply

stated, ethics is a principle that describes what is expected in terms of right and correct and

wrong or incorrect in terms of behavior (Unknown, 2018). Treating patients ethically means,

among many other things, that they will be provided autonomy and self-determination, giving

them the ability to play an active role in their medical care. I will enable my patients to have the

right to accept or refuse any medical treatments that they might feel uncomfortable with or that
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might interfere with their personal or cultural beliefs. I acted out this principal when I was caring

for a young lady from the Middle East. She was dressed in traditional clothing and I could tell

that she was uncomfortable with a male taking care of her. I asked her if she would prefer that a

female perform the procedures that I needed to do and she stated yes. I did not have to give her

that option; however, it was ethically right to do so as it was my best effort to respect her

emotional needs as well as physical. Nomaleficence is another ethical principle that governs my

patient interactions. I will provide care to my patients in a manner that will not cause harm to

them either intentionally or unintentionally. My patients will be able to trust in me as well as in

my abilities to provide care to them that will keep them safe always.

Conclusion

Developing a personal nursing philosophy is essential to having a long and fulfilling

career. It has helped me to formulate and polish a road map that will guide my decision-making

processes regarding the care that I provide to my patients. The philosophy that I have developed

will facilitate my patient care to be competent, compassionate, and empathetic and executed in

such a way that is free of judgement and allows the patients appropriate autonomy in the care

they receive. My desire is that this will cultivate a safe and trusting environment where the

patients may heal and recover.

Reflection

I thoroughly enjoyed this writing activity because it gave me the opportunity to turn my

attention inward and focus on what will shape my nursing profession. I gained knowledge about

what my passions are with regard to patient care along with what patients expect when they

come to the hospital. It was an invaluable exercise that provided tremendous growth.
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References

Campbell, M. P. (2009). Relationship based care is here! The Journal of Lancaster General

Hospital, 4(3). Retrieved from http:// http://www.jlgh.org/JLGH/media/Journal-LGH-

Media-Library/Past%20Issues/Volume%204%20-%20Issue%203/campbellfall09.pdf

International Council of Nurses. (2018, March). Defintion of nursing. Retrieved from

http://www.icn.ch/who-we-are/icn-definition-of-nursing/

Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity. (2018, March). Family and social support. Retrieved

from https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-

health-equity/about/influences_on_health/family_social_support.html

Unknown. (2018, March). Ethical practice: NCLEX-RN. Retrieved from

https://wwwregisterednursing.org/nclex/ethical-practice/

World Health Organization. (2018, March). Health promotion. Retrieved from

http://www.who.int/topics/health_promotion/en/
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Honor Code

I pledge to support the Honor System of Old Dominion University. I will refrain from any form
of academic dishonesty or deception, such as cheating or plagiarism. I am aware that as a
member of the academic community it is my responsibility to turn in all suspected violations of
the Honor Code. I will report to a hearing if summoned.

Signature: Kevin Ellis Gross_______________