My Personal Nursing Philosophy
The American Nurses Association says that nursing is "the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations" (ANA, 2013). However, I feel that there is much more to nursing than this. Throughout this section I will be sharing my personal nursing philosophy. The aspects of my nursing philosophy include knowledge, time management, compassion/caring, the patient and family as one unit, advocacy, respect and honesty. Nursing is the one career which offers me the chance to combine my beliefs with the opportunity to help others around me.
Knowledge is not awarded. It is the key to success and earned over time. One can never have too much knowledge. Nurses must know diseases and their processes. Classroom knowledge must be able to be applied in the clinical setting in order to provide optimal care. This also means that passing a test does not make a nurse successful. It is merely the standard at which you are evaluated to gain a license. If you can't take that knowledge and apply it, you cannot be successful. All in all, I believe that the application of the knowledge is more important that the knowledge itself. Personality and bedside manner go along with this. A person can test well and come into the clinical setting and not know how to show empathy in a room. The two go hand in hand. A good nurse will be able to anticipate the needs of the patient, prioritize effectively, and make the patient feel like they are important.
My personal value/belief has always been to be caring, patient and compassionate with those around me. This has been something that family instilled in me at a young age. You need these characteristics in the world of nursing if you want to provide the best care possible to your patients as well as to their families. They need this from you. For example, during my first clinical rotation I was in a nursing home. On the last day there was a patient who was not expected to live through the day. Although he was not my patient, I stopped in every once in a while to make sure that the family had what they needed and that things were going as well as they could me. Just before leaving for the day, I checked in on them again and the patient's wife asked if I would help her turn her husband. She and her daughter were both nurses, and I had no problem helping them. Once we turned the patient, it was evident that he was in his final moments of life. While I could have stepped out of the room, I stayed. I stood with this man's wife while another student went to find the nurse on the unit. The man passed away within a few moments. What stays with me is hug that I received from that patient's wife, and how she told me that I had been wonderful to her whole family and that I would be a wonderful nurse because of that. It strengthened my feelings on taking care of the patient and family, rather than just the person who is ill.
As for the rest of characteristics in my philosophy, they appear to be more ethical issues than anything else. Privacy, safety, respect, advocacy, and honesty are aspects of care that any human deserves. Along with patient care, these same values apply to other members of the healthcare team. Doctors, therapists, aides/techs, social work, case managers, etc. all must collaborate together in order to achieve optimal outcomes. These professionals need to apply these aspects of nursing to not only the patient, but to each other. It truly is a team effort.
After considering and discussing my nursing philosophy, I feel that it is important to connect and relate it to today's health care system. It is apparent that we are under a nursing shortage, and with the "baby boom" generation starting to hit age 65, it is going to get worse before it gets better. Health care is also quite expensive, and not always available to everyone. Because of this, there is a high demand for the ability to apply knowledge, values and idealism in our position. If we cannot provide the core characteristics of knowledge, time management, compassion/caring, advocacy, respect, honesty, and patient privacy and safety, the health care need is going to rise even higher. We also have to consider the baby boomer generation that will be retiring within the next 5 to 10 years. The growing demand keeps younger nurses on their toes and sets the bar high for patient care.
Due to rising costs and the shortage of nurses, we need to take a look at what patients' needs are, and how they can be addressed effectively. Lifestyle choices are a huge part of the problem with patients today. As nurses, we need to promote wellness rather than simply treating the current ailment. This means that we must educate patients as much as possible, promote screenings, and provide encouragement. All of these tasks make a better nurse and increase health promotion.
Finally, I think it is important to point out what makes me work, and why I have this much passion for helping other people. I truly believe that health care goes beyond the disease that you are treating the patient for. Along with treatment, I think it is critical to involve the patient in their care as much as possible, and encourage a strong support system which can help as well. No one knows more about how the patient feels than they do. Sometimes we have to stop talking and just let the patient tell us what they know and how they feel. Together with listening, we must try to understand the differences that patients may have. Each patient is unique, has their own set of values, cultural needs, and spiritual support. Through evidence-based practice, the nursing process, and genuine compassion, nurses can ensure quality care for each and every patient and touch on all of their needs.
In conclusion, as nurses we must take the knowledge we have gained, the values that we have, and idealism into our job and apply them. Not incorporating these values will jeopardize patient care and wound the trust of patients and their families. I will strive to maintain and follow my own philosophy throughout my career. Nursing is a well respected and fulfilling career, and I am overjoyed to be able to be a part of it.
Resources
ANA - The American Nurses Assocation. (2013). What is nursing? Retrieved February 25, 2013, from American Nurses Association website: http://www.nursingworld.org/EspeciallyForYou/What-is-Nursing
Knowledge is not awarded. It is the key to success and earned over time. One can never have too much knowledge. Nurses must know diseases and their processes. Classroom knowledge must be able to be applied in the clinical setting in order to provide optimal care. This also means that passing a test does not make a nurse successful. It is merely the standard at which you are evaluated to gain a license. If you can't take that knowledge and apply it, you cannot be successful. All in all, I believe that the application of the knowledge is more important that the knowledge itself. Personality and bedside manner go along with this. A person can test well and come into the clinical setting and not know how to show empathy in a room. The two go hand in hand. A good nurse will be able to anticipate the needs of the patient, prioritize effectively, and make the patient feel like they are important.
My personal value/belief has always been to be caring, patient and compassionate with those around me. This has been something that family instilled in me at a young age. You need these characteristics in the world of nursing if you want to provide the best care possible to your patients as well as to their families. They need this from you. For example, during my first clinical rotation I was in a nursing home. On the last day there was a patient who was not expected to live through the day. Although he was not my patient, I stopped in every once in a while to make sure that the family had what they needed and that things were going as well as they could me. Just before leaving for the day, I checked in on them again and the patient's wife asked if I would help her turn her husband. She and her daughter were both nurses, and I had no problem helping them. Once we turned the patient, it was evident that he was in his final moments of life. While I could have stepped out of the room, I stayed. I stood with this man's wife while another student went to find the nurse on the unit. The man passed away within a few moments. What stays with me is hug that I received from that patient's wife, and how she told me that I had been wonderful to her whole family and that I would be a wonderful nurse because of that. It strengthened my feelings on taking care of the patient and family, rather than just the person who is ill.
As for the rest of characteristics in my philosophy, they appear to be more ethical issues than anything else. Privacy, safety, respect, advocacy, and honesty are aspects of care that any human deserves. Along with patient care, these same values apply to other members of the healthcare team. Doctors, therapists, aides/techs, social work, case managers, etc. all must collaborate together in order to achieve optimal outcomes. These professionals need to apply these aspects of nursing to not only the patient, but to each other. It truly is a team effort.
After considering and discussing my nursing philosophy, I feel that it is important to connect and relate it to today's health care system. It is apparent that we are under a nursing shortage, and with the "baby boom" generation starting to hit age 65, it is going to get worse before it gets better. Health care is also quite expensive, and not always available to everyone. Because of this, there is a high demand for the ability to apply knowledge, values and idealism in our position. If we cannot provide the core characteristics of knowledge, time management, compassion/caring, advocacy, respect, honesty, and patient privacy and safety, the health care need is going to rise even higher. We also have to consider the baby boomer generation that will be retiring within the next 5 to 10 years. The growing demand keeps younger nurses on their toes and sets the bar high for patient care.
Due to rising costs and the shortage of nurses, we need to take a look at what patients' needs are, and how they can be addressed effectively. Lifestyle choices are a huge part of the problem with patients today. As nurses, we need to promote wellness rather than simply treating the current ailment. This means that we must educate patients as much as possible, promote screenings, and provide encouragement. All of these tasks make a better nurse and increase health promotion.
Finally, I think it is important to point out what makes me work, and why I have this much passion for helping other people. I truly believe that health care goes beyond the disease that you are treating the patient for. Along with treatment, I think it is critical to involve the patient in their care as much as possible, and encourage a strong support system which can help as well. No one knows more about how the patient feels than they do. Sometimes we have to stop talking and just let the patient tell us what they know and how they feel. Together with listening, we must try to understand the differences that patients may have. Each patient is unique, has their own set of values, cultural needs, and spiritual support. Through evidence-based practice, the nursing process, and genuine compassion, nurses can ensure quality care for each and every patient and touch on all of their needs.
In conclusion, as nurses we must take the knowledge we have gained, the values that we have, and idealism into our job and apply them. Not incorporating these values will jeopardize patient care and wound the trust of patients and their families. I will strive to maintain and follow my own philosophy throughout my career. Nursing is a well respected and fulfilling career, and I am overjoyed to be able to be a part of it.
Resources
ANA - The American Nurses Assocation. (2013). What is nursing? Retrieved February 25, 2013, from American Nurses Association website: http://www.nursingworld.org/EspeciallyForYou/What-is-Nursing