Group Philosophical Beliefs and Common Philosophical Elements - Essay Example

Group Philosophical Beliefs Introduction The concept of group philosophical beliefs is often based on a community of people or individuals who share significant features or principles, and mostly utilize common institutions. As nurses, we often share common beliefs as a team. Philosophy as a process consists of a task of reflection and reasoning. It is majorly based on what we as nurses belief rather than what we feel. Through synthesis and analysis, philosophy develops a set of common elements about the world’s principles and environment which we reside in. This paper will analyze our group philosophical beliefs as nurses. To expound on our philosophical beliefs, the common philosophical elements will have to be incorporated into the paper. Subsequently, a brief definition of the elements will be given followed by an in-depth analysis. Therefore, the paper will focus on the following common philosophical elements: compassion/empathy, benefence, education/integrity, group vs. individual, person, health, nursing, and the environment. Common Philosophical Elements Compassion/Empathy Being kind to one another, and walking in someone else shoes can show a great strength like empathy. We, as a group, became nurses felt sorry and sympathetic towards those who are suffering, and are less fortunate than us. Even when we had difficult times in our lives or saw patients having difficult times, we developed a sense of compassion which is a great value to have. Beneficence It means doing good or doing no harm. This concept was told to us in prerequisite classes that every nurse should do no harm and do good to our patients. Beneficence is something taught to us as a child. It is a strict moral or value that parents teach their children all the time, which differentiates one from knowing right from wrong. Education/Integrity These concepts have similarities; they both build character. Education can be used to teach others or to teach one’s self. One learns what individual integrity is by getting the education that is provided to him or her from school, family, or community. Group vs individual Many people do not prefer group work, but use it every day. As nurses we work in a stressful environment of constant change. We work well with change based on a team effort or team approach. The team and the group are one and the same. For example, in a hospital setting a team may consist of doctors, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, or nutritionists. Whereas outside a hospital it may be one’s community, church, friends, or classmates that are all a part of a team or group. Person A person is a human being who is inimitable; enriched with personal wants and needs, experiences and understandings, as well as proficiencies and intelligence. Patients used to be seen just as patients, ill humans who can be placed under a category of care according to signs and symptoms or disease process. Care that is not personalized may result in patients’ feeling as though they are test subjects rather than ill, hospitalized individuals. As research continues to cultivate, patients in a healthcare setting are now seen as individuals in respect to their illness. Previously, nursing treatment plans solely revolved around the patient. Nursing researchers and theorists have now extended nursing care to focus not only on the patient’s individuality, but also their family and community (McEwen & Wills, 2014). Caring for and seeing patients as a whole helps nurses implement a plan of care that is tailored toward the patient. When a patient and his or her surroundings are incorporated into the plan of care, anxiety can be reduced leading to more compliance with education and discharge instructions. Health Health is a state of wellness that is individualized. To a person, health can mean being disease free or physically stable. Health is a concept that can be perceived by everyone differently. Healthcare providers see all different kinds of disease states and suffering patients. As an emergency room nurse with a baccalaureate degree, done would say that a healthy person is one who is getting discharged home with education, prescriptions, and is well appearing. Advanced practice nurses see these patients in family practice clinics and send them to the hospital or see them for follow up visits after being discharged. It is the responsibility, as advanced practice nurses to be part of the continuity of care and provide consumers with better access to improve quality of life through health education, health promotion, and the effects of health problems as it relates to family members. Certainly a person’s quality of life is viewed by a nurse as the most important aspect in his or her career. The phrase quality of life can replace the word health because health is such a broad term. Quality of life focuses on physical, psychological, and social well-being of an individual in parts to explain the whole big picture (McEwen & Wills, 2014). Nursing Nursing is a distinct field in health care that specializes in attending to and caring for families, individuals, and communities with the aim of improving, restoring and maintaining optimal health. Improvements made in the nursing field, however, are usually undertaken by different individuals, with varying medical foci leading to a scenario of varying concepts of nursing. According to Ingalls and Tourville (2003), the corpus of the Living Tree of Nursing Theories entails a developing, inter-related as well as inter-dependent tree with historical value and great meaning. Nursing begins with the personal root of the patient. Of paramount importance, nursing fosters paradigms for both the patient and the workplace. For example, current practice of an emergency room nurse is to carry on the historical theories because it involves caring for patients who are in critical phases of their illnesses. The future practice as a nurse practitioner will continue to carry on the historical theories as it will deal with continued and wholesome health care for people and families of varying ages. Environment An environment includes one’s internal and external surrounding, in which, one finds oneself in on a daily basis. At times, an environment can be peaceful, therapeutic and healing however at other times it can be hectic, stressful and demanding. Environments can also contribute to one’s inner perspectives and behavior toward one another.  A pleasant attitude that is unconditional in every aspect of one’s behavior comes from one’s experience with his or her environment in the past. This in turn contributes to an optimistic outlook to every situation being presented. In regards to patient care a healing and therapeutic environment is ideal, especially if a patient is in a very critical state, such as, in a critical care unit after severe trauma. Providing a confidential, nonjudgmental and healing environment can positively influence a patient’s outcome. This can also help relieve anxiety and stress for the patient and family members who may also feel overwhelmed while dealing with their loved ones’ acute condition. Therefore, it is important to establish a healthy work environment, which can ultimately help healthcare providers to achieve this goal. Feldman and Christensen from the journal titled, Practitioner Well Being Personal Philosophy, state that one’s work environment plays a major role in his or her well-being.  One’s healthcare work environment may contribute to how nursing policies and practices are executed therefore, relating to how patients are cared for. If one finds oneself in a trusting work environment he or she is more willing to be open to taking responsibility for his or her own errors, asking for assistance and acting prudently to provide a more competent care.   References Feldman, M. D., & Christensen, J.F. (2008). Practitioner Well Being Personal Philosophy.pdf (section 1, chapter 6, p. 45-47). In Behavioral medicine: A guide for clinical practice. New York: Mc Graw-Hill Companies. McEwen, M., & Willis, E. M. (2014). Overview of Theory in Nursing. Theoretical basis for nursing (4th ed., pp. 42). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Tourville, C., & Ingalls, K. (2003). The living tree of nursing theories. Nursing Forum, 38(3), 21-36. Read More