Philosophy of Nursing - Assignment Example

Personal Philosophy of Nursing Personal Philosophy of Nursing There are various definitions of nursing around the globe. Most of these definitions depend on the generation and culture of the people involved. However, in my personal opinion, nursing is a profession that primarily aims at providing quality healthcare to people, communities and families hence improving their well-being. In light of this, a personal philosophy of nursing is a vital factor in my journey to developing as a nurse. There are four main nursing paradigms that form a basis for organizing the nursing beliefs and knowledge: person, environment, health and nursing.

Person: As a nurse, I view my patients as people first. Subsequently, I try to engage them in a two way relationship which is based on mutual awareness and dialogue. From my perspective, patients are my partners in the health care process. Although I view patients as being multifaceted and complex beings, I acknowledge that they try to do their best to get better. Also, as a nurse, I tend to engage my patients in the decision making process. As such, authentic connections are established. Further, I prefer the term patient to client while referring to my patients so as to improve the nurse patient relationship.

Health: Health as a dynamic process focuses on the patient’s entire physical, aesthetic, moral and social realms. As a nurse, I try to understand the patient’s health status (their social, physical, aesthetic and moral conditions). Thus, I judge or see a patient from his or her own perspective. This perception aids me to comprehend their needs and wants more easily. In addition, viewing patients from their perspective makes them feel that they are being cared for. Most importantly, this perception enables me as a nurse to know how different patients approach stress and how they cope with it.

Environment: The environment is often the geography and landscape of a person’s social experience and includes space, quality and time variations. Moreover, the environment is made up of the patient’s societal beliefs, morals, expectations, values and customs. Nightingale (1860) stated that the primary role of a nurse is to place a patient in the right and best conditions for the environment to act upon him. This statement forms a critical and crucial part of my personal philosophy of nursing.

Thus, it tends to resonate well with me. In light of Nightingale’s definition of the environment, I comprehend that both the external and internal components make up the environment. The environment element broadens to encompass both the built and natural environments which play an important role in the communities or patient’s health and well being. Also, as a professional nurse, I understand that the environment is made up of the socio-political environment also. By interacting with my patients, I seek to create and promote change and awareness among the patients and their families.

Nursing: Nursing is both a practice profession and an academic discipline. It is the science and art of holistic health which is guided by values such as human freedom, responsibility and choice. I wholly agree with this definition of nursing. On a broader view, nursing as a practice facilitates, assists, and supports individuals, communities, families and societies so as to recover and maintain health while simultaneously reducing the effects of sickness. With this broad view and definition, I emphasize the definition and view of nursing as a practice.

The term practice to me as a nurse signifies competence, skill proficiency and knowledge while good health care is the final aim or objective of nursing as a practice. Although the definition of good health care can be interpreted differently, I understand that it’s made up of actions and attitudes that foster dignity and well being across all human dimensions. ReferencesNightingale, F. (1860). Notes on Nursing: What It Is, and What It Is Not. Retrieved from http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/nightingale/nursing/nursing.html