Factors Relating to Nursing Philosophy - Essay Example

Nursing Philosophy Introduction The medical world can be said to have over the years overlooked the actual essentialness of nurses for a period of time with most of the attention directed towards the doctors in charge of the sickly (DeWit, 2009). However, in my opinion the involvement of nurses cannot be overrated as they are the backbone of most medical facilities and are the main cogs and wheels behind the scenes that ensure an institution functions like a well-oiled machine. It is with these perspectives in mind that I make a point of trying to underline a number of philosophies that can be upheld in the dispatch of my duties and responsibilities (Armstrong, 2007). Various issues and factors have come up with the subject of developing my nursing philosophy and it essential that one studies these matters in a bid to come up with a better suited set of beliefs and practices that can serve to build up the philosophy in question (Gastmans, 2013). These factors have to do with issues that are related to the medical realm in one way or another such as via its associated party/group (that is the healers consisting of doctors and nurses and the patients). My nursing philosophy can be conclusively described as the set of beliefs and standards that a nurse may choose to undertake in their work in a bid to ensure that they are able to offer the best quality services in their duties within their professional capacities as nurses (DeWit, 2009). It can be seen as what governs nurses’ thoughts and attitudes towards their jobs. Factors Relating to Nursing Philosophy Before I decided what kind of philosophy I would to take up, it was essential that I took a number of elements into consideration that would in the long term assist me in making my final decision (Chin, 2008). Some of the factors that I considered during the development of my nursing philosophy include: a. Involved Parties The parties that are involved in the medical world of the nurse should be the first issue that is taken into consideration. This should as a matter of fact be put at the forefront during the decision making process as they are the main elements that will be affected by the final decision that is made (Gastmans, 2013). I made a point of considering how certain aspects of the philosophy will affect a particular party for instance in order to ensure that there is no group that is at one point or another put at a disadvantage as a result of the philosophy being put into practice. There are two parties that are involved in a medical environment as mentioned earlier which are the healers and the patients (Armstrong, 2007). The healers are those in charge of the treatment of the second group (the patients) who have come for help. It should be noted that the patients should be the main focus of the medical environment and this is no different when it comes to the development of a nursing philosophy (DeWit, 2009). This is because the patient and their needs should always be placed first to ensure that they get efficient and effective service. The healers however which in this case would consist of the doctors and other administrative staff in the medical environment that are responsible for the care of a patient should be taken into consideration as well. This is to avoid bias as well as ensure that the eventual philosophy that is formulated is able to stand true in various scenarios and not just when patients are involved. b. Aims and Objectives A second factor in the consideration of my nursing philosophy is the development of the aims and objectives that I have when trying to develop a suitable philosophy (Gastmans, 2013). The particular objectives that a medical practitioner has with regard to their career related aims should serve as the foundation of the philosophy that is developed. This is so that an individual will be able to meet these objectives easier than would be possible without a prior formulated plan (Chin, 2008). My nursing philosophy in this case can be seen as a type of strategy that is developed in a bid to help them carry out the various issues they wish to achieve. I achieved this through drawing up a list of the various objectives that the individual in question has at the moment and afterwards, developing a philosophy that is suitable to the aims and objectives that have been laid out (DeWit, 2009). Involving the aims and objectives of an individual in their nursing philosophy will also motivate the person in question to carry on with the philosophy when they may be tempted to do otherwise as a matter of convenience. This motivation is especially important in the long term as it will encourage one to maintain their course over an extended period of time (Armstrong, 2007). c. Ethics and Professionalism This can be seen as one of the most critical factors to take into consideration regarding the development of a nursing philosophy (Gastmans, 2013). The ethics in this case can be said to be what is considered right or wrong in various case scenarios emerging in a medical setting. Professionalism has to do with the collection of the expectations, duties and responsibilities that are involved when an individual enters into the professional world of medicine (Chin, 2008). These two issues must be considered in order to ensure that the resulting philosophy remains within the boundaries that have been set for medical practitioners via regulation boards and other set ups that have been put in place for regulatory purposes. The involvement of ethics is especially important to maintain what can be described as a “basic goodness” to the outline of my philosophy (DeWit, 2009). When ethics are thrown into the mixture during the development process will ensure that the main result of the philosophy will be directed towards the improvement of the certain potentially negative situations that may need to be looked into when developing a philosophy. Essentials of a Nursing Philosophy A few imperative elements should be part of my nursing philosophy in order to ensure that certain important matters/subjects are addressed. Various essentials should be present in the final draft of the nursing philosophy (Armstrong, 2007). Using these essentials I am able to draw an outline of how an acceptable philosophy would portray itself after development (Chin, 2008). Some of these essentials include issues such as the main objective of a nurse should be the helping of others as this is part of the job description of being a nurse. This includes the helping of both the patients and the doctors that one works with. The nursing philosophy should also make a point of bringing important issues to the forefront such as maintaining an absence of bias no matter the individual being treated (Gastmans, 2013). Personally, I am able to carry out my duties despite the circumstances that I may find myself under. Part of the philosophy should also make a point of stressing the issue of duty and responsibility that is expected of a medical professional. In conclusion, a good nursing philosophy should look out for the patients as well as aim to help professionals (such as doctors) that are part of the treatment of a patient (DeWit, 2009). My philosophy also looks to control the personal emotions and attributes in various situations that come up so as to maintain a type of professionalism that allows one to perform their duties. References Armstrong, A. (2007). Nursing Ethics: A Virtue-Based Approach. Palgrave Macmillan Chin, P. L. (2008). Integrated theory and knowledge development in nursing (7th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby. DeWit, S. (2009). Fundamental Concepts and Skills for Nursing. Missouri: Saunders Elsevier. Gastmans, C. (2013). "Dignity-enhancing nursing care: A foundational ethical framework". Nursing Ethics20 (2). Read More