C- caring       A- advocacy      R- respect      S- success

It was a hot and humid summer day in August. One phone call completely changed my entire world. On August 9, 1995, my beloved grandmother passed away from complications of a stroke and diabetes. My grandmother and I had a very close bond. Prior to her death, I noticed how the nurses treated her during the hospitalization up until the time of death. The nursing staff was knowledgeable, compassionate, understanding, sympathetic, and naturally caring. Each trait demonstrates on how a professional registered nurse should act and have. Since this tragic event, I am so thankful for choosing the nursing profession to help people like the way the nurses help my grandmother. As I continue to progress in my profession, there are certain values and beliefs that I considered important in this field. Jean Watson’s Theory of Caring is one of the theories that I considered essential as a Professional Registered Nurse.

Jean Watson’s theory of Caring is a pertinent tool that is used throughout nursing. According to this theory, caring promotes health to the individual or a family growth; it develops a helping-trust relationship; it promotes interpersonal teaching and learning. As a health care professional, caring is viable to our practice. A small gesture or a simple touch can develop into a fulfilling and trusting patient- nurse relationship. There are a few concepts that leads into the philosophy of nursing. These concepts are looked at and are considered essential in the nursing profession. Ethical values and beliefs are equally appreciated and examined. Florence Nightingdale, the founding mother of nursing, identified basic foundational philosophical bases for professional nursing. She defined nursing as:

• An unique profession that is both art and science
• Nursing is collaborative with all other healthcare professions
• The goal of nursing is to foster health within the patient
• Individuals are complex, holistic begins; the power of nursing comes from decision- making activities based on empirical observation of the patient; the practice of nursing should not be limited by gender, spiritual beliefs and values. (Selanders, L., Crane, P., (January 31, 2012) “The Voice of Florence Nightingale on Advocacy” OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing 17, No. 1, Manuscript 1.)

I’ve been a Professional Registered Nurse for 6 years and its’ been quite an experience. In order to work in the field of nursing, an individual must develop certain characteristics to continue this practice. Nursing has evolved over the years but the main focus is to provide outstanding and professional services and compassionate care to our clients. Another true fact about nursing is that the field is constantly expanding. There are job opportunities, continuing education, and several of workshops to attend that are beneficial to the practice of nursing. It allows us to grow and gain more knowledge throughout our careers.

One ethical value that I strongly believe in is advocacy. Advocacy is essential in our nursing practice because our opinions do matter while caring for a client. I strongly believe in this because it shows support, it shows that we care, and a rapport relationship develops between the nurse and the patient. I believe that advocacy promotes patient satisfaction during their hospital stay. My values and beliefs are very important to me. I am a firm believer of respect. In the healthcare system, it is imperative to respect each other’s feelings, cultures, and opinions. We are a professional team that works together as a whole to ensure what is best for the patient. We should have a non-judgmental attitude. Also, I value one’s privacy. I ensure that I provide appropriate privacy to the individual whether pulling the curtain, speaking in a private area, and the tone is soft and professional. I try to set a comfortable environment for the client so that I can obtain pertinent information that the patient may not feel comfortable sharing with another health professional.

Ammiel’ s Philosophy of Nursing:

C-caring

A- advocacy

R- respect

S- success