A philosophy is a personal belief, concept, or an attitude. It is often expressed in the things that a person likes doing or the issues that direct their actions and decisions in life. Moreover, an individual’s philosophy is also illustrated by the things that give them satisfaction. Part of the reason I chose nursing as a career is that I believe it is a calling to help those who are suffering and improving their quality of life. In my view, a nurse should not be just motivated by the salary. On the contrary, their greatest motivation should be the joy that comes with making a difference in a patient’s life.
In my career as a nurse, I have developed a personal philosophy based on the responsibility of the nurse to provide patient care that is safe and holistic. This philosophy reminds me that I have to treat my patients as people requiring individualized care rather than cases. A nurse should serve as the advocate between the patient and the doctor by acting as an active participant in the provision of patient care. Patients place a lot of trust in their nurses. Therefore, nurses must maintain the information provided by patients as confidential unless in situations where revealing that information is necessary.
As a nurse, my core values and beliefs include honesty, persistence, kindness, continuous learning, and kindness. The values form my guiding principles in the process of decision making and my practice as a nurse. In my opinion, the most important value for a nurse is kindness. It enables one to treat patients with integrity and a caring attitude. My personal philosophy is in line with the professional standards of nursing. I follow the ethical theory of utilitarianism that aims at maximizing the benefits for all the parties involved. As a result, my actions always take into account the consequences on the staff and the patients. In the practice of nursing, I follow the self-care theory developed by Dorothea Orem (Dossey et al. 2012). The theory focuses not only on the medical aspect of patient care but also the psychological, social and interpersonal aspects that lead to the wholeness of a person. In a nutshell, I believe that patients are responsible for their health and should be taught how to take self-care.
Reference
Dossey, B. M., Certificate, C. D. I. N. C., Keegan, L., & Co-Director International Nurse Coach Association. (2012). Holistic nursing. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
