Personal Statement of Beliefs and Philosophy about Nursing

My philosophy is an important foundation for my nursing profession. My personal understanding of nursing is caring for my patients as a whole. By doing so, I use my knowledge, self-awareness, honesty, and respect. I come from a background where culture plays a major role in my life so incorporating individual beliefs and culture into their care is important to me. When taking care of my patients, I take into consideration their spiritual, physical, and emotional needs. My patients’ families and environment are also important aspects incorporated into their care. Learning and reading about different theorists, I notice the different yet important facets of nursing care required to provide individualized and comprehensive care for all patients.

Since culture is a cardinal feature to my nursing practice, I associate myself with Madeleine Leininger’s theory of transcultural nursing, which is one of the newer nursing theories. According to Leininger, the aim of nursing is to provide care compatible with cultural values, beliefs, and practices of the patient. She recommends all health care personnel to work towards an understanding of the care and the values, health beliefs, and lifestyles of different cultures, which will form the basis for providing culture-specific care (Olin, J., 2011, September 12). She furthermore explains that applying transculturalism to nursing care does not mean to travel to different foreign countries in order to provide culturally competent care across cultures. The nurse should simply listen to the patient, assess his or her beliefs and values, and implement care decisions that make a point of avoiding offensive practices (Betancourt, D. A.,2016). The culturally congruent practice of the  American Nurses Association, Standard 8, is a practice I uphold. It states “culturally congruent practice is the application of evidence-based nursing that is in agreement with the preferred cultural values, beliefs, worldview, and practices of the healthcare consumer and other stakeholders”, (Implementing the New ANA Standard 8: Culturally Congruent Practice.,2017, January).

My comprehension of this philosophy stems from the cultural values and beliefs instilled in me growing up. I know how cultural beliefs are important to a person’s identity and how they care for themselves. Presently, diversity is a major discussion in health care. Recognizing the difference in people and wanting to learn or even understand them is key to providing culturally competent care for everyone. Nurses are in a unique position to provide wholesome care that is culturally competent to all patients. Treating all patients as a whole and not just their illness is the key.

 

References:

Betancourt, D. A. (2016). Madeleine Leininger and the Transcultural Theory of Nursing. Retrieved April 26, 2019, from http://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&context=tdr

Implementing the New ANA Standard 8: Culturally Congruent Practice. (2017, January). Retrieved April 26, 2019, from http://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-22-2017/No1-Jan-2017/Articles-Previous-Topics/Implementing-the-New-ANA-Standard-8.html

Olin, J. (2011, September 12). 7 Nursing Theories To Practice By. Retrieved April 26, 2019, from http://www.rncentral.com/blog/2011/7-nursing-theories-to-practice-by/