A great evangelist once said, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.” To me, that’s what philosophy is. In a broad sense, it’s what makes us think and reason the way we do

In developing this idea of what philosophy is, I had to examine what it is I valued most as a nurse. First, I cannot discuss the importance of nursing, without first acknowledging Florence Nightingale, who said, “Nursing is an art: and if it is to be made an art, it requires an exclusive devotion as hard a preparation as any painter’s or sculptor’s work; for what is the having to do with dead canvas or dead marble, compared with having to do with the living body, the temple of God’s spirit? It is one of the Fine Arts: I had almost said the finest of Fine Arts.” Her vision is important to me, as she pioneered the way for us nurses today.

Nightingale also believed that nurse training was almost as important as training of doctors, and nurses should have medical knowledge too. As far as my views on nursing education go, I have often questioned why the entry level into professional nursing is so much lower than other health care professions. Does nursing require less knowledge and skill? Today more than ever, I believe the requirement for entry level into professional nursing should be the baccalaureate degree with nurses feeling empowered to continue to pursue even higher education. In a time and age where information can be just a click away, nurses have a personal obligation to their patients and their communities to provide current, evidence based practice that they obtain through continued education.

As a nurse, I value being committed to accountability, professionalism, and compassion. I am my patients’ advocate, whether through protection, promotion or optimization of their health. The ANA reinforces the significance of advocacy in its Code of Ethics, including Provision 3: “The nurse promotes, advocates for, and strives to protect the health, safety, and rights of the patient.” I am responsible for upholding HIPPA regulations and patient’s Bill of Rights.

Jean Watson believed that “caring is the essence of nursing.” I am dedicated to caring for my patients holistically, bearing in mind the diverse needs of the population and being culturally sensitive when providing care to my patients, regardless of age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or disability.

I will continue to keep up with evidence based practices and technological advances, while devoting myself to self-enrichment through lifelong learning and practicing to the fullest extent of my profession. I will help and mentor new nurses along the way because I remember what it’s like to practice as a new nurse. I will empower my fellow nurses to continually practice with integrity, passion, and a team player attitude. I’ve always felt nursing is not for the faint of heart. It is a calling to a greater purpose. That is why I will strive to adhere to my nursing philosophy in order to foster a career that is embedded in delivering the highest patient-centered, high-quality care.

 

References

American Nurses Association. (2001). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. Retrieved from https://www.princetonhcs.org/-/media/princeton/documentrepository/documentrepository/nurses/code-of-ethics.pdf

 

Bible Gateway (2011) 1 Corinthians 13:11 New International Version (NIV)

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians+13:11&version=NIV

 

https://www.brainpickings.org/2012/04/09/what-is-philosophy/

 

https://todayinsci.com/N/Nightingale_Florence/NightingaleFlorence-Quotations.htm

 

Watson, J. (1988). Nursing: Human science and human care. (pp. 32-33)  New York: National League for Nursing.