Introduction
A full, meaningful, and purposeful life is impossible without a healthy lifestyle. As a concept, health is a dynamic continuum depending on various external and internal factors. Being influenced by the environment, it might change from illness to wellness and vice versa. Although caring for a stranger is not intrinsic to ordinary human nature, a Christian nurse renders an ability to minister to all the people with compassionate care and see them with great worth, dignity, and value.
An Individual – Personal View
Each individual is a unique being, which might be considered an open system with several subsystems. In turn, the subsystems are influenced by environment and genetics. Human beings always seek homeostasis interacting with their surrounding. One of the main characteristics of an individual is the adaptation ability. Each person is motivated by his or her needs, and if they are not met, he or she falls at risk for changes in health status. These changes are typically manifested in the form of illness or disease. Hence, an individual has to seek relief from health professionals in the way of health care. It is a persons choice whether to be involved in the health care system or not. The patient’s cognitive abilities and a clear understanding of the core of their care define the potential outcomes of treatment. A person should be provided with an opportunity to contribute to the treatment process as it gives him or her a sense of control and, therefore, stimulates involvement and doing what is needed to recover.
The Impact of Personal Worldview on Patients
I am deeply convinced that a person dreaming of building a career in medicine should be empathetic, holistic, and culturally sensitive to the patients and their families. I believe that “by ensuring equity, patients receive human care regardless of their background, affiliations, and conditions and without the influence of administrative prejudices” (Lim-Saco et al., 2018). The high quality of nursing care results in excellent patient outcomes. As Nikfari et al. (2018) stated, they work in tandem, helping to accomplish the best life quality, complete the developmental tasks, and maintain the departure and arrival of life in spiritual terms. Hence, a nurse should be an alliance of a leader, an advocate, a manager, a teacher, and a service provider towards the patients.
Being a compassionate person, I always aimed to understand the people around me. I am confident that “the work we do is a part of God’s calling on our lives and a means by which we can glorify God as we meet others’ needs” (“Statement on,” n.d.). Therefore, I am committed to lifelong learning through faith, hands-on experience, and formal education to improve my nursing knowledge and skills. It is well known that our beliefs make us choose certain ways and methods of gaining experience (Cosgrove, 2006). I see each individual as a distinct human being who deserves respect and dignity. I believe that nursing is about “putting the person’s needs, as they define them, above those identified as priorities by healthcare professionals” (Draper & Tetley, 2019). Nursing requires an insight into the patients’ situations and needs and the provision of help in attaining, regaining, and retaining health.
The Individual and the Environment
The importance of the environment is in people’s existence in it and close interaction with it. The Christian life “must involve compassion and care, not only for the spiritual needs of mankind but also for basic physical needs that stem from poverty, oppression and injustice” (“Statement on,” n.d.). Taking into account the ways the environment affects individuals, their families, and the state of health is crucial for being a professional nurse. The surrounding shapes people unconsciously, influencing the ways they think and their decisions. For example, climate changes people’s moods, while pollution influences their health, and the natural resources affect their survival. A home environment is critical too, as our lifestyles depend on whether it is positive or negative. Another constituent of the situation is a healthy home. An individual’s health is affected by how well his or her house is constructed, maintained, designed, and rehabilitated.
Well-being is influenced and promoted by the environment interfering with it. Individuals live in terms of the interaction of the physical and non-physical environmental factors. The physical ones include water, temperature, air, and others. The non-physical climate is formed by family, culture, social support, and community. For example, a family relates to parenting, whereas culture covers attitudes, values, and beliefs. Social support includes churches, neighborhoods, and other groups, while the community means healthcare, housing, jobs, and schools. All of the components mentioned above significantly affect how individuals adapt to them and their health status.
Health and Illness
The WHO defined health in 1948, and new authorities still apply to this definition. Health is “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (“What is,” n.d.). Additionally, in 1986, further clarifications were applied, and the definition became as follows: “a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities” (“The Ottawa,” n.d.). Therefore, I think that health might be a resource supporting an individual’s functioning in society.
In turn, illness might be viewed as a health continuum’s end. In particular, each individual is affected by health issues at some point in his or her life. Moreover, people may carry responsibility for their illness development. Some individuals experience illness indirectly through a family or a friend’s condition. The three main classifications of disease are chronic, acute, and terminal. For instance, flu is an acute illness, as it occurs suddenly and lasts a short time. In turn, chronic diseases such as epilepsy last a long period and make people dependent on ongoing medical care. Finally, terminal illnesses such as last-stage cancer have no treatment and are likely to cause death shortly. Physical and mental health are tightly interconnected, and many people suffering from debilitating or painful diseases might also require a mental health professional’s help. They usually experience enduring feelings of depression, sadness, anger, anxiety, and others.
Nursing and Human Flourishing
Mostly, the human flourishing idea is slightly referred to in nursing literature. I was impressed with the professional practice model developed by B. Jacobs. It is based on the patterns of Carper and the intellectual virtues of Aristotle, combined with moral virtues (“Health as,” n.d.). This model assumes that the patient’s flourishing is the ultimate good. Its promotion by the nurses is stated to be a critical part of nursing practice nature. Being a virtue-guided moral agent, a nurse should pursue excellence in all the clinical details of her practice. Nurses are responsible for both patients and their flourishing enhancement. Therefore, human flourishing might be supposed a philosophical end of nursing for both a nurse and a patient. I think that this practice model is the most holistic and consistent with my nursing philosophy.
Conclusion: The Key Role of Nursing Existence
Nursing existence is aimed to improve life quality by taking care of patients and educating people. A nurse is always focused on the patients overall goal, coexisting with them in any state of their health. A Christian view on nursing and caring assumes that it is rather a calling than a profession (Rieg et al., 2018). Nurses support and accompany people as they interact with and within the environment, enhancing the ability to communicate better. I think that the relationship between a patient and a nurse is defined by and relies on the integration of their energies with the common aim – putting health in the best possible condition. Nursing exists to facilitate a successful and comfortable life journey providing support and vital tools to the patient.
References
Cosgrove, M. (2006). Foundations of Christian thought: faith, learning and Christian worldview. Kregel Publications.
Draper, J., & Tetley, G. (2019). The importance of person-centered approaches to nursing care.
Health as human flourishing. (n.d.)
Lim-Saco, F., Kilat, C. M., & Locsin, R. (2018). Synchronicity in human–space–time: a theory of nursing engagement in a global community. International Journal for Human Caring, 22(1), 1-10. Web.
Nikfarid, L., Hekmat, N., Vedad, A., & Rajabi, A. (2018). The main nursing metaparadigm concepts in human caring theory and Persian mysticism: a comparative study. J Med Ethics Hist Med, 11(6).
Rieg, L. S., Newbanks, R. S., & Sprunger, R. (2018). Caring from a Christian worldview: exploring nurses’ source of caring, faith practices, and view of nursing. Journal of Christian Nursing, 35(3), 168-173. Web.
Statement on the integration of faith and work. (n.d.)
The Ottawa charter for health promotion. (n.d.). World Health Organization.
What is the WHO definition of health? (n.d.) World Health Organization. Web.