My philosophy of nursing has remained the same since the beginning of my nursing career. It consists of the belief that the purpose of nursing is not just treating illnesses; instead, nurses should take care of the individual needs of their patients and pay attention to their values. There have never been ideas that challenged my values or caused my conflict because I firmly believe that, by taking an individual approach to each patient, I will be able to achieve the best health outcomes for them.
In my nursing practice, I am always guided by my philosophy of nursing. For example, sometimes, I provide care to patients with chronic diseases. When I deal with such patients, I am not simply administering medications to them or educating them about how to treat their illnesses or what lifestyle to lead. In addition to that, I talk with patients about their concerns, try to find out whether they have any specific difficulties related to their diseases, and advise them on what they can do to cope with those difficulties. By doing so, I show compassion to patients and provide them with emotional support. Emotional support, which includes listening to patients carefully, friendly behavior, pleasant tone, and positive greeting, is crucial for patients and significantly affects their mood (Drahošová & Jarošová, 2016). Therefore, I believe that nursing philosophy, based on an individual approach to patients, helps me to do the best I can for patients.
My nursing philosophy aligns with four concepts of the metaparadigm of nursing: person, health, environment, and nursing. Health care revolves around a person, and it should consider the unique personal values, backgrounds, and needs of each patient to achieve the best health outcomes. Nursing practice is inextricably related to the concept of health, which consists of physical, mental, and spiritual dimensions. The environment is also important in nursing because, to improve patient health outcomes, patients should be placed in safe settings. Finally, I define the concept of nursing as all the competencies and personal qualities, such as leadership and compassion, that nurses use in their practice. My first written philosophy of nursing has not changed in its essence, but the understanding of these four concepts has enriched my philosophy and strengthened my belief in its soundness.
Reference
Drahošová, L., & Jarošová, D. (2016). Concept caring in nursing. Central European Journal of Nursing and Midwifery, 7(2), 453-460.