PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING PAPER
NURS 401 – Professional Development for Baccalaureate Nursing
(Please see paper linked below)
Purpose of Assignment:
The purpose of this assignment is to enable the student to discover his or her personal philosophy of nursing, as it exists at the beginning of the academic journey toward the BSN.
Student Approach to Assignment:
I approached this assignment by reflecting on my personal philosophy of nursing. In approaching this assignment, I evaluated my morals and ethical principles that make up my authentic definition of nursing and all it entails. From this assignment, I learned that I have a unique viewpoint on nursing and those viewpoints will help guide how I care for patients in the healthcare setting. The most productive way to initiate this writing assignment involved me thinking holistically about nursing. To do this I needed to question and evaluate my key principles, beliefs and purpose of nursing. I engaged in self-reflection to fully answer the question prompts.
Reason for Inclusion of this Assignment in the Portfolio:
I believe this assignment should be included in my portfolio because it serves as an outlet for personal expression and morality as a nurse. As a nurse currently working in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at my local hospital, I feel that with reading this paper, one can fully understand my perspective of nursing and how my beliefs guide my care for patients. These beliefs are personal and therefore are unique, which differentiates myself from other working nurses.
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Critical Thinking
o Uses nursing and other appropriate theories and models to guide professional practice:
In formulating my own nursing philosophy, I researched several nursing philosophies, compiled the information and evaluated what I felt was most important; one of those nursing philosophies was that of Florence Nightingale. In my professional practice, I apply Nightingale’s basic principles to guide my nursing care. For example, I conduct thorough head-to-toe assessments, ensure the patient’s environment is clean/hygienic so it is conducive for proper healing and implement standard precautions daily to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases. Also, I ensure that I provide patient-centered care that is culturally congruent and structured around loyalty, fidelity, respect and honesty.
Nursing Practice
o Implements nursing care practices as appropriate to provide holistic health care to diverse populations across the lifespan:
I implement holistic health care for patients of diverse cultures by using therapeutic communication, which involves active listening. I address any and all concerns of the patient. During assessments I am focused on the physical well-being of the patient as well as their emotional health. The process of healing encompasses physical, spiritual, emotional and mental attributes. Working in healthcare, I am careful to address all four components in an attempt to obtain a health-related outcome because each component has a synergistic effect on one another.
Communication
o Uses therapeutic communication within the nurse-patient relationship:
Ensuring respect is a constant variable within the nurse-patient relationship, it allows for easy communication. Therapeutic communication is crucial in healthcare and I noted within my paper that it is important to use respect with all patients. I implement therapeutic communication skills daily to ensure effective communication is being shared. For example, when I am conversing with a patient I firstly offer my undivided attention and actively listen to what they are expressing. I do this by maintaining an uninterrupted conversation, where I face the client and use eye contact (as culturally appropriate). I clarify any misunderstood information obtained from the patient and validate their concerns with a brief statement such as “Yes, ma’am, I understand.”
Research
o Applies research-based knowledge from the arts, humanities and sciences to complement nursing practice:
For the purposes of this assignment, I conducted research on Florence Nightingale’s nursing theory as well as Leininger’s theory for culturally competent care; this research guided my way of practice, as I extracted key principles from each theory. For example, nurses should be sure to care for patients in a culturally competent manner as well as ensuring the patient’s environment is kept clean and hygienic to facilitate prompt healing. This research is currently applied in my day-to-day care; I am continuously maintaining standard precautions, ensuring cultural accommodations are made for those in need and each patient is cared for on a holistic level.
Leadership
o Articulates the values of the profession and the role of the nurse as member of the interdisciplinary health care team:
Upon researching different theories, I found that nurses play an integral part in the interdisciplinary team. For example, nurses can provide preventative action to avoid unnecessary health crisis’s by ensuring that there is education on immunizations, proper hand hygiene, information available and accessible regarding flu shot vaccinations and specific health screenings; these interventions can impact the community in an infinite amount of ways. Providing education and immunizations as necessary reduces the spread of communicable diseases and helps maintain an area that is free from illness.
Professionalism
o Demonstrates accountability for one’s own professional practice as well as limits to one’s own scope of practice:
Professionalism is built around honesty and integrity. In my current nursing practice, I am always honest about assessment details and parameters, such as pulse, lung sounds, neuro, etc. While working in the world of healthcare, it is crucial to remain professional and avoid confrontation. Another key principle of professionalism is fidelity. Fidelity is a key component of loyalty; if you ensure that a task will be completed, or paperwork will be submitted, guarantee that it is done. I use this theory daily while at work by ensuring I provide my patient his glass of water he requested. Also, I notify the doctor of specific parameters that need to be reported so I can abide by any new orders s/he may request, as I am aware of my scope of practice and cannot work freely without abiding by doctor's orders.
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o Applies an ethical decision-making framework and legal guidelines to clinical situations that incorporate moral concepts, professional ethics and advocacy for patient well-being
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In addition to respect, honesty impacts the way I provide treatment. As a nursing student, having no experience in this field, I recognize the value in honesty. If I am unsure about something, I contact my supervisor or instructor immediately because I know the consequences of being untruthful are detrimental to my patients and myself. For example, during my clinical shift I was instructed to take vitals on my patient and report back to my instructor with the values. After obtaining blood pressure, respirations and temperature and pulse ox, I attempted to take the radial pulse. After five minutes of light palpation, I realized I could not find it. Instead of writing down a normal or acceptable pulse rate, I informed my instructor that I could not feel the radial pulse. Even though, being honest about something as minuscule as pulse rate I find that it makes a big difference in the kind of personal you are, and therefore the nurse that will become of you.
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Culture
o Demonstrates sensitivity to personal and cultural definitions of health, and how these beliefs influence an individual’s reactions to the illness experience and end of life
Throughout the written assignment, I discussed the importance in providing culturally competent care. Health recoveries and outcomes flourish when the care that is being supplemented is congruent to the patient; everyone has their way of coping and enduring life, so when the care and attention is applied in the same manner, the effects are then more beneficial. I respect each patient regardless of their cultural background; I ensure that all preferences and cultural boundaries are addressed and accommodated for upon initial assessments. I also explain in detail their rights as a patient and special services we can implement to ensure their care is culturally congruent, such as assigning female nurses with female patients, using translator communication services and utilizing dietary for special mealtime requests.
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o Integrates knowledge of cultural diversity in performing nursing interventions
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In my clinical practice, I apply my nursing philosophy- which is built on respect. I acknowledge that some cultures require specific meal trays or implementation of same-sex nurses. For example, during one of my work shifts, there was a patient whom was of the Muslim faith. Once I communicated with the patient and her husband, I understood their cultural requests. The husband requested that a female nurse take care of his wife; I took on the patient as one of my own because I wanted to ensure they received culturally-congruent care.