Running head: MY PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING

My Philosophy of Nursing Libbey V. Steed Dixie State University

MY PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING My Philosophy of Nursing

This paper will explain my personal nursing philosophy that I plan to use throughout my nursing career. Nursing is a career choice that represents a life full of compassion, selflessness, and determination to overcome physical and mental challenges in any circumstance thrown your way. A nurse does not make a commitment to a job, but a commitment to a lifestyle. Everyday doctors save lives in the emergency room and operating room, but no doctor would be as successful without a nurse by their side. A nurses role in a patients life is as important as that of the doctors. Dag Hammarskjold once said, Constant attention from a good nurse may be just as important as a major operation by a surgeon. (http://www.worldofquotes.com/author/Dag+Hammarskjold/1/index.html). An exceptional nurse demonstrate outstanding knowledge of health and illness, provides reason in decision making in the care of individuals, set priorities in nursing care, administers different health therapies, and is able to collaborate well with not only the patients but with their colleagues. Treating a patients illness is the ground support for my nursing philosophy however, each patient deserves a competent, comforting nurse that can incorporate the knowledge of medicine and disease processes into a holistic nursing approach while honoring the patients wishes and values. Personal Influences I was sixteen when I realized that I wanted to be a nurse. My father brought home my estranged grandfather from his dirty studio apartment in Newberg New York. He was battling lymphoma for the third time. I did not know much about the situation other than he was sick and coming to stay with us for as long as he needed our care. Upon arrival my grandfather was

MY PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING a frail, weighed 95 pounds, stood about five feet tall, and wore dentures and a pair of glasses with a broken ear piece. My grandfather soon began chemotherapy in Saint George, three hours from our home. My mother went from chauffeuring high school students to driving my grandfather to chemotherapy appointments appointments, administering medications, and

making coffee. Planted pots were replaced with oxygen machines, and the back office was now a bedroom. I comforted him the best that I could by visiting with him and making him a fresh cup of coffee or spaghetti that he called al dente, but was really more like mush. My grandfathers health was deteriorating, but despite his worsening health, he looked better than before he had arrived. I grew to know and love this man for what he taught me. He changed how I care for happy discuss it with me. I remember watching the sadness in his eyes as he spoke of his regrets, but I remember seeing the light in his eyes when I would bring him his coffee and listen to him talk about the good times. He was thriving and dying all at the same time because he was in a clean, comfortable, loving, and nurturing environment. My grandfather lived for a year and a half after his arrival at our home, but has influenced my caring behaviors for a lifetime. My Nursing Philosophy As I reflect on the past year and a half of my nursing school career and advance to becoming a nurse. I have realized that my nursing philosophy has changed, expanded and evolved, but it still has the same basic fundamentals that began while caring for my grandfather. Give a person the right environment and care and they will heal if they have not endured too much trauma or illness to their body. Florence Nightingale once said that Nursing is an art: and if it is to be made an art, it requires an exclusive devotion as hard a

MY PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING 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" (http://www.florencenightingaleexhibit.com/). I find myself connecting with Florence Nightingales theory, but there are multiple aspects of care that need to be addressed to

provide continuity of care in order for a person to heal. These aspects are environment, health, person and nursing. Environment Many people think that our environment is where we live, but in all reality we as human beings have several environments that we encounter. We have our home, work, school, and social environments. If we are surrounding ourselves in these environments and they are unclean, how can we expect for our bodys natural state or environment to heal and ward off infections and disease like it should. The answer is that we cannot. Our environments influence the way we act, what we eat, and overall the cleanliness of our individual lives. If we are constantly in an optimal environment that nourishes us then we will project health and wellness. Health In the hospital, I have come to understand that people have a very different perspective of health. Many people feel that since they do not frequent the doctors office then they are healthy. The truth is that they may have many problems that are on the inside and have not manifested on the outside or caused a serious enough problem on the inside to seek care.

MY PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING Person

The aspect of a person is the biggest part of the health care circle. We are born into this world with some predisposing factors or genetics, but for the most part we direct how a person will develop. From the beginning of life we are surrounded by our environment. This influences how we grow up whether it be our cultural view, social standing or as minute as the food we eat. Secondly we develop our health good or bad that is not provided through our genetic makeup. Finally we have a person that has endured all of these changes, adjustments, destructions, and improvements and then we expect our bodies to heal. As humans we are the only ones that can give insight into our bodies and how they are feeling. We decide when to seek help or when to let something slide. People are filled with emotions, preconceptions, trust, mistrust, and in the end a person is responsible for their own body. Nursing The American Nursing Association said, Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations (http://www.nursingworld.org/EspeciallyForYou/What-is-Nursing). Nursing is a multifaceted career that involves more than taking care of a sick patient, it is a continually changing culture that evolves and grows with advances in technology and research to promote the health of others.

MY PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING To provide a person with these services a nurse must continually care for oneself. The emotional and mental part of nursing plays a crucial role in being able to care for another. In addition to this we must also be physically fit for duty whether it be performing cardio pulmonary resuscitation or walk laps around the unit with our patients. If we are to do patient education on a health condition it is our professional obligation to make sure that we are abiding by the same health standards that we are implementing on our patients. Conclusion

In the beginning of this paper I thought that I identified with Florence Nightingale, but as I have explored what I believe nursing to be I have come to the realization that I do not identify more with one theorist over another. I believe that all theorists have some relevancy and that not one is more correct than another. I find myself clinging to the words of Lisa Day, In providing care, the nurse promotes an environment in which the human rights, values, customs and spiritual beliefs of the individual, family and community are respected. (Day, 2006, para. 9) My aspiration is to have my patient be my focus of care and provide that care with as much dignity and respect for my patient as possible.

MY PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING References

Advocacy, Agency, and Collaboration. (n.d.). Advocacy, Agency, and Collaboration. Retrieved February 1, 2014, from http://ajcc.aacnjournals.org/content/15/4/428.short
Day, L. (2006, July). Advocacy, Agency, and Collaboration. American Journal of Critical Care, 15(4), 428-430. Retrieved from http://ajcc.aacnjournals.org/content/15/4/428.short

Dag Hammarskjold Quotes - Page 1 - WorldofQuotes.. (n.d.). WorldofQuotes. http://www.worldofquotes.com/author/Dag+Hammarskjold/1/index.html FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE EXHIBIT by Artist Joanelle Mulrain. (n.d.). Florence

Nightingale Exhibit The Nursing Inspiration Project. Retrieved February 17, 2014, from http://www.florencenightingaleexhibit.com What is Nursing?. (n.d.). What is Nursing?. Retrieved February 17, 2014, from http://www.nursingworld.org/EspeciallyForYou/What-is-Nursing