Running head: PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING Page 1

Philosophy of Nursing

Tameca Dale

University of Saint Mary

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Philosophy of Nursing

You shall love your neighbor as yourself is a simple but all-encompassing philosophy that

is the basis of my nursing career (Matthew 22: 39 NKJV). Florence Nightingales philosophy

was that the practice of nursing should not be limited by gender, spiritual beliefs, or values

(Selanders & Crane, 2012). The core of the nursing profession is caring for human beings, and

that holds no boundaries. Love, patience, and kindness are the core values that I display for my

patients and these attributes should be a reflection of how I treat myself.

Metaparadigm of Nursing

A metaparadigm is a set of theories or ideas that provide structure for how a discipline

should function. For a nursing discipline, these theories consist of four basic concepts that

address the patient as a whole, the patients health and well-being, the patients environment and

the nursing responsibilities (Dupree, n.d.). In order for this approach to resonate within my

career I am required to lead a life of humility. My focus is about the patient and increasing their

state of well-being that is pleasing in their sight.

Working as a military nurse, my patients are all Soldiers and many of them have a

mission first mentality. They are willing to sacrifice their pains and aches to see that a mission

is accomplished before their own needs. As their nurse, I am many times advocating for them to

receive care and not ignore the warning signs their body is giving them. The Army environment

is focused around mission readiness and capabilities; my philosophy keeps me grounded to look

at the overall person as a human being and not as a soldier only.

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Code of Ethics for Nurses

Fowler (2010) shared that the Code of Ethics for Nurses is the professions public

expression of their values, duties, and commitments. The provisions that apply to my own

practice are:

Provision Two: The nurses primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual

family, group, or community.

Provision Three: The nurse promotes, advocates for, and strives to protect health, safety,

and rights of the patient.

Provision Five: The nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the

responsibility to preserve integrity and safety, to maintain competence, and to continue

personal and professional growth.

Conclusion

My faith in God and believing in His word has shaped the way I care for my patients. I

know that nursing is a lifelong learning process that will continue to change and evolve with the

times, but the concept of loving your neighbor does not change. I care about people as a whole

and seeing that they get to highest level of well-being is a purpose I have in my nursing career.

References
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Dupree, D. (n.d.). Four basic metaparadigm concepts in nursing. Retrieved from

http://www.ehow.com/list_6106429_four-basic-metaparadigm-concepts-nursing.html

Fowler, M. D. (2010). Guide to the code of ethics for nurses. American Nurses Association.

Silver Spring, MD.

Selanders, L. C. & Crane, P. C. (2012). The voice of Florence nightingale on advocacy.

The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 17(1). Retrieved from

http://nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/T

ableofContents/Vol-17-2012/No1-Jan-2012/Florence-Nightingale-on-Advocacy.html