Running head: NURSING PHILOSOPHY 1

Personal Nursing Philosophy

Chelsea Lawson

Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing

Synthesis NUR 4142

March 14, 2018

I Pledge the Honor Code

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Personal Nursing Philosophy

My personal definition of nursing is the ability to care for an individual’s mind, body,

and soul. I believe that nursing can be directed inward to oneself and outward towards another

individual. Being a nurse means having to give of yourself to help another person. However; if

one does not nurse him or herself there is nothing to give to another individual. I believe that

often nurses compartmentalize what it means to be a nurse based on a patient situation, but I

believe nursing means taking care of the individual wholly without focusing on just one aspect of

healing. Each patient has needs for his or her mind, body, and soul, and as a nurse it is my job to

meet the needs of my patients.

This definition of nursing incorporates several tenets from the philosophy statement of

Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing. My definitions of nursing addresses nursing, nursing

education, and care. Nursing is addressed through the belief that to be a nurse I must care for the

patient wholly. I address nursing education by expressing the understanding that patients need to

be cared for wholly. As a nursing student, I am using the nursing education to nurse, care for,

and serve others. Without the nursing education that I have received, I would not be able to care

for an individual wholly. My definition addresses caring because I believe that nursing is caring

for the mental, physical, and spiritual health of not only a patient but also myself. I address that

self-care is essential to caring for others. My definition of nursing has helped me find the

strength to move past the hardships and rejoice in the prosperities.

My Philosophy Reflected in My Nursing Practice

I have found that my personal definition of nursing makes it easier to surpass the

challenges in nursing. I use my personal philosophy to nurse my own mind, body, and spirit. My

personal nursing philosophy allows me comfort when caring for the mental, emotional, and
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spiritual needs of a patient. Believing that spiritual health is just as important as physical health

allows me to easily complete spiritual assessments and accommodate spirituality needs into my

daily care. I believe that my personal philosophy allows me to uphold the values of respect and

integrity. I respect all patients no matter his or her background, and I am honest in my inter-

professional and nurse-patient relationships. I remember a patient that I took care of one day. I

spend about an hour sitting and chatting with him. Before I left for the day, the patient thanked

me for spending time with him and not treating him differently because of his past actions. I was

grateful that he felt I was treating him with respect, but I did not understand the depth of his

gratitude. It was not until after I was informed that he had previously murdered someone that I

understood how something as small as a conversation can impact an individual’s life.

Nurse-Patient Encounter

One of my best nurse-patient encounters happened during my mental health rotation. I

was observing a spirituality group and watching how the patients responded to the group leader.

After the group, one of the patients that had participated in the group asked if she could sit and

talk with me. We started talking, and she asked me how I stayed so positive and open even

though I was on a mental health floor. I was amazed by her ability to read body language and

non-verbal cues. I explained to her that mental health was very near to my heart, and how I

believed that the patient population needs the most love. I talked with her about my

understanding that individuals need to have his or her mental health fostered to heal completely.

I explained to her how I nurture my mental health, and we continued to talk about physical,

mental, and spiritual health. I only chatted with this individual for approximately an hour, but the

conversation changed my outlook. I chose this encounter out of the many that I have had

throughout my journey in nursing school because this is the moment when my philosophy
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changed. This moment created the nursing philosophy that I have currently. I had always heard

that nursing was taking care of a patient wholly, but I never went any deeper. After speaking

with this patient, I realized that physical healing is directly tied to mental health and spiritual

health. This one moment that I had with a patient that I encountered for a few hours changed my

nursing journey.

Change in Beliefs and Values

Reading over that paper that I wrote in my first semester in nursing school was very

emotional. After reading my previous paper on my philosophy of nursing, I see the growth that

has taken place since I started in my first semester. Most importantly I see the passion and love

for nursing that has continued to grow since I began my nursing journey. When I started, I

thought that my beliefs and values would always stay the same, but I was wrong. There have

been some major changes to my philosophy since I wrote my first paper, and there have been

incredible amounts of growth as an individual.

Before delving into how my beliefs and values have changed, I would like to define a

beliefs and values are. “A belief represents the intellectual acceptance of something as true of

correct. Beliefs can also be described as convictions” (Black, 2014, p. 256). “A value is an

abstract representation of what is right, worthwhile, or desirable. Values define ideal modes of

conduct and reflect what the individual or group endorses and tries to emulate” (Black, 2014, p.

258). In my previous paper, I stated that I my belief was that care was the center of nursing. I

still believe that care is a major part of nursing, but I now believe that acceptance is the center of

nursing. I am not able to change what is going to happen, but I can accept what has happened or

is going to happened and change my outlook. I have grown to understand that acceptance of

patients and situations is one of the only ways to cope with the stressors of nursing.
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The values that I hold close to my heart are slightly different now. In my past paper, I

held integrity as my priority value, but currently, I hold respect and compassion as my two

priority values. Respect is a priority in not only the patient-nurse relationship but also inter-

professional relationships. I have learned throughout my nursing journey that respecting other

nurses is one of the best ways to make a professional relationship. Individuals like to know that

he or she is respected. Respect in a nurse-patient relationship is crucial for the well-being of the

patient and the nurse.

I value compassion because I believe that compassion is the cornerstone of nursing.

Without compassion, nurses could not be nurses. I go into every patient room with a mindset that

the patient is my closest loved one. Regardless of the situation that brought a patient into the

hospital, that patient deserves compassion. Respect and compassion are my priority values

because to be respectful is to be compassionate and to be compassionate is to be respectful.

From Novice to Expert

Patricia Benner’s nursing theory proposes that nursing professionals gain skills

and understanding of patient care through education and experience. Her theory uses the five

stages of novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert to define clinical

competence. Her theory is not focused on how to be a nurse, but it is focused on how to gain

nursing knowledge. Dr. Benner’s theory proposes that an individual can learn the knowledge and

skills of nursing without learning the theory of nursing (Nursing Theory, n.d.).

Using Dr. Benner’s theory, I believe that I am an advanced beginner. I am almost a new-

graduate nurse about to start my first job. I have the knowledge to critically think through a

situation, but I do not have the experience that is needed to critically think quickly. If I were put

into a critical situation, I would have the knowledge to get me through but not the experience to
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get me through smoothly. Dr. Benner’s theory changes the definition of an expert nurse from the

nurse with the highest paying job to the nurse delivering the highest quality of care (Nursing

Theory, n.d.). I hope to one day gain the experience to be classified as an expert nurse.

Future Steps

The next level of Dr. Benner’s theory is competent, but this is not what my goal is. My

goal is to surpass competent and proficient to reach expert. However; to reach the competent

level of Dr. Benner’s theory, I plan to start my new-graduate nursing job as a registered nurse

applicant, pass my NCLEX, and continue working in the emergency department at Mary

Immaculate Hospital for at least two years. Starting my first new-graduate job will help me to

gain more skills and nursing experience. I will have the opportunity to use the knowledge that I

have learned throughout my journey to real-life situations.

Passing my NCLEX is more a personal strategy to make me a better nurse. As mentioned

before Dr. Benner’s theory does not focus on how to be a nurse, but rather how to gain nursing

knowledge (Nursing Theory, n.d.). Taking and passing my NCLEX will give me not only the

feeling of being a registered nurse, but the experience of completing a goal under pressure. In

nursing, there are times when I must complete a goal under pressure. As I have learned,

experience is the best way to gain the knowledge required to be an expert nurse.

My last step towards becoming a competent nurse is working on a unit that I love for an

amount of time that will give me a multitude of experience. I will gain a multitude of experience

from not only being in a fast-paced environment but also from spending a prolonged amount of

time in the nursing department with the most variety. These three steps will help me become a

competent nurse.
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Conclusion

As I sit her writing my last paper of my nursing school journey, my emotions are running

rampant. I am so incredibly excited for my new journey, but I am sad to see this journey come to

an end. I have been given not one but two opportunities to delve into what nursing means to me.

My journey through nursing school has been an adventure that I thought was only possible in my

dreams.

I have made new friends, accomplished many goals, and watched my friends succeed.

Most importantly, I have realized that change can be good. My whole nursing philosophy

changed from the beginning of my nursing school journey to the end of my nursing school

journey. My definition of nursing is the ability to care for the mind, body, and spirit of an

individual. I have realized throughout my time in nursing school, that my definition of nursing

not only applies to taking care of others but also applied to taking care of myself. I must

remember to nurse myself before I can take from myself to nurse others. Not only did my

nursing definition change but also my values and beliefs. Acceptance, respect, and compassion

are my three priority values and beliefs. I believe that showing acceptance, respect and

compassion can make an individual an excellent nurse.

Each day presents a new challenge, and I am waiting with arms wide open to embrace

tomorrow’s challenge. This journey has been enlightening, but I am prepared to face my next

adventure. I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to examine my personal philosophy on

nursing. In the years to come, I will frequently spend time delving into what nursing means to

me.
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References

Black, B. (2014). Professional nursing: Concepts and challenges (7th ed.). St. Louis, MO:

Saunders

Nursing Theory. (n.d.). Patricia Benner novice to expert - Nursing theory. Retrieved from

http://www.nursing-theory.org/theories-and-models/from-novice-to-expert.php