Perspectives and philosophies go hand in hand, each is a dynamic process in a continuous state of adjustment and upgrade. Philosophies change with the addition of information and data, the more one gains knowledge the more understanding one has of the nature of how things are and how they work. In this paper I will mention how I came to have and form my personal perspective and philosophy of nursing and the influences that lead me to this current dynamic understanding.
Nursing is no different than any other advancing science in its continuity to grow and add on new technologies and new attitudes and characteristics to reach the goal that is quality care for all human beings regardless of age, race, socioeconomic status or any other variable that could come in mind. In order to form a philosophy of the nursing practice one needs to understand theories of nursing brought on by the great women leaders that established the profession into what it is today. Nursing theory is the foundation for the development of different philosophies regarding attitudes and characteristics in the nursing practice. One of the main influencers of my personal philosophy is Dorothea Orem and her self-care model or the theory of self-care deficit that centers around providing the patient with the care they need beyond their ability to care for themselves, keeping in mind that the patient wants to be “in control of their lives” (Black, 2017). The patient always needs to be in control of what they can be in control of in order to thrive and get better physically and mentally. Florence nightingale’s Environmental theory that focuses on identifying what can be done or altered in the patient’s surroundings or environment that can promote health rather than focusing on what causes the illness also was a major influencer in creating my own philosophy (Gonzalo, 2019).
The University of Central Oklahoma’s Department of Nursing mission and philosophy statement states that Nursing graduates are “life long learners” that should practice with “integrity and compassion” which I truly believe should be the core requirement for all RN’s, it is the altruistic personality or approach which should be included in the definition of nursing. The definition of nursing from my perspective should be that it’s the altruistic attitude towards all persons in need of care with compassion, integrity and empathy.
My personal philosophy is one that puts my own beliefs aside and understands the patient’s belief in respect and work with them from their own belief system with respect to the patient’s family input that can bring valuable life saving information. By having the art of observing or noticing the patients environment and changes in conditions, knowing when to skip steps to achieve optimum results in a professional and ethical manner and stay a lifelong learner I believe it will lead to the quality of care that I expect to receive if I or any of my loved ones where the patients.
Conclusion
Nursing is not just a job or a career of many opportunities, it’s a life style, it’s a way of fulfilling the purpose of what we are as human beings, a way of service to others that are in need for care, it’s a way to help, to heal, to change and save lives to achieve the best quality of life possible.
References
- Black, Beth Perry. (2017). Professional nursing: concepts & challenges. Maryland Heights: Elsevier/Saunders
- Gonzalo, A. (2019). Environmental Theory of Florence Nightingale. https://nurseslabs.com/florence-nightingales-environmental-theory
