Nursing as an occupation for me is not just a job, but the greatest calling that I have; it pushes me to be a better person every day. I believe it to be a fulfilling career, one that suits my personality and personal philosophy. My desire to help someone in need is something that defines who I am, it is a need that I feel drawn to, and every day as nurse I may hold someone else’s life in my hands. Nursing is not only attending to the patient’s basic needs, but a moral mission within myself to give high-quality care to every person regardless of their race, lifestyle choice, disability, financial standing, and spiritual beliefs. Through nursing I can fulfil my desire to help people from all walks of life, in every aspect of their lives.
As a nurse, I will hold the responsibility to provide safe, holistic, patient centered care, being empathetic to all of the patient’s needs. As a nurse, it is crucial I remember that the patient I care for is a precious being that is trusting me in their time of need. They are not just a case number or a medical condition, but a unique individual that deserves proper individualized considerate attention and care. Being a nurse is about having the discipline of knowledge acquired both through formal education and through life experiences; with this I will utilize my education to use clinical judgment, and use the Code of Ethics for nursing (American Nurses Association,2015) and the Core Concepts of Nursing (Black, eighth edition, 2014): human dignity, integrity, autonomy, and altruism, applying these to myself and to the care I provide to best attain the goals and needs of my patient.
I understand that as a nurse, my responsibility is not just to fulfil the doctor’s orders, but I must also be an advocate for my patients. I must help them participate in improving their own health, and to encourage them to set realistic goals for their care with the health care team. While doing so I must remember to include the family, and educate both the patient and their loved ones on their health problems, their treatment, and a healthy lifestyle to best improve their well-being. That being said, it is important to remember that the nurse knows a lot of personal information about the patient and should be careful to not breach the confidentiality trusted to them.
I know that nursing is hard work, but I am proactive, a self-starter, a team player, and accountable worker, leadership-focused, and goal-driven. I am committed to personal growth and development, empathetic, considerate and respectful of peoples’ heritage, beliefs, and faith, and am a great communicator. My care is resident/client directed, service orientated, performance driven and focused on improving health, not just easing symptoms. I am always looking how to best improve myself, finding new techniques and skills that will only enhance the care I provide others, taking the proper training and keeping up to date with my education.
Being of the Russian Greek Orthodox faith, and having this cultural background I understand it may affect how I can give my patients care. I will do my best to remain respectful and understanding with all my patients. I will start by building a rapport with my patients, discussing how to best suit their needs, preferences, personal belief, restrictions, past health issues, as well as letting them know a bit about myself, adjusting my goals to fit their wishes even if our views differ, so that I may best individualize their care. Here I feel I can best relate to Sister Calista Roy and utilize her Adaptation theory, as this approach focuses on the patient’s holistic care: the health, the person, the nurse, the adaptation and the environment (Badr Naga, 2018). Holistic care doesn’t only mean that the care should address every aspect of the patient’s being, but also that every part of the health care process is integrative and synergistic.
From this day I pledge to uphold my personal and professional ethical standards at all times, and will always improve myself for the better. I will use evidence-based practice and technology to advance in my career, learning not only from classes and training, but from my healthcare team, my patients, and their loved ones as well. I will keep up to date on The Code of Ethics. I will adapt my knowledge and experiences through interacting with my patients. I will live a positive, healthy lifestyle. Holding to the Code of Ethics, and to my personal and professional philosophies, will improve the care I am trusted to give all of my patients, and will improve my own quality of life as well.
References
- Black, B. P. (2017). Professional nursing: Concepts & challenges. Maryland Heights, MO: Elsevier/Saunders.
- Dahlin, B. (n.d.). Personal & Professional Philosophy of Nursing. Retrieved October 20, 2018, From https://sites.google.com/a/asu.edu/brandi-dahlin/philosophy-of-nursing
- Code of Ethics PDF. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2018, from https://www.nursingworld.org/coe-view-only
- Murphy, S. C. (2006, April). Retrieved October 23, 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1463039/
