Ernestine Weidenbach’s life was already an inspiring story for nursing practitioners. However, the nursing theories she has developed marked her famous existence in the nursing field since her classical theories are continuously practiced in today’s nursing discipline. Based from her rich experiences in the nursing practice, Weidenbach developed a model of clinical nursing that is, according to her, composed of four elements – philosophy, purpose, practice, and art. (“Ernestine”) Nursing Theories
Philosophy is basically the attitude and belief of an individual nurse that is the basis of their motivation to act in certain ways. There are moreover, three essential components that are associated with the nursing philosophy – reverence for life, respect for dignity, worth, autonomy and individuality of each human being, and resolution to act on personally and professionally held beliefs. (“Ernestine Weidenbach’s Helping”) Thus, for every decision that a nursing professional makes at any given situation, these are reflections, not alone of one’s own attitude and beliefs but those that which one acquires.
Furthermore, each decision is made according to the advantage it could offer him or her personally and professionally. Nurses’ philosophy is an avenue for an individual to exercise appropriate actions according to what he believes is right that compliments his beliefs and attitudes. Each action however respects the other individual – in this case the patient – his own beliefs and recognizes the other’s right for autonomy and independence. The nurse’s purpose is to take good care of its patients, therefore, his activities are towards the safety and the overall good of the patient. qtd in “Ernestine Weidenbach’s Helping”) Nurses will have to find various ways in which the patients’ condition becomes better. They may require each other’s help however, they move towards the betterment of the patient. Their purpose is actually to become responsible in caring for their patients and meeting their health care needs towards a healthy condition. The nurse exercises the appropriate medical plans that are deemed appropriate in the patient’s condition. All of his actions are geared towards the accomplishing his goals of improving the patient’s condition through the best possible methods.
Accomplishing his purpose means being able to provide the patients the best nursing health care method and practice that may at the same time provides him a learning experience for which adds up to his knowledge and skills. Nursing practice, on the other hand, is based on one’s beliefs and feelings in meeting the needs of the patient. (“Ernestine Weidenbach’s Helping”) These are the actions that should be based on both instinct and professional knowledge such that they are held responsible for the outcome o every action that they make.
Practice is therefore a response to any given situation that requires knowledge and skill from the nurses. Knowledge and skills are both learned and acquired through formal as well as informal education that is usually based on the learning experiences they have gone through the years of health care services. Nursing is an art such that nurses need to be creative with their practice in meeting the health care needs of their patients. They need to understand the conditions of the patients as well as they need to develop strategies in order to improve the patients’ condition.
They are at the same time required to be imaginative such that they must foresee the complications of their practice that may lead to recurrence of the illness or the development of new concerns that would harm the patients’ condition. (“Ernestine Weidenbach’s Helping”) Nurses must be creative in helping their patients to cope up with their condition. For instance, music may be identified to be a good therapy in pain management among patients who are suffering with tremendous pain. (Emerson, 2007)
