My Nursing Philosophy
Florence Nightingale spoke of human beings as a “reflection of the Divine with physical, metaphysical and intellectual attributes” (McCrae, 1995). As a nurse conducting an assessment of a client, I make certain to pay attention to the whole client so as to uncover an unseen or unnoticed factors that may be affecting the clients complete health. I know that relying on just labs and reports alone will not provide me with a complete understanding of the client’s health, but rather I must also pay close attention to tone, body language, eye contact and other non-verbal cues to obtain a clear picture of the client. The skill of blending science and art in an effort to help people heal is what attracted me to the nursing profession.
My nursing philosophy is one of holistic care and the delivery of compassionate and culturally sensitive treatment to patients, their families and other members of the community. My nursing practice is strongly rooted in Jean Watson’s theory of human caring. Jean Watson’s theory has taught me that we are “sacred beings”, and people are energy fields that are infinite and sacred (Watson, 1998). Her theory asserts that caring relationships between humans are deep experiences of life and Watson describes nursing to be centered on helping the patient achieve a higher degree of harmony within mind, body, and soul. She states further that harmony is achieved through using caritas or caring transactions involving a caring relationship. Based on the perspective of her theory, nurses should approach each interaction with a client as sacred, as it makes a difference in how human beings approach each other. The approach to an interaction can shift how we speak, listen, relate, and interact with one another.
Nursing allows me to exhibit and express compassion, respect, dignity, and integrity to patients, families, self and coworkers. One aspect of nursing that I enjoy is being able to be a patient’s advocate, and by exercising clear communication, critical thinking and decision making, I can help improve a patient’s outcome. As a nurse, I believe that it is important to provide the highest quality nursing care possible in a respectful healing environment to obtain excellent healing results. To me, nursing is about compassion and trying to understand human beings on an emotional, physical, spiritual and scientific level. Nursing is a profession that uses evidence-based practices, yet displays a comprehensive understanding of human beings, to provide total care to the client. As an advanced practice nurse, I have a personal commitment toward life-long learning through formal education and hands-on experience to better myself and my nursing knowledge.
My nursing philosophy is one of holistic care and the delivery of compassionate and culturally sensitive treatment to patients, their families and other members of the community. My nursing practice is strongly rooted in Jean Watson’s theory of human caring. Jean Watson’s theory has taught me that we are “sacred beings”, and people are energy fields that are infinite and sacred (Watson, 1998). Her theory asserts that caring relationships between humans are deep experiences of life and Watson describes nursing to be centered on helping the patient achieve a higher degree of harmony within mind, body, and soul. She states further that harmony is achieved through using caritas or caring transactions involving a caring relationship. Based on the perspective of her theory, nurses should approach each interaction with a client as sacred, as it makes a difference in how human beings approach each other. The approach to an interaction can shift how we speak, listen, relate, and interact with one another.
Nursing allows me to exhibit and express compassion, respect, dignity, and integrity to patients, families, self and coworkers. One aspect of nursing that I enjoy is being able to be a patient’s advocate, and by exercising clear communication, critical thinking and decision making, I can help improve a patient’s outcome. As a nurse, I believe that it is important to provide the highest quality nursing care possible in a respectful healing environment to obtain excellent healing results. To me, nursing is about compassion and trying to understand human beings on an emotional, physical, spiritual and scientific level. Nursing is a profession that uses evidence-based practices, yet displays a comprehensive understanding of human beings, to provide total care to the client. As an advanced practice nurse, I have a personal commitment toward life-long learning through formal education and hands-on experience to better myself and my nursing knowledge.