Personal Values and Philosophy of Nursing A nurse has to be able to integrate multiple aspects of care in order to build a healthy atmosphere fit for their patients. In order to do this, a nurse must have a strong understanding of their personal philosophy of nursing will all metaparadigm components of person, environment, health and nursing. Without one of these, I believe a nurse will not be able to give their very best to their patient. According to EdD Anne Bishop (1997), nursing is “at all times an artful practice and applied science that are integrally woven into the fabric of the practice of caring” (p. ). This statement about the components of nursing I agree with. I believe that nursing is not singly a science, practice or art, but it is a combination of all three. Nursing is part of the medical field; its science is knowledge that’s attained through research, development and analysis. With regards to art, nurses must be creative with their knowledge of caring for patients. Every patient’s case is different and not always “a text book case” so nurses have to be ready and resourceful with thinking of solutions. The main focus of a nurse’s practice is caring.
It involves concern and empathy, and a commitment to the client’s lived experience of human health and the relationships among wellness, illness, and disease (Mitchell, 2000). I believe that one day when I become a nurse, to do my job and duties for my patients I must efficiently combine practice, art and science of nursing. Health is a very broad topic involving many different aspects of nursing. Health is defined as a state of wellbeing, in which, one has the ability to function and take care of themselves independently while free from stress and illness (McEwen, 2010).
This statement is very important because it is the whole reason why a nurse has their job. If there were no sick people then there would be no need for nurses. Nurses deal with patients that have some sort of an illness; it can be acute or chronic. Patients trust nurses in their time of need. All the sick patient wants is to get better, whether it is a virus or a deadly disease. The nurse is there to help improve the quality of life of their patients, which could be completely healing them or even just getting rid of the pain.
As nurses we must keep in mind the degrees of health can vary from patient to patient and we must always be good supporters no matter what the circumstances. Having a healthy work environment is vital in the medical field and working as a nurse. It is imperative for the health of, not only the patient, but also the nurse and the recruitment and retention of new nurses. Mark Alderson (2006), a nurse from University of New Hampshire, states that “the environment is both internal and external” (p. 1). This concept I feel to be very true.
The internal environment incorporates factors like biological, spiritual, physiological and cultural. This part of the environment helps construct the person’s beliefs and views on the world that assists in making decisions. This can go for the patient and the nurse. When looking at the psychological aspects of treating patients, the nurse must be aware of the environment because it can alter behavior, responses and healing. On the other hand, the external environment includes social, cultural and community circumstances. An example for this is how the nurse is responsible for treating all patients the same.
No matter what background the patient comes from, the nurse has a responsibility to create an environment that is the same for every person they come across. Persons are not only the individuals that are being treated for an illness but also the families and communities. I believe that the patients are strongly tied to their family and people that surround them. A lot of the time patients need the support and love of the people around them in order to get through whatever they are going through. As a nurse, you may need to coach a parent on how to help their child get through a traumatic injury.
Yes the patient is your main concern, but you are also there for the entire network of support. For me I do not know exactly what area I want to specialize in, all I know is I want to be a nurse. I want to help people when they are most vulnerable. I value the relationship a nurse has with a patient, how trust is put on the nurse and it is the nurse’s responsibility to honor that trust and help them to their best of their abilities. I do know I want to start in the emergency room because this is when people need direct care for an immediate injury or concern.
I would be able to be there for the patient in their time of need. References Alderson, M. (2006). Nursing Metaparadigm. Retrieved November 20, 2012, from http://msrn. wordpress. com/nursing-metaparadigm/ Bishop, A. H. (1997). Nursing as a Practice Rather Than an Art or a Science. McEwen, M. (2010). Nursing Philosophy. Retrieved November 20, 2012, from http://kweller99. wordpress. com/nursing-philosophy/ Mitchell, S. (2000). Metaparadigm Concepts. Retrieved November 20, 2012, from http://nursing. pages. tcnj. edu/about/mission-philosophy/metaparadigm-concepts/
