Introduction
Nursing is a field where different aspects of health and medical care are discussed. It is not enough to have a desire to become a nurse and be sure that positive results can be achieved. Nursing combines specific values such as care, compassion, communication, courage, commitment, and competence (Sellman & Snelling, 2016). This paper aims at defining a philosophy that can describe my attitude to nursing and my readiness to make certain contributions to the chosen profession.
Factors Influencing the Development of the Personal Nursing Philosophy
I believe that nurses work hard to meet the expectations of patients and medical workers. A good nurse has to know how to recognize and categorize personal and professional needs (Kim, 2015). Such factors as a personal awareness of needs, the possibility to improve knowledge, and share the experience influence the development of my nursing philosophy that is knowledge circulation in the field of nursing.
Personal Thoughts of the Nursing Metaparadigms
My philosophy introduces nursing as a constant circulation of knowledge that may be improved due to the possibility to recognize personal and professional needs, find and use new information, and exchange different experiences and practices. In regards to this theory, each nursing metaparadigm gains a certain meaning.
Any person has several personal and professional needs. Specific biological, social, economic, and religious factors have to be taken into consideration to understand what a person wants, needs, and have to possess. The environment plays an important role in my philosophy because it helps to understand how external conditions may influence a patient’s or nurse’s life. The discussion of the environment aims at defining the basic resources of nursing care and comparing the expectations of patients with the results obtained. Health is the condition when all psychological and physiological needs of people are met. Health is a goal any nurse has to promote or educate patients on how to achieve it independently. Nursing is defined as a helpful service in terms of which patients learn how to recognize and prioritize their needs, integrate knowledge into practice, and share personal and professional experiences with other people, including patients, their families, and nurses.
All these concepts are interrelated in my nursing philosophy of knowledge circulation. A wrong interpretation of one of them may lead to the wrong work of nurses.
Nursing Theory
The creation of such a nursing philosophy is a result of the evaluation of the works of numerous theorists and nurses. Regarding the peculiar features of my philosophy, I would like to underline the impact of the thoughts of such theorists as Virginia Henderson and her need theory, Abraham Maslow and his theory of needs, and Dorothea Orem and her self-care theory (Gordon, 2015). These theories are compatible with my understanding of nursing because they help to realize that nursing can never be simple or easy. Every nurse has to be ready to work hard and treat each patient’s care concerning their needs and expectations. A nurse has to be aware of what is expected from a hospital and what patients know about healthcare services. Besides, nurses should think about the ways of how to share their knowledge and help other people promote health.
Nursing care includes communication, suggestions, new ideas, or the exchange of emotions (Papastavrou, Andreou, & Efstathiou, 2014). Henderson offers a guide on how to support a patient’s health. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a significant contribution to a personal understanding of ordinary people may want at different levels. Orem’s thoughts prove that nursing is not only a collection of hints and rules. Nursing is the field where patients get support and learn what they can be to meet personal needs. Not all patients comprehend their impact on health. Nurses inform patients about all this stuff.
Compatibility of the Personal Philosophy with the Nursing Theory
Henderson’s need theory and my philosophy have many things in common. I believe that nurses should devote themselves to their patients day and night (Gordon, 2015). Sometimes, patients do not understand what kind of help, service, or support they can or should ask for. Nurses have to recognize patients’ needs and think about the ways of how to achieve positive outcomes in patient care (Papastavrou et al., 2014). I also like the idea that nurses can use personal meetings, conversations, and training to support patients and their families. This approach is used by Orem in her self-care theory. My philosophy of knowledge circulation takes a little bit from all these theories as it underlines the importance of care, communication, understanding, and knowledge in nurses’ intentions to support patients and promote effective treatment.
Conclusion
In general, my philosophy of nursing helps me realize that not every person can become a good nurse. Some threats, challenges, and opportunities have to be taken into consideration to make sure that every patient has access to high-quality care and knows how to use it properly. The worth of Henderson’s, Orem’s, and Maslow’s theories cannot be neglected because these theorists explain why nurses should work with patients’ needs and what knowledge is important in nursing care.
References
Gordon, S.C. (2015). Early conceptualizations about nursing. In M.C. Smith & M.E. Parker (Eds.), Nursing theories and nursing practice (4th ed.) (pp. 55-66). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis.
Kim, H.S. (2015). The essence of nursing practice: Philosophy and perspective. New York, NY: Springer.
Papastavrou, E., Andreou, P., & Efstathiou, G. (2014). Rationing of nursing care and nurse–patient outcomes: A systematic review of quantitative studies. The International Journal of Health Planning and Management, 29(1), 3-25
Sellman, D., & Snelling, P. (2016). Becoming a nursing: Fundamentals of professional practice for nursing (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Taylor & Francis.