Introduction
My interest and nursing and a decision to become a professional in this sphere were initially tightly connected with the desire to help others and to ensure that some health problems do not prevent them from living normal lives. Being a nurse, I consider myself to be a person who works not just to earn money but to provide care to diverse populations regarding their characteristics such as religion, race, or financial status.
Professional Values
Personally, I do believe that nurses are in charge of care delivery, which is efficient, patient-centered, and safe. For me, it is critical to treat each patient as an individual with his/her own background instead of mentioning room numbers and paying attention only to the health issues that are to be treated. I believe that nurses need to act as professionals who highly value patient confidentiality and act ethically so that the patients can receive the most benefit. They should be accountable for the actions they conduct and the quality of the provided care (Adams, 2016). As a nurse, I am to maintain the role of a caregiver, but it is also significant to be an advocate who can protect patient’s rights and interests, encouraging one to participate in caring actively. Moreover, I should be able to act as an educator to ensure that those people I work with can make the right healthcare decisions and can take care of themselves when being discharged. Finally, I should turn into a model for others so that they can follow my example and provide better care.
As to all other professionals, it is significant to me as a nurse to be targeted at constant improvement and enhancement of knowledge and skills for them to be up-to-date and efficient. Thus, I pay much attention to learning, which allows me to get to know more information helpful in the sphere of nursing, as I can utilize the best evidence-based practices and technological advances (Tonges, 2007). In this way, I do not only read new articles and books but also learn lessons from interactions with healthcare staff and patients.
Personal Values
I believe that my personal values are appropriate for the nursing profession as they allow me to be an individual who is ready to work with others and to assist them. They are general and rather stable as they were formed under the constant influence of my family, culture, religion, etc. (Denehy, 2001). I think that much attention should be paid to the dignity of people to feel self-assured regardless of their condition. The sanctity of life is also critical because it makes me value the life of each patient and motivates me to do my best to save it. The value of kindness and honesty allows me to enhance relationships with the consumers and make them trust-based (Rassin, 2008). Being persistent and targeted at the successful achievement of my goals, I tend to do everything possible to ensure that the best care is provided. All in all, these values allow me to make everyday decisions and act so that the patients can benefit. The focus on a patient when providing care means a lot to me. I take into consideration one’s needs, safety, and empowerment.
Personal Characteristics in Nursing
I think that my personal characteristics and values align with professional philosophy. They provide me with the opportunity to be myself in any situation so that I remain focused on consumer’s interests and needs regardless of the situation experienced at the workplace. Still, I know that I am not perfect, and it would be wrong to stop improving my knowledge and skills. That is why I believe that it is normal to make mistakes. However, a lesson should be learned from each of them. I believe that I can achieve more while practicing, as there is no other opportunity to be a good professional. Theoretical knowledge is significant, of course, but the value of practice cannot be neglected. I also maintain some kind of self-assessment on a regular basis. It gives me an opportunity to verify my actions and see what needs improvement.
I consider that each nurse should have personal ethical standards and working guidelines that can be used when dealing with complex and doubtful situations. Having them prepared in advance, I can save the time needed to make a decision, which eventually can be critical for one’s healthcare outcomes. In this way, defining a personal belief system and nursing philosophy statement is important to every nurse. Moreover, nursing professionals should assist each other so that as a team, they can create a positive environment and maximize consumer’s health potential.
Conclusion
All in all, I believe that my personal and professional values give me an opportunity to remain in nursing today. They shape me as an individual and define the way I act in various situations. I think that with the help of my nursing philosophy, I can bring a positive change to the field, as I can gather the best practices from authoritative sources and follow examples of others to provide my patients with the most appropriate care that is currently available. With my positive outlook on life, desire to work hard, and help patients, I can make a great contribution.
References
Adams, L. (2016). The conundrum of caring in nursing. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 9(1), 1-8.
Denehy, J. (2001). Articulating your philosophy of nursing. The Journal of School Nursing February, 17(1), 1-2.
Rassin, M. (2008). Nurses’ professional and personal values. Nursing Ethics, 15(5), 614-630.
Tonges, M. (2007). Nursing mission, core values, philosophy. Web.