Purpose of the Paper: Delineating a Personal Nursing Philosophy
Although there are a plethora of nursing theoretical frameworks that help build an efficient strategy for managing patients’ needs, it is crucial to design a personal nursing philosophy to develop an in-depth understanding of critical nursing issues. Therefore, the goal of the paper is to create a nursing philosophy that will allow catering to the needs of patients successfully and contributing to their faster recovery.
For this purpose, several nursing theories will have to be explored. The importance of managing the available data and exploring the factors that affect patients’ well-being and impede their communication with nurses must be identified and removed from the context of the target environment.
Moreover, it is crucial to keep in mind that the current nursing environment implies being able to handle the available information fast and successfully as possible. Hence, the introduction of a mixed framework that will include the elements of technology management and the identification of a diverse population’s needs will be required.
Factors Affecting the Development of a Personal Nursing Philosophy: Overview
The process of determining a coherent nursing philosophy is shaped by several factors, including internal (i.e., the ones that are linked to one’s personal beliefs and values) and external (i.e., the ones that are defined by changes in the modern nursing environment, the emergence of new approaches toward meeting patients’ needs, etc.) ones. The necessity to embrace a wide variety of quality indicators is defined by the fact that the specified approach will be deployed in the realm of the global environment and, thus, will have to be used to cater to the needs of a large and diverse population.
For instance, the theoretical framework based on which patients’ needs will be managed will depend heavily on the ability to manage the available information successfully. The identified issue concerns not only receiving the required information from patients but also transferring it to the rest of the nursing department. Therefore, communication as the primary tool for managing the needs of community members will have to be placed in the spotlight.
Consequently, it will be essential to embrace the extraneous factors associated with interdisciplinary communication. There is no need to stress the fact that nurses from different departments must cooperate to ensure the safety and well-being of patients. Consequently, the nursing theory under analysis will have to enhance the efficacy of the interdisciplinary dialogue in the nursing setting.
Finally, the active focus on learning among patients must be recognized as important. While the quality of nursing hinges greatly on the skills and knowledge of nurses, patients also have to develop a certain degree of independence. Thus, patient-nurse and nurse-nurse communication must be regarded as a priority.
Nursing Metaparadigms: Personal Thoughts, Feelings, and Beliefs
Person
In the context of the theory described above, a person is viewed as an individual who is capable of self-care in accordance with Orem’s theory, yet requires guidance form nurses, who will assist the patient in developing the required knowledge and skills. In other words, a person is regarded as a learner and, at the same time as the object of care. Furthermore, a patient is considered an integral part of the community and family. The specified outlook on the nursing process helps the target population create a strong bond with the community members and families to receive support from them during therapies and interventions (Smith & Parker, 2015).
Environment
The setting in which a patient is placed is defined as the combination of opportunities for further successful learning and threats to patients’ well-being. Therefore, target audiences must be taught to use the resources that are available for them in their environment to maintain their health status at the required high level.
Health
Health is viewed as a priority and the goal of the nursing process. Despite the large number of factors affecting public health, a nurse must create new opportunities for reducing the rates of disease contraction and disorders development. The specified goal can be achieved by engaging the community in a conversation and encouraging every member thereof to participate in a discussion.
Nursing
Consequently, nursing becomes the process that helps patient articulate their needs and allows nurses to locate the most efficient strategies for meeting these needs successfully. The nursing process is bound to focus on both the management of current health concerns and raising awareness about the issues that the target audience may face. The detrimental effect of prejudices and myths about healthcare will also have to be addressed and eliminated by giving patients an opportunity to engage in communication with nurses.
Nursing Theories Compatible with the Philosophy: Description
The proposed framework is based on Dorothea Orem’s Theory of Self-Care, as well as Henderson’s Needs Theory. Indeed, a closer look at the suggested approach will reveal that it relies extensively on patients’ ability to absorb information and develop the learning skills necessary for the further successful management of their needs. Moreover, the newly designed framework is based on Henderson’s theory of needs, which, in the context of the 21st century, implies the necessity to maintain a close connection with the target community and keep the communication between nurses and patients consistent (Potter & Griffin, 2016).
Proving the Compatibility: Explanation and Documentation
Orem’s Theory of Self-Care implies that unless patients develop an understanding of their needs and are able to identify a threat, determine the presence of symptoms, and be able to perform basic steps necessary to sustain their condition in the home setting (McKenna, Pajnkihar, & Murphy, 2014). The identified approach aligns with the principles of the new theory described above. However, the newly designed approach focuses on the issue of diversity and integration of IT innovations into the process more actively. Furthermore, the new theory may also demand that nurses have to engage in the process of interdisciplinary communication, thus, increasing their proficiency levels and acquiring new knowledge and skills (McKenna et al., 2014).
Summary and Conclusion: What Patients Need
Providing patients with guidance and, at the same time giving them a sufficient amount of independence is crucial to the increase in the positive outcomes. Indeed, by creating the environment in which information will flow uninhibitedly, one will reduce the number of misunderstandings and misconceptions. Consequently, the foundation for a rapid increase in the quality of care will be designed. Furthermore, enhancing patient education and at the same time giving the target population enough guidance, nurses will encourage people to develop the skills and habits that will contribute to health improvement. As a result, the focus on the interdisciplinary communication will lead to a significant rise in the overall quality of care, prompting the development of new ideas and nursing philosophies.
References
McKenna, H., Pajnkihar, M., & Murphy, F. (2014). Fundamentals of nursing models, theories and practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Potter, P. A., & Griffin, A. (2016). Fundamentals of nursing (9th ed.). New York, NY: Elsevier Health Sciences.
Smith, M. C., & Parker, M. E. (2015). Nursing theories and nursing practice (4th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis.