The Philosophy
Key Concepts
My personal nursing philosophy is concerned with the key concepts and ideas that I endeavor to apply in practice. I believe that I can make a difference, and I will work to contribute to the development of our society by providing high-quality service and taking the responsibility for it, treating patients ethically, holistically, and humanely, respecting their diversity, respecting myself, and ensuring my professional and personal growth.
I believe that the holistic approach is the only way to treat and the only opportunity to cure. This approach presupposes acknowledging the fact that the “patient in an interconnected unity and that physical, mental, social, and spiritual factors need to be included in any interventions” and working to fit it in one’s practice (American Nurses Association, 2010a, p. 48). Apart from that, I think that professional development is necessary since, as it was pointed out by the American Nurses Association (2010), the modern world is constantly changing and developing, and so are the standards of practice.
At the same time, a most important part of the nursing profession is self-reflection, self-awareness, and self-development (American Nurses Association, 2010, p. 4). It is the only way of avoiding bias and ensuring respectful and compassionate practice. As a result, personal development is a key concept of my philosophy that also supports my self-respect and the faith I have in my ability to contribute.
The Four Metaparadigms of Nursing
The four contemporary nursing meta paradigms or the “central or domain concepts of nursing” that have been formulated as a result of the development of the nursing theory include “human beings, environment, health, and nursing” (Fawcett & Desanto-Madeya, 2012, p. 7). The first concept incorporates the patients along with their families and other close people. The second is concerned with every aspect of the environment that is significant for a person’s well-being and health.
The third is the welfare of a person in a holistic view as described above. The fourth is a similarly complex and comprehensive concept: according to the American Nurses Association, it is “the protection, promotion and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities and populations” (as cited in Dahnke & Dreher, 2015, p. 50). To sum up, all the concepts are holistic and comprehensive and take a central part in my philosophy that I endeavor to apply in practice as described below.
The Nursing Process
Application to Personal Practice, Research, and Education
My practice is guided by the standards and ethical codes employed by my organization and country and my understanding of the four paradigms. I endeavor to treat all the patients as persons holistically and respectfully, taking into account their diverse needs and the way the environment affects them. To this end, I consider it necessary to improve my professional skills to ensure the quality of my practice. Similarly, I work to improve my self-awareness and try to reflect upon and assess my actions, thoughts, and feelings critically. My philosophy provides the key concepts and guidelines for my practice, research, and education, and it may evolve with time, but the key ideas that I had mentioned are unlikely to change.
The Strengths and Limitations of Philosophy
I believe that one of the strengths of my philosophy is its coordination with the relevant standards of practice and codes of ethics. Similarly, the principle of continuous improvement ensures the possibility of changing and developing professionally and personally on a regular basis. The key limitation of my philosophy consists in the fact that it is quite general and theoretical: while I do apply it to my practice, I can hardly name any mechanisms or tools of its application beyond the codes and guidelines. On the other hand, philosophy is expected to describe the ideal of beliefs and practice, which is why it may be considered applicable if it is capable of persisting in the face of specific practical issues.
References
American Nurses Association. (2010). Guide to the code of ethics for nurses. Web.
American Nurses Association. (2010a). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice. Silver Spring, MD: American Nurses Association.
Dahnke, M., & Dreher, H. (2015). Philosophy of science for nursing practice. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.
Fawcett, J., & Desanto-Madeya, S. (2012). Contemporary nursing knowledge. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis.