Introduction
Philosophy of nursing is an essential part of medical practice, which aims to represent and advocate the core values and beliefs of nurses. It plays a crucial role in guiding the professional activities of medical specialists as well as setting up their priorities. Personal nursing philosophy is strongly manifested in nursing meta-paradigms, which should consist of four components, such as health, environment, nursing practice, and communication elements.
Philosophy
My nursing philosophy is to provide patient care that focuses on safety, diligence, and professionalism. It is highly important to create a safe and secure environment because patients are in their most vulnerable state. Diligence ensures that medical specialists are working at maximum performance and using all of their capabilities. Professionalism is also critical due to the fact that it represents the transition of gathered knowledge into practice. All these values determine a nurse’s overall attitude and work ethics, which directly influence a patient’s general well-being.
Nursing Meta-Paradigms
The nursing meta-paradigm is an idea which has a sole goal of outlining a specific and unique set of standards in order to guide medical specialists. Its four core concepts are person, health, environment, and nursing practice (Milton, 2016). The person component of the given meta-paradigm focuses on the social and emotional part of the nurse and patient interaction. It was created to consider a care receiver’s spiritual and personal needs, which usually involves family and friends. The health component encompasses a patient’s various health and wellness features, which can include his or her genetic background, physical state, and mental issues (Clarke, 2015). The given elements ensure that an individual’s well-being is at its fullest, and there are no problematic factors.
The environmental component of the nursing meta-paradigm focuses on providing a patient with comfortable and pleasant surroundings. It might include ensuring that a care receiver is in contact with his or her family and friends, or he or she is not impacted by stress causes (Milton, 2016). The environmental component also considers a person’s cultural background, such as traditions and customs, alongside economic circumstances.
In addition, there is a meta-paradigm component of nursing practice, which mainly focuses on a caregiver and his or her relationship with patients. The given element ensures that a medical specialist provides effective care by applying his/her skills and experiences (Clarke, 2015). It also includes communication and professional judgment, which are critical in delivering a high level of care.
Personal Definitions
However, I would define a person component as a nurse’s capability to develop a strong and mutually beneficial relationship with a patient. The health factor is an essential skill of being able to determine a care receiver’s overall health state and analyze his or her vulnerabilities and predispositions. The environmental component aims to create a safe and secure surrounding for a patient, where a person is not exposed to potential stress and hazards. I would also define nursing practice as a nurse’s ability to represent himself or herself as an experienced professional who is trustworthy and diligent.
Another concept that I would add to these four components is the communication factor, which will be solely focused on ensuring that information flows freely without any barriers. It would also have an ethnic and cultural feature because an outstanding nurse should be able to communicate with people of diverse backgrounds. However, I would eliminate the health component because it should be categorized as the person concept. The main reason is that both of them deal with a patient, but from a medical and psychological standpoint, thus, they can be put in one category. Therefore, nursing meta-paradigms would still consist of four major components. However, the communication factor would be more elaborated and emphasized.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is highly important to note that my nursing philosophy is guided by safety, diligence, and professionalism. Although the nursing meta-paradigms consist of four components, which are environment, nursing practice, health, and person, the latter two should be merged into one category. The main reason is that both of these elements assess a patient’s overall well-being from both a medical and psychological standpoint.
References
Clarke, P. N. (2015). Meta-theory in nursing: Necessary for practice? Nursing Science Quarterly, 28(2), 127-128.
Milton, C. L. (2016). Ancient ethical practices of dualism and ethical implications for future paradigms in nursing. Nursing Science Quarterly, 29(3), 197-198.