Personal Philosophy of Nursing Reflection Paper
Modern nurses have many duties to their patients and society as a whole, and we need to fulfill these duties in accordance with our values and beliefs regarding health and nursing. Various nursing theories seek to support nurses by offering frameworks that could facilitate the care process. Formulating a personal philosophy of nursing can ensure that a nurse’s principles and practice activities align with their personal views (MAS Medical Staffing, 2018). Additionally, the personal philosophy of nursing offers an excellent opportunity to reflect on any practice issues that arise and find ways of correcting them, thus improving the quality of care provided to patients. Personal nursing philosophy can be influenced by a nurse’s knowledge and understanding of various nursing theories, as well as my personal experience with clients. The present paper will seek to present my personal philosophy of nursing.
Personal Nursing Philosophy
There are four components, the understanding of which forms a nurse’s personal philosophy: person, environment, health, and nursing. For me, a person is an individual who is unique in terms of their physical, social, psychological, and spiritual background. I try to apply an individualized approach to each of my patients and find that it is essential to understand them to achieve healthcare goals together. Therefore, I see a person as a unique human being, influenced by various internal and external factors.
The environment, in my opinion, is the combination of settings in which a person lives, works, and socializes. Hence, the environment is not limited to their home but includes other physical and virtual spaces. For example, in the modern world, many people socialize and even work through social media. Just like those who work in an office, they can experience stress and anxiety stemming from their virtual environment, which would affect their health and wellbeing. Thus, taking into account all spaces, real or virtual, in which an individual exists is essential to understanding their current situation, goals, and root causes of problems.
The component of health is also multi-dimensional and goes beyond physical health as determined by diagnostic tools. To me, health is a relatively abstract concept that encompasses a person’s general level of wellbeing. Consequently, physical, mental, social, and spiritual concerns are all crucial to one’s health, and it is impossible to care for an individual without understanding the gaps or advantages in relation to each of these aspects. Based on this idea, perfect health means achieving the highest possible level of satisfaction in all of the specific aspects of health.
Finally, nursing is the process of helping a person in achieving perfect health by addressing gaps in physical, social, psychological, and spiritual functioning. This process involves three steps: assessing the four aspects of health for gaps, creating a plan for filling these gaps, and monitoring to ensure improved functioning and greater satisfaction. For example, if a person performs well socially, psychologically, and spiritually but has a disability that affects their daily functioning, it is essential to develop a way of promoting independent operation through medication, social work referrals, occupational therapy, and other tools. In turn, when a person has gaps in their social or spiritual health domains, it is necessary to plan how these gaps could be met and identify possible sources of support, socialization, and spirituality. A critical aspect of the nursing process is the collaboration between the patient and the care provider. All components of care should be discussed, clarified, and agreed upon with the patient so as to promote adherence to recommendations.
Henderson’s Need Theory
A nursing theory that was particularly significant to the development of my personal philosophy of nursing was Virginia Henderson’s Need Theory, and thus my personal philosophy is highly compatible with it. The Need Theory of nursing was developed by Henderson in the second half of the twentieth century. Henderson’s view of the person is as individuals that have basic health needs and require nurses’ assistance in fulfilling them (Gonzalo, 2019). The environment, in turn, is seen as the external forces that either inhibit or support health, which is reflected in my personal philosophy because I account for the role that various spaces play in determining an individual’s wellbeing. The concept of health offered by Henderson is also similar to mine since it requires a balance between various aspects of functioning, from social to physical (Gonzalo, 2019). Nursing is seen as the process of assisting the individual in improving their functioning, which is also similar to the view offered in my personal philosophy. Although there are some differences, the multi-dimensional view of individuals and their health is crucial both to Henderson’s theory and to my personal nursing philosophy.
Conclusion
Overall, defining my personal view of nursing was essential to understanding my goals and duties as a nurse. For me, one of the most important ideas that have influenced my philosophy was that the various aspects of wellbeing are interconnected, and thus nurses should choose a holistic approach to patient assessment and care. I believe that my personal philosophy will help me in providing high-quality care to patients and helping them to achieve improved levels of health.
References
Gonzalo, A. (2019). Virginia Henderson: Nursing need theory.
MAS Medical Staffing. (2018). How a personal philosophy of nursing can help your career.
Smith, M. C., & Parker, M. E. (2015). Nursing theories and nursing practice. F. A. Davis Company.