A philosophy of nursing offers guidance with regard to the best practices that define and characterize the nursing profession. It consists of values and practices that cover the four metaparadigms of nursing that include health, nursing, human beings, and environment. My personal nursing philosophy is based on values that include compassion, integrity, honesty, and respect. It is my responsibility to improve the vitality of individuals in order to maximize their performance. Moreover, I am responsible for the alteration of the environment in order to improve the health of individuals, families, and communities.
A philosophy of nursing is important because it establishes a foundation for nursing professional values, like guidance, direction, and purpose. According to Hood (2010), a nursing philosophy enables professionals to understand the mission, vision, and purpose of their practice. Nurses should use this professional philosophy to develop personal visions to guide their practice (Risjord, 2011). In order to develop a proper philosophy, it is important to realize that nursing requires continued learning and change from the individual.
My personal philosophy of nursing is based on the principle that nurses should provide quality, compassionate, empathetic, and competent health care to families, communities, and individuals. It is also based on values that include honesty, compassion, and integrity. My philosophy applies to my personal and professional lives at different levels. According to the philosophy, I should provide treatment that promotes safety and wellness among patients. In addition, it is my responsibility to promote the physical, mental, social, and psychological wellbeing of individuals.
According to the American Nursing Association (2013), nursing metaparadigms include nursing, health, human beings, and environment. Each of these paradigms has a distinct definition and meaning with regard to my personal philosophy of nursing. Nursing refers to the process of restoring the physical, mental, and psychological wellbeing of individuals. Health refers to activities and practices that enhance and maintain individual performance at optimal level. For that reason, it is my responsibility to take care of patients in order to restore their health. It is my responsibility to alleviate human sufferings by offering quality health care services. Finally, environment refers to surroundings or situations that affect the health of individuals positively or negatively. As a nurse, I am responsible for altering the environment using nursing knowledge and skills in order to improve the health of patients. My nursing philosophy can be used in professional education as a guide for attainment of knowledge and skills that improve delivery of health care services. On the other hand, I can use it in my nursing practice as a self-evaluation tool. Self-evaluation helps nurses to incorporate aspects such as culture and religion in their practice (George, 2011).
The strengths of my nursing philosophy include a wide scope and great values like honesty, integrity, compassion, and respect. The philosophy enables me to give health services to patients regardless of their race, religion, or culture. The philosophy contains several principles that promote peace and cohesion. On the other hand, it includes values that promote trust and mutual relationships. The main weakness of the philosophy is exclusion of professional learning and research. It does not recognize the importance of research in nursing with regard to the role played by nurses in eradication of diseases. Research and professional learning are vital aspects of nursing (Spouse, 2008).
References
American Nursing Association: What is Nursing? Web.
George, J. (2011). Nursing Theories: The Base for Professional Nursing Practice. New York: Person Education.
Hood, L. J. (2010). Conceptual Bases of Professional Nursing, 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Risjord, M. (2011). Nursing Knowledge: Science, Practice, and Philosophy. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Spouse, J. (2008). Professional Learning in Nursing. New York: John Wiley & sons.