My Nursing Philosophy:
O ver all I see the underlying principle and culture of health care as being focused toward the safest and highest quality provision of health care for the direct patient as well as the broader community. As a leader within health care, I believe, it avails me to have the opportunity to encourage and nurture the art of caring, together with science of learning.
Statement of professional philosophy
Stating my personal nursing philosophy is a real challenge as I so many differing, and at times even conflicting, thoughts and ideas about health, health care and health care organisations. The nursing metaparadigm (Marchuk, 2014) attributes that there are two aspects of nursing, art, literal/clinical care, and nursing knowledge, ways of knowing such as science and theories. I will endeavour to utilise this concept as I continue developing my philosophy as I think it is an uncomplicated notion to reflect upon the how and why of my nursing journey.
When I first became a nurse it was an opportunity to provide care for others and learn about the health. I did not think about the complexity of health neither held grand ideas of changing lives, but I was interested in the who, how and what we are from a physical, mental and spiritual context. I was meticulous in many aspects of my life and this is a field that requires such a trait. Since that time I have grown, learnt and changed in so many ways. To nurse, and be a nurse, it is beneficial to have a genuine care for those in your care, and even beyond in the wider community. Compassion, nurturing, respect, consideration, dignity and believing in adding value to others lives I believe have to be to some degree anyway, a natural part of what makes a good health care provider. Sure you can learn these things to some degree, and I have both learnt developed enhanced these values. This is the art of nursing metaparadigm being enhanced together with the science of healthcare (Marchuk, 2014).
Over all I see the underlying principle and culture of health care as being focused toward the safest and highest quality provision of health care for the direct patient and the broader community. As a leader within health care, I believe, it avails me to have the opportunity to encourage and nurture the art of caring, together with science of learning, with a greater influence and upon a larger scale. I have been inspired by my nursing leaders and executives, as discussed by MacIntosh (2003), and I know that they still have the patient focus at heart rather than just executives in offices somewhere as some may perceive. My role as a leader within health care also allows me to inspire, model and mentor others (as this occurs whether I am aware of it or not, I am being observed and even looked up to), to be patient focussed and maintain an attitude of seeking for the best for all concerned.
This is however. where I find conflict at times. My personal opinion differing from the direction care is directed or given. This is also where awareness of patient advocacy may come to play. Being within the peri-operative environment I see a lot of operating on what may be termed as pointless cases. Care provided may just prolong pain or suffering, may induce the beginning of the end so to speak. While nursing science helps provide the ability to do great things it may just conflict with the art of nursing. Personal beliefs and values may not always be congruent with how I believe care should be directed, however it is also good to be mindful that there may be more than what we see within our environment. To some extend we, nurses, must be prepared to believe in the experience and education of others, and have faith in their art and science. Together the Health Care team should holistically cover quality of care and safety that each patient deserves and should expect.
As a health care practitioner and leader I have to be prepared to endorse and believe that the profession and those within it are there to provide compassion and quality of care utilising science, experience and understanding for the patient and their significant others to the best of all our abilities. Reflective practice, philosophy and standards help me to achieve these goals and influence others. As a leader I have the opportunity to be a significant part in improving health, dignity, and respect to healthcare practitioners, patients and the community.
References:
Marchuk, A. (2014). A personal nursing philosophy in practice. Journal of Neonatal Nursing, 20(6), 266-273. doi:10.1016/j.jnn.2014.06.004
MacIntosh, J. (2003). Reworking Professional Nursing Identity. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 25(6), 725-741. doi:10.1177/0193945903252419
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