The Four Metaparadigms
My nursing philosophy has always guided me to support the health needs of my patients. The philosophy is designed in such a way that it focuses on the needs of individuals from diverse backgrounds. Some concepts such as cultural competence, evidence-based practice, critical thinking, multidisciplinary teams, and lifelong learning define my nursing philosophy (Scott, Matthews, & Kirwan, 2013). The four metaparadigms of nursing are used as powerful guidelines to ensure quality care is available to more patients. Such meta-paradigms should be combined in order to inform every nursing philosophy.
Patient
The ultimate goal of nursing is to deliver consummate healthcare services to more people (also known as patients). This is the reason why the metaparadigm is believed to be the foundation of my nursing philosophy. The patient is taken seriously is the beneficiary of quality health and nursing services. As a nurse, I begin by viewing the patient (or the human element) as a dynamic system characterized by unique attributes, energy fields, rhythms, beliefs, and health practices (Payne & Steakley, 2015).
Since people come from different cultural backgrounds, the healthcare delivery process should focus on this kind of diversity. That being the case, the concept of multidisciplinary teams makes it easier for me to offer quality nursing care to the patients. Nursing, according to me, is an evidence-based practice that can be used to re-pattern the patient’s rhythm and energy field. The practice is essential because it eventually maximizes the health of the client.
Nurse
The nurse is an important link throughout the healthcare delivery process (Scott et al., 2013). This metaparadigm guides nurses to be the pioneers and advocates of health. Personally, I use my concepts and competencies to analyze and monitor the health needs of the patent. In order to ensure exemplary care is available to the targeted patient, it is appropriate for nursing to be practiced as both an art and a science (BarrĂa, 2014).
This approach will bring together different processes and practices that can improve the outcomes of more patients. Throughout the nursing process, various concepts should be embraced in order to ensure the quality of care available to the targeted patients is acceptable, sustainable, and evidence-based (Payne & Steakley, 2015). This approach will ensure more patients and underserved populations realize their health goals
Environment
My personal nursing philosophy is guided by the attributes of the environment. The environment will always dictate the health of many people. The major determinants of health cannot be separated from the natural environment. People living in a given community will encounter a wide range of factors that will dictate their health outcomes. The environment also encompasses a number of attributes such as beliefs, cultural practices, and social norms (Cai, 2016). During the nursing process, the environment should be monitored and analyzed in order to ensure evidence-based care is delivered to more people.
Health
Nursing is guided by the metaparadigm of health. According to my personal philosophy of nursing, the health of a patient (or community) will be impacted by a wide range of factors. Individuals tend to have different genes and rhythms. Bodies respond differently to various health determinants, pathogens, and weather changes (Scott et al., 2013). This metaparadigm therefore guides me to focus on the best practices to ensure the health outcomes of the patient are realized. I also believe that a patient can lead a better life even when he or she has a disease. The use of powerful concepts, collaboration, and modern technologies can restore the health of every individual.
Two Practice-Specific Concepts
Registered nurses (RNs) should be aware of different concepts that can improve the process of healthcare delivery process. My philosophy is therefore guided by various concepts that are practice-specific. With the use of such concepts, I can bring on board the right individuals and professionals in order to ensure exemplary care is available to more patients (Payne & Steakley, 2015). The major practice-specific concepts that support my nursing philosophy include evidence-based practice (EBP) and cultural competence.
Evidence-Based Practice
My success as a nurse is attributable to the evidence-based conception. This concept makes it easier for me to monitor and use current evidence in nursing. The information is used in order to offer the best care to my patients (Ashktorab et al., 2015). In order to deliver quality patient support, I begin by looking for evidence that can address a critical issue or question in the clinical setting. Throughout the process, the patient is encouraged to present his or her insights (Cai, 2016). The values, preferences, expectations, and needs of the patient are taken seriously whenever making such decisions.
This practice-specific concept guides me to support my workmates and leaders to offer their insights in order to ensure quality care is available to more patients. As a practitioner, I assess resources and clinical guidelines that can ensure the patient receives evidence-based care (Cai, 2016). The inclusion of patient values and clinical expertise is a best practice that has continued to support my goals as a caregiver. External scientific research and evidence are used to identify the best models and practices that have been presented by different scientists and nursing theorists.
The EBP approach has made it easier for me to offer high-quality nursing services that reflect the choices, needs, and interests of every targeted client (Payne & Steakley, 2015). I am planning to analyze different materials and scientific evidence that can widen my competencies as a nurse. My philosophy of nursing will improve significantly as I continue to acquire new concepts and skills (Ashktorab, Pashaeypoor, Rassouli, & Alavi-Majd, 2015). By so doing, I will be in a position to support the well-being and health outcomes of more patients. The lifelong learning approach will guide me to acquire new competencies and dexterities that can re-pattern the health outcomes and well-being of my clients.
Cultural Competence
I live in a community that is culturally diverse. This means that the community is associated with many groups such as Latinos, African Americans, and Asian Americans. I have interacted with such individuals for several years. I have therefore acquired appropriate skills that make it easier for me to interact with more people. I have also learned a lot about the cultural values, religious practices, and social norms that define these cultural groups. As a nurse, I have tried to merge some of these competencies with my philosophy (Scott et al., 2013). I always focus on the welfare of different patients and design appropriate care delivery models in order to address their needs. Consequently, I have been able to provide quality care to more patients from different cultural backgrounds.
In order to deliver quality care, the cultural competence approach is always taken seriously. Best practices such as communication and appreciation of cultural differences have supported my philosophy. Our healthcare institution has implemented powerful models that focus on the emerging needs of clients from diverse backgrounds. I always analyze the unique attributes and practices of every cultural group (Mackey & Bassendowski, 2017). This approach makes it easier for me to analyze the unique health practices and risk factors associated with the targeted ethnic group. Consequently, the developed healthcare delivery model is usually informed by such observations.
This practice-specific approach or concept explains why I have become a successful nurse who provides quality care to more people in the community. I have always embraced the idea of teamwork whenever providing care to different patients. I will also study a wide range of materials and interact with more people from different backgrounds (Cai, 2016). The practice will equip me with new dexterities that can strengthen this practice-specific concept. This initiative will eventually improve my performance as a caregiver.
List of Propositions
Registered nurses and practitioners should design powerful philosophies that can guide their healthcare delivery models (BarrĂa, 2014). My current philosophy is informed by different practice-specific concepts that make it easier to offer exemplary and timely services to more clients. The outlined concepts have made it easier for me to focus on the changing needs of more patients. I have therefore come up with a set of propositions in an attempt to achieve my professional and personal objectives (Cai, 2016). Such propositions are used as guiding principles that make it easier for me to deliver quality care to more people in different parts of the country.
The propositions make it easier for me to strike a balance between the metaparadigms of nursing and the above practice-specific concepts. The assumptions guide me to identify, monitor, and meet the changing needs of different patients. Whenever using the propositions, I find it easier to attract competent individuals and form teams that can transform the experiences of more patients. The propositions have been designed in such a way that they can support the idea of multidisciplinary teams (Mackey & Bassendowski, 2017). Consequently, I have been able to deliver quality, evidence-based, timely, and sustainable care to more patients. The major assumptions that define my personal nursing philosophy include:
- Nursing is an evidence-based practice that should designed in such a way that it addresses the changing needs of more patients from different cultural groups and underserved populations.
- Nurses should be ready to analyze the diverse needs of populations and form multidisciplinary teams that can deliver exemplary services to the greatest number of patients.
- In order to deliver culturally competent, evidence-based, and sustainable health services, nurses should embrace the power of lifelong learning and design the most appropriate personal philosophies.
- A detailed understanding of diversity is a powerful approach that can guide nurses to design appropriate care delivery models and meet the changing needs of more people from different backgrounds.
- Nursing should be treated as a profession that can be applied globally through the continuous use of practice-specific concepts such as lifelong learning, evidence-based practice, cultural competence, and multidisciplinary teams.
References
Ashktorab, T., Pashaeypoor, S., Rassouli, M., & Alavi-Majd, H. (2015). Nursing students’ competencies in evidence-based practice and its related factors. Nursing and Midwifery Studies, 4(4), 1-5. Web.
BarrĂa, R. (2014). Implementing evidence-based practice: A challenge for the nursing practice. Invest Educ Enferm, 32(2), 191-193. Web.
Cai, D. (2016). A concept analysis of cultural competence. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 3(3), 268-273. Web.
Mackey, A., & Bassendowski, S. (2017). The history and evidence-based practice in nursing education and practice. Journal of Professional Nursing, 33(1), 51-55. Web.
Payne, R., & Steakley, B. (2015). Establishing a primary nursing model of care. Nursing Management, 46(12), 11-13. Web.
Scott, P., Matthews, A., & Kirwan, M. (2013). What is nursing in the 21st century and what does the 21st century health system require of nursing? Nursing Philosophy, 1(1), 1-12. Web.