Introduction
A professional nurse is an important person in the process of treatment and care. The process of nursing is based on certain principles and theories. In the course of their work, nurses develop their own philosophies, which are usually formed as a result of blending the existing theories and nurses’ experience. Thus, a nurse with some work experience should have personal ideas on the concepts of the nursing paradigm, which include a person or a patient, the environment, health, and nursing. In fact, a set of thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about those concepts make a personal nursing philosophy.
Factors Influencing Personal Nursing Philosophy
After graduating from a college, a nurse has some knowledge of most nursing theories and has ideas about implementing them into practice. However, in the course of practice, these ideas are influenced by some factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic, and are developed into a personal nursing philosophy (Kutin, 2013). It can be a reflection of popular nursing theories or individual ideas. It can be stated that a personal nursing philosophy predetermines the work of a nurse, her confidence, and her professional development. One of the factors influencing the development of nursing philosophy is accountability (Kutin, 2013).
It should be a primary concern of a nursing professional. A nurse should be able to apply the knowledge into practice with responsibility, demonstrate self-control, and be a part of a medical team. Secondly, compassion is an issue influencing nurse’s development (Kutin, 2013). The attitude with which a nurse treats patients is an important component of personal philosophy. It is accepted that a professional nurse should be understanding, respectful, and compassionate.
Professionalism is an integral part of the nursing philosophy (Kutin, 2013). It should be emphasized that professionalism is not limited to a college degree or a set of necessary practical skills. The eagerness to help others disregarding any social or economic issues is a component of personal nursing philosophy. Finally, personal philosophy of nursing is influenced by the personal professional goals set by a nurse (Kutin, 2013).
Nursing Metaparadigms: Personal Concerns
A nursing paradigm traditionally includes four concepts. They are a person, the environment, health, and nursing (Francis, 2017). To my mind, they are interconnected and influence each other. A person, or a patient, is a central figure in the process of care. I suppose that a patient should be treated with respect, attention, and empathy. It is important for a nurse to show involvement into every case. Sometimes words of support or active listening can give better results than the whole treatment. However, the task of a nurse is not only to provide care. A professional nurse is also an educator and should teach the patient the fundamentals of self-care procedures.
The second concept of a nursing paradigm is the environment. It can both improve and make worse the patient’s health. The environment includes many factors such as nature, society, family, ecologic situation, etc. In case the environment is not favorable for the health improvement, it should be changed. A task of a nurse is to find the positive sides of patient’s environment and make them work for the improvement of patient’s health condition. besides, I consider that family is one of the most influential components of patient’s environment. Moreover, cultural and national aspects should also be considered.
The health itself is a dynamic concept. It can be treated as a blend of wellness and illness and depends on the influence of environmental factors. Finally, the concept of nursing is the one that can influence the previous concepts. The task of nursing is to provide a patient with necessary care and study the other factors which have influenced his or her condition. Thus, patient’s bad felling can be not only the result of an illness, but can also be conditioned, for example, by unfavorable psychologic environment. Hence, the primary duty of a nurse is to minimize the harmful influences on the patient and to suggest ways of health preservation. Another idea that I consider crucial for a nurse is constant development and self-improvement to meet the needs of patients.
Compatible Nursing Theories
I suppose that my nursing philosophy combines some ideas from famous nursing theorists. Thus, my beliefs on the role of environment in nursing and care recalls the environmental theory of Florence Nightingale (Alligood, 2014).
My ideas of patient’s behavior are connected with the self-care theory of Dorothea Orem (Alligood, 2014). I have mentioned than importance of constant development of a nurse and this component of my philosophy can be compared to Patricia Bemnner’s theory from novice to expert since it is dedicated to the issue of nurse’s professional growth (Alligood, 2014). Another theory that is similar to my thoughts of care is Leininger’s cultural care diversity and universality theory since I believe that cultural background is essential in the process of care.
Conclusions
On the whole, the personal philosophy of nursing is a subjective issue. It is formed under the influence of external factors and internal beliefs and ideas. However, it is an important part of nursing practice. In fact, it determines the development of a nurse as a professional and influences the results of nursing work.
References
Alligood, M.R. (Ed.). (2014). Nursing theorists and their work. St. Luis, MS: Elsevies Mosby.
Francis, I. (2017). Nursing informatics and the metaparadigms of nursing. Online Journal of Nursing Infirmatics, 21(1). Web.
Kutin, J. (2013). 3 attributes that make up a nurse’s philosophy. Web.