Definition
In order to determine the areas and principles of the personal philosophy of nursing, it is necessary to define a philosophy as “statements of enduring values and beliefs held by members of the discipline” where the statements “address the major concepts of the discipline, setting forth beliefs about what nursing is, how to think about and do nursing, the relationships of nursing, and the environment of nursing” (Parker, 2005, p. 6). From this point, the personal philosophy of nursing presents values, attitudes, beliefs, and principles that influence the practice of a certain nurse. The main beliefs associated with the followed personal philosophy of nursing are based on the idea that each patient is unique, but he or she requires the equally high-quality assistance, and the nurse’s task is to create conditions for the person’s recovery.
Application of the Philosophy
Person
Patients should be treated as unique persons whose physical, psychological, intellectual, and spiritual needs should be addressed fully and in a specific manner. However, the nurse should balance between treating patients as individuals and providing the equally high-quality services for all patients without discriminating them.
Nursing
Primarily, nursing is the provision of the high-quality professional assistance. The nursing practice should be oriented to assisting a patient in achieving the better quality of life. The nurses’ activities are based on the idea of the perfect care, and the wellness of the patient is the main priority.
Health
The holistic approach to discussing the health in the context of the philosophy is followed. A human organism is a complex system that is comprised of many subsystems which components function depending on each other. As a result, the process of treating should be focused on treating the organism as the whole, including not only the physical aspect but also the psychological and spiritual aspects.
Environment
The environment should contribute to the patient’s recovery. As a result, the environment should be changed and modified according to the patient’s needs. It is important to avoid any barriers and threats in the environment that can prevent the patient from the recovery. The reason is that the patient is dependent on the environment.
Application of the Definition
Education
The proposed definition can be used in the field of education while implementing the ideas and practices with references to which it is possible to grow professionally, to develop approaches to caring and healing, and to develop abilities in reflection. The task of education in this case is to demonstrate how effective nursing practices can influence the environment and the person’s health.
Administration
The successful implementation of the nurse’s approaches and visions into practice depends on the effective administration. Thus, to provide the high-quality services, the nurse should understand how personal beliefs, the aspects of the environment, and needs of the patient should be related to each other and effectively administrated.
Research
The principles of the personal philosophy of nursing should be evidence-based and supported with the careful research in the field. Much research is necessary in order to guarantee the nurse’s ideas are appropriate and effective to be followed in the concrete case.
Conclusion
The personal philosophy of nursing is often unique because it is developed to explain the nurse’s priorities and choices in practice. The priorities are closely associated with the nurse’s vision of person, nursing, health, and environment as well as with the focus on education, administration, and research.
Reference
Parker, M. (2005). Nursing theories and nursing practice. Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis.