Personal Philosophy
Philosophy can be defined as a search for truth that delves into an examination of current issues surrounding reasoning, logic and social issues. From the perspective of a nursing practitioner, the application of a philosophical approach focuses on how the act of providing medical care is perceived and what are the driving factors behind it being implemented. It is due to this that the backbone of the philosophical approach behind this paper focuses on the work of St. Thomas Aquinas who stated that the determining factor behind whether an act is good or not depends on how it contributes to society as a whole and what are its outcomes. This is a particularly important point of view for a nursing practitioner given the various activities that they may encounter. For instance, a nurse may need to restrict a patient’s intake of cigarettes which would cause them a considerable amount of discomfort. However, such an act would be necessary in order to maintain their health before and after an important surgical procedure. It is due to this that this philosophical point of view focuses on long term outcomes that all nurses should take into consideration when it comes to their implementation of medical care. Nurses should strive for self-improvement as well as ensure that they continue to be capable individuals by maintaining their health and psychological well-being.
Person
The personal philosophy espoused by this paper focuses on becoming a better version of yourself through constant improvement. This involves developing personal skills through a greater interest in education as well as attempting to create good relationships with a variety of mentors who could help to guide you on the right path. It is expected that through this focus, nursing practitioners will be able to become more proficient at their jobs which would enable them to look towards the long term when it comes to their personal development.
Nursing
The application of a personal philosophy in nursing comes in the form of focusing on the long term health goals of patients under a nurse’s care. For instance, over the course of a nurse’s career it is likely that their patients may request all manner of possible “exceptions” when it comes to their current medical case. This can involve either allowing them to smoke, letting them eat prohibited foods or other similar instances. While in the short term a nurse would be subjecting them to a small amount of suffering, the fact remains that the long term goal is to ensure that they become healthy and, as such, having them undergo the suffering now in order to become healthier later is preferable.
Health
From the perspective of health and wellness, the application of a personal philosophy in this case comes in the form of a nurse looking at how they take care of themselves and its potential repercussions on their capacity to provide adequate medical care. First and foremost, what must be understood is that a nurse’s health is directly connected to their ability to help a patient. The healthier a nurse is, the more likely they are of thinking clearly and being fit enough to help patients and doctors alike. It is due to this that placing a considerable emphasis on long term health goals is necessary.
Environment
When it comes to the environment, a nurse’s focus should primarily be on establishing a proper and caring environment that facilitates recovery for patients by helping them to be at ease and enabling them to stay calm during treatment.
Education
When it comes to the application of the personal philosophy espoused in this paper, personal education should be at the forefront of a nurse’s goal as a medical practitioner. Basically, a nurse should focus on improving themselves in their chosen field by enrolling in advanced nursing courses so that they may be able to provision more specialized care to their patients (ex: dialysis). By pursuing this particular path, a nurse would become a more valued member of their respective medical institutions and, as such, this would help immensely in increasing the value of the hospital staff as a whole while at the same time ensures that more patients would be able to get the help that they need.
Administration
When it comes to administration, a nurse’s focus should be on developing themselves into becoming a competent observer of what is necessary in order to properly manage the various nurses within the hospital. By doing so, this prepares them to take on more specialized roles in the future that combine medical knowledge with management skills.
Research
Based on the personal philosophy goals presented so far, aspects related to research would focus on examining new developments in nursing specializations and how they can be utilized in order to improve upon the medical care that a nurse can provide to their patients. By doing so, this helps to immensely improve the quality of care that a nurse provides to patients which would result in a greater likelihood of their health improving over time.