Running Head: Personal Philosophy

Personal Nursing Philosophy

Dana L. Yurkon
Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing
I Pledge

Running Head: Personal Philosophy

A philosophy is a theory or attitude held by a person or organization that acts as a

guiding principle for behavior.(Merriam Webster, n.d.) With that being said, a personal nursing
philosophy not only incorporates ones individual beliefs, but the principles and values of the
organization in which they are a part of. In order to provide exceptional nursing care to patients
and their families, a registered nurse must carry within them, a personal philosophy as to why
they are at the bedside each day. They must live via this philosophy while weaving their
organizations beliefs together to create a harmonious unity of care.
My own personal nursing philosophy was one in which I did not need to dig deep or
think much about, it has been engrained in me since I was young. As a nurse, I believe in caring
for your patients, regardless of age, race, sex, socioeconomic status, etc. just as I would treat a
family member of my own. Along with this, over the last years as my career has been more
focused on pediatric critical care, I find myself wanting to treat the whole family, not just the
patient alone and with the use of holistic care to promote better coping as well as healing. Nurses
are held to a high standard of care. Lastly, I hold myself to a high standard of compassion,
accountability, and personal goals.
The American Nurses Association Code of Ethics states that the definition of
accountability is to be answerable to oneself and others for ones own actions.(AORN Journal,
2014) Maintaining self-respect and knowledge to admit our rights and wrongs as nurses, the
upkeep of a nursing license, and being able to answer to others for actions made during nursing
care are all invaluable aspects of a personal nursing theory.
The nurse-patient relationship respects the autonomy of patients as individuals through
dignity and worth. Compassion is needed to foster a productive and healing relationship between
care giver and patient. As a registered nurse, compassion goes along the lines of it involves

Running Head: Personal Philosophy

being close to patients and seeing their situation as more than a medical scenario and routine
procedures.(Nursing Times, 2009) Within my personal nursing philosophy, I believe that
compassion is what pulls the reigns. I try my best to look at patients and their situations without
judgement, trying to place myself into their situation, and treat them as I would my own
family. Along with compassion, a registered nurse must be competent and continue education.
The continuation of education and knowledge within the field are necessary in order to be up to
date on the latest information, protocols, procedures, etc.
Nursing has had several theorists throughout the years. These theories are used when it
comes to caring for patients and their families. They are a guideline to our beliefs and care as a
nursing career and system. As I think about my own personal nursing philosophy, there are two
theorists who are engrained and weaved into my beliefs, and those would be Madeleine
Leiningers Transcultural Nursing and Florence Nightingales Holistic Theory.
According to Leiningers Transcultural Theory the goal of nursing is to provide care
congruent with cultural values, beliefs, and practices. Leininger states that care is the essence of
nursing and the dominant, distinctive and unifying feature. She says there can be no cure without
caring, but that there may be caring with curing. Health care personnel should work towards an
understanding of care and the values, health beliefs, and life-styles of different cultures, which
will form the basis for providing culture-specific care. (RN Central, 2011)
The Transcultural Theory plays an important role in my every day nursing care and
therefore my personal philosophy. The emergency room is a vast melting pot of diverse cultures,
ethnicities, races, etc. To provide the care needed for healing and health wellness promotion

Running Head: Personal Philosophy

registered nurses must use culturally based care. Being aware of certain traditions, holistic
means of healing by various cultures or religions, as well as the value and belief system within a
culture all takes part in the health and healing process.
Bon Secours has a tenet of commitment of unmet needs. This mean Bon Secours
affirms the right of all people to quality health care and work toward a just and equitable public
policy. We work closely with the communities we serve to address unmet health care needs and
expectations.(Bon Secours Health System, n.d.) This part of Bon Secours commitment goes
hand in hand with the value and theory of the Transcultural Theory as well as the personal
philosophy I choose to follow. Daily we welcome patients through our doors, regardless of the
previous stated differences, and we care for them openly, compassionately, and wholly.
Holistic nursing is defined as all nursing practice that has healing the whole person as its
goal. (American Holistic Nurses Association, n.d.) Florence Nightingale believed that nursing
was a calling and a holistic calling to be exact. Her Holistic Theory intertwined everything from
manipulating the environment to treating the person as a whole mentally, physically, and
emotionally. Within my personal philosophy of nursing, I find myself doing these tasks on an
everyday basis. My patients are pediatric patients. There are times when manipulating the
environment around them promotes healing and wellness. At times it can even promote coping
mechanisms.
When trying to obtain a peripheral intravenous catheter, sending a pediatric patient for a
CT scan, or just a simple throat swab, the team of nurses in the pediatric emergency room use
every technique from bubbles, music, iPads, and even incorporating the family in the procedure.
Being able to change the surroundings of my patients allows the team to do their job effectively

Running Head: Personal Philosophy

while treating the patient's needs. Another example is that children need to be just that,
children. We encourage our patients to play, use imagination, and for parents to be involved. Our
emergency department is made up of relaxing colors, butterflies on the walls, and child friendly
activities. This gives the child a piece of mind and ease most times as soon as they enter our
department.
Caring for a sick pediatric patient is not just about the patient, but about the family as
well. Parents, grandparents, siblings, etc are all essential in the caring, health, and healing of our
pediatric population. By treating the family as a whole, rather than the sole focus being on the
child, parents and caretakers feel to be more in control, much more receptive to education being
given, and are then fully present to encourage proper healing and health for the child. Bon
Secours states that through the Catholic ministry that we willlove and care for those who are
sick, poor, and dying through our service. Religious motivation is at the core of our existence and
we operate in accordance with the directives and policies of the Catholic health care
ministry.(Bon Secours Health System, n.d.)
In the end nurses must take the time and knowledge they have been given and find within
themselves what they stand for, what their nursing means to them, as well as what they want to
mean to others. Nurses touch lives, even if it is for a moment. Having a well thought out,
compassionate, and meaningful personal philosophy can ensure that even if that moment is for a
split second, it will have a positive effect on your patient and their loved ones.

Running Head: Personal Philosophy

References
American Holistic Nurses Association. (n.d.). Welcome to AHNA: What is Holistic Nursing?
Retrieved from http://www.ahna.org/About-Us/What-is-Holistic-Nursing
AORN Journal. (2014, November). Retrieved from www.aornjournal.org/article/S00012092(14)00964-8/abstract
Bon Secours Health System. (n.d.). Bon Secours Health System: our operating principles.
Retrieved from http://hso.bonsecours.com/about-us-our-mission-our-operatingprinciples.html
Merriam Webster. (n.d.). Philosophy | Definition of Philosophy by Merriam-Webster. Retrieved
from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/philosophy
Nurse Together. (2013, March 8). 3 Attributes That Make Up a Nurse's Philosophy. Retrieved
from http://www.nursetogether.com/3-attributes-make-nurses-philosophy
Nursing Times. (2009, September 14). Compassion in nursing 1: defining, identifying and
measuring this essential quality | Practice | Nursing Times. Retrieved from
http://www.nursingtimes.net/roles/nurse-managers/compassion-in-nursing-1defining-

identifying-and-measuring-this-essential-quality-/5006242.fullarticle

RN Central. (2011, September 12). 7 Nursing Theories To Practice By | Notes from the Nurses'
Station. Retrieved from http://www.rncentral.com/blog/2011/7-nursing-theoriesto-

practice-by/