PERSONAL NURSING PHILOSOPHY 1

Personal Nursing Philosophy

Iris Cheng

Miami Dade College

Benjamin Leon School of Nursing

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What is philosophy? According to Merriam-Webster (2019), the definition of philosophy

is “the most basic beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of an individual or group.” A nursing

philosophy, is a set of personal perspective, attitude, and belief about the field of nursing, and the

purpose of their practice (Nurse Theory2019). It is how a person rationalize their actions and

participation in the healthcare setting with the set of beliefs and values that they already

manifest. To many, nursing is a profession, but it is also a form of art and science. “Nursing

practice requires a blend of the most current knowledge and practice standards with an insightful

and compassionate approach to patient care” (Potter 2017). My philosophy on nursing is focused

on using critical thinking and a nurse’s judgement to integrate data in providing patient-centered

care with the best interest in the patient’s well-being. Qualities that a nurse should encompass are

compassion, accountability, respect, expertise and good moral-compass.

For the longest I could remember, I was always fascinated with the medical field.

Growing up, my dad has always reminded me that to be a good person, I had to do “good things”

meaning I had to help out an individual or group in need without expecting any rewards or return

of favor. Since then, I feel this had ultimately led me to choose nursing as my career. I always

had an inclination to lend a helping hand.

“The nursing profession was founded to protect, promote, and improve health for all

ages” (Nursingworld 2019). To be a nurse you have to be confident, assertive, self-less and make

necessary sacrifices to provide the best care for them and of course treating their illness. If you

were to search “role of nurses” you will find that the roles and responsibilities has an endless list.

“The nurse provides ongoing information on treatment plans, provides coaching and counseling

to build self-confidence in relation to new behaviors, coordinates reminders for preventive and
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follow-up care, and ensures that handoffs provide the next set of providers with needed

information to continue the plan of care and avoid duplicative ordering (NCB1 2017).”

Medicine and healthcare treatment and practices are constantly changing and evolving in

response to new information and new technologies. Everyone’s role (physicians, nurses, other

healthcare professionals, and patients) will be impacted with the changes in the advancing

healthcare. The transformation and necessary changes will take time and effort to adjust to. It

will require one to reexamine their skills, knowledge, and attitude to successfully continue

providing the utmost care. I know my personal nursing philosophy will change and evolve over

the years with my clinical experience on the field. Although it will change, these personal values

and information will continue to serve as a guideline.

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References

Philosophy. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/philosophy.

Philosophy of nursing. (2017, July 18). Retrieved from

https://www.nursetheory.com/philosophy-of-nursing/.

Potter, P. A., Hall, A. M., Perry, A. G., Potter, P. A., & Stockert, P. A. (2017). Fundamentals of

nursing. Elsevier Health Science.

Salmond, S. W., & Echevarria, M. (2017). Healthcare Transformation and Changing Roles for

Nursing. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5266427/.

What is Nursing & What do nurses do?: ANA Enterprise. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/workforce/what-is-nursing/.