Running Head: NURSING PHILOSOPHY AND PROFESSIONAL GOALS STATEMENT

Nursing Philosophy and Professional Goals Statement

Christine Foley

Grand Canyon University: NSG-310

December 08, 2019

NURSING PHILOSOPHY AND PROFESSIONAL GOALS STATEMENT

Introduction

Nursing theory drives the practice of a nurse. A nurse cannot function properly if they do

not have a philosophy in mind. A nurse must examine their own beliefs about nursing before

they begin the process of nursing with a patient. Leininger suggests that transcultural nursing is

of the utmost importance because it promotes healing and a gain of control or independence for

the patient. I personally agree with Leininger’s main idea of transcultural nursing because each

person is inherently different and influenced by the environment around them whether for the

good, health, or the bad, illness.

My Philosophy

At the beginning of this semester, my philosophy of nursing did not exist. My plan was

just to take care of the person and help them heal, by being a comforting presence who could

explain daunting procedures and sit by them when they were afraid. Now my eyes have been

opened to a whole other side of nursing. Nursing is more than caring for a person’s physical

body. Nurses need to care for the person as a whole. Holistic care requires a nurse to understand

a person’s background. Culture infiltrates every part of a person’s life. Culture influences the

food they eat, the clothes they wear, the religion they practice and the way they interact with

their nurse. Leininger would say that the nurse’s job is to “assist, support, facilitate, or enable

individuals” to regain or maintain health in a way that is culturally congruent (Friberg, 81).

Health is different for each person and is defined arbitrarily by culture. It can be said that health

is marked by a person’s ability to complete their role tasks in society. Illness in the same way, is

defined by a person’s own beliefs and by their ability to function in their daily life. Overall,

every individual is a cultural being impacted by the environment they are in (Friberg, 81).
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Experiences

Throughout my clinical experience, I encountered clients from many walks of life. I

learned that each person has a slightly different expectation of care received from the nurses. I

learned to not look at a patient or resident as just another resident, but rather look at them as a

dynamic human being. They are all people, with experiences and stories. Each person is worthy

of love, and respect. Every client should receive the best care possible due to their inherent worth

as a human being. I learned that nurses need to respect their clients more, by watching the way

some LPN’s and UAP’s treated their residents (Potter & Perry, 293). Some were very kind and

genuinely cared about the residents, while others pushed their pills into the resident’s mouth and

walked away. In class, we learned about therapeutic communication. Communication with other

nurses and even with patients is very important for the patient’s whole well-being. If a nurse is

unprofessional in their speech it can easily damage the mental health of a resident. Clinicals have

shaped my philosophy by teaching me that nursing is more than having knowledge. It reaffirmed

in my mind that each person is completely different from the next person, and each patient needs

an individualized plan of care and approach in the delivery of care. I cannot approach a non-

verbal stroke patient with dementia the same way I would approach someone bedridden and alert

and oriented. Nursing truly is a science and an art (Friberg, 70). Science because we apply our

knowledge to come up with a plan of care and art as to find the best technique to apply our

knowledge.

Personal Goals

In the upcoming semesters, I want to become more proficient at assessing my patients

accurately. I can do this by practicing often and asking lots of questions. Good assessment skills

are one of the things that make up a good nurse. Secondly, I want to have a greater understanding
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of culture. I want to understand different cultures’ ways of doing things so that I can give

culturally competent care, as not to offend anyone and to promote healing, and wellness. Thirdly,

I want to continue to develop good interpersonal skills as to communicate with my client’s well

so that I can give them the best care possible, and make them feel comfortable so that they can

tell me things that they may not necessarily feel comfortable telling their physician or others in

the interdisciplinary team. Interpersonal skills are important concerning communication with

nurses. SBAR, for example is a tool of communication. It is very important to be good at

communicating in SBAR or ISBAR so that nothing regarding the patient’s condition is missed.

In summary, I want to sharpen my skills as a nurse so that I can give care in a way that is

dignifying and respectful to the patient and their culture.

Conclusion

My nursing theory is still developing, but it is headed in a direction of understanding

people and situations in their entirety. Leininger has taught me to look at people through the lens

of culture. Meaning, people’s cultures and my culture influence the way I perceive the world and

the way they perceive their environment. This impacts the way I approach patients, speak to

patients, and care. I look forward to more interactions with patients, then I can apply my

knowledge as a nurse in good technique to promote healing.

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References

Friberg, E. E. (2020). Conceptual Foundations: The Bridge to Professional Nursing Practice

(6th ed.).

Potter, P. A., Perry, A. G., Hall, A., & Stockert, P. A. (2017). Fundamentals of Nursing (9th ed.).

St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier.