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Philosophy Statement

Philosophy Statement

Laura Manis

The University of Texas at Tyler

RNBS 3315: Professional Development

September 2021
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Philosophy Statement
Nursing Philosophy Statement

Professional nursing is a combination of many skills and requires the nurse to play

several different roles to ensure the patient has a positive outcome. This paper will articulate my

personal views concerning the four concepts of nursing.

Environment

Environmental challenges can have a significant impact on a patient's health and health

outcomes. When thinking of lower-income or patients that live in a rural area, their access to

healthcare can be hindered due to a multitude of reasons. These barriers include distance to

primary care offices, finances to cover co-pay, lack of money to cover prescribed medications,

and also a lack of knowledge of when to seek medical attention. When conducting an

assessment the patient's home environment must be addressed because regardless of the

interventions done at the health care facility, if the patient cannot maintain their health at home,

it will become a vicious cycle. The professional nurse must build a relationship of trust and have

excellent interpersonal skills to obtain this information from the patient. If the patient feels

judged or uncomfortable in any way, it may place a communication barrier and prevent the

necessary information from being divulged. Once the nurse becomes aware of the home

environment, they must get social services involved. Social services can provide a wealth of

knowledge to patients living in low-income areas and are knowledgeable about programs that

can assist these individuals. When thinking about community health, the same barriers can be an

issue. If a community is more focused on basic life necessities, preventative care will be placed

on the back burner because they simply lack the finances to prioritize their health. Healthy meals
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Philosophy Statement
can be expensive and some communities must opt for budget-friendly food that has an extended

shelf life. This is why nurses must be creative when offering health advice and also understand

that each community is different. Perhaps the family can't afford fresh vegetables but frozen or

canned veggies fit their budget just fine. Community health nurses are the voices for their

patients and must advocate at the local and state level to improve the health of the community.

Client

The term client is not only referencing the patient. This term can be used to identify

family, patient groups, and community (Blais &Hayes, 2016). The extension of the term to

include family and community is important because, after discharge, these are the individuals

that the patient will rely on. Patient education is not only important for the client as a patient but

also as the person that will assume the role of a caregiver post-discharge. When educating the

patient, it is also critical that any family members caring for them know their role and when to

contact the healthcare team if needed. This should include demonstration, handouts, and a verbal

explanation by the nurse during discharge planning. Discharge planning should be centered on

the patient and the sources that they have access to after severing the nurse-patient relationship at

the end of the visit. The psychosocial demands of taking on the role of a caregiver should also be

addressed before discharge. Wives, children, and parents often take on the role of a caregiver and

they need to understand the risk for burnout and who to call for help should they get

overwhelmed. This is particularly important because if that is the only caregiver the patient can

rely on, they need to stay as healthy as possible to ensure the best outcome for the patient. Blais

& Hayes, 2016, also stated that the client could be the community. A professional nurse

providing care for the community could hold health fairs and pass out fliers with information

about health issues that are afflicting the community. Using the pandemic as an example, the
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Philosophy Statement
nurse could pass out hand sanitizer and handouts that illustrate how to protect each other from

the virus.

Health

The concept of health encompasses mind, body, and spirit and all must balance

harmoniously to not tip another area towards a deficit. Wellness is not just the health of your

organs, mental health can have detrimental effects on the body if left untreated. If a high-anxiety

patient is discharged from the hospital because they are no longer physically ill, but their anxiety

wasn't addressed, are they well? For this reason, Henderson's belief that sick and well patients

must be treated reigns true to me (Blais & Hayes, 2016). To keep these three paradigms of health

in balance, the health team must proactively prevent them from falling out of "wellness". This is

done with preventative treatment such as well-visits and mental health questionnaires before the

visit with the healthcare team. The patient’s spiritual wellness should also be addressed at the

visit because a deficit in this area could lead to the manifestation of illness in the other two

paradigms. The nurse must become a partner with the patient and ensure that all three areas of

wellness are in balance.

Nursing

Professional nurses take on so many roles while caring for a client and this is why the

concept of nursing is hard to explain. Nurses must be compassionate and caring when building a

relationship with the client and their family whilst also being stern enough to ensure compliance

with the healthcare plan. After building the relationship, the nurse must assess not only the

patient's physical presentation but also their mental and home life. This means that the nurse

must have enough knowledge to understand when to get other team members from different
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Philosophy Statement
departments involved. Which leads to the nurse maintaining excellent interdepartmental

relationships and communication. These communication skills allow for the nurse to effectively

advocate for the patient and lead to positive patient outcomes.

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Philosophy Statement
References

Blais, K. K., & Hayes, J. S. (2016). Professional nursing practice: Concepts and

perspectives (7th ed.). Pearson.