Running head: MY PERSONAL NURSING PHILOSOPHY 1

My Personal Nursing Philosophy

Rebecca Davis

Department of Nursing, Delaware Technical Community College

Nursing 300: RN to BSN Transition

Dr. Maloney

October 9, 2021
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My Personal Nursing Philosophy

Nursing is a profession and a talent; some must work hard to excel in this career, while

others are natural born caregivers. Every nurse begins to develop their own philosophy about the

field, and every good nursing philosophy includes important components such as holistic

healing, treating each patient as an individual not a diagnosis, and caring for every patient with

love and respect. I think my nursing philosophy incorporates all these things. Nursing is a

delicate balance of science, intuition, skill, and art. The ideal nurse dedicates herself to lifelong

learning, embracing the science of nursing and filling herself with knowledge and experience.

She also develops instincts and becomes comfortable depending on her own intuition to assess

when something is not right in her patient and when to intervene. With practice, she hones her

skills and becomes the seasoned nurse that her patients love, and her colleagues go to for help.

All the while, she does this job with patience, grace, and a love for those around her. My own

philosophy derives from these concepts- a mixture of love, art, and skill is needed to provide

specialized individualized care for each patient. Remembering that being nonjudgmental and

willing to always be of service for the good of the patient in their time of need is what I tell

myself on days where I need to remind myself why I wanted to be a nurse.

Lifelong Learning

Many professions require continued education hours, in service days, and additional

classes in order to upkeep certifications and licensure. However, the nursing profession is one of

the only careers where continued education is required to save a life. Education for nurses never

ends. It does not stop with graduating nursing school- that is just the beginning. Nurses not only

agreed to dedicate their lives to serving others at the bedside, there was also an unwritten

agreement to continually expand their knowledge and actively participate in new courses that
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will teach them life saving techniques. My personal nursing philosophy encompasses the concept

of lifelong learning because pursuing education of the sciences of nursing is part of my concept

of what nursing is. This knowledge expands our minds and sharpens our skills for the good of

our patients. Furthering education also opens new doors for nurses who may be looking to delve

into informatics jobs or advancing on to become nurse practitioners. Willingness to actively

continue learning is really the foundation of a good nurse in my opinion.

The Twenty-One Nursing Problems Theory

Faye Abdellah’s Twenty-One Nursing Problems theory states “Nursing is based on an art

and science that molds the attitudes, intellectual competencies, and technical skills of the

individual nurse into the desire and ability to help people, sick or well, cope with their health

needs”("Faye Abdellah Nursing Theorist," 2018). I believe this concept means that all the hands-

on skills and techniques we learn as nurses translates to our ability and proclivity to help heal the

patient as an individual. This also relates back to the concept of lifelong learning- education and

training will make good nurses great caregivers, but lack of education or desire to learn will

negatively impact our ability to care for patients and limit how far we go in our careers. The

twenty-one nursing problems theory consists of ten steps to identify the patient problem, and

then eleven nursing skills used to develop a treatment plan. The twenty-one problems are either

physical, sociological, or emotional needs, all parts of the holistic patient assessment. It is a

patient centered model rather than disease centered, making it a human needs theory ("Faye

Abdellah Nursing Theory", 2011). Her theory heavily relies on the nursing process we all were

taught- assess, diagnose, plan, implement, and evaluate. This theory ties into many core

concepts, such as lifelong learning, holistic assessment, and patient centered care- all of which

are critical factors of being a great nurse. This theory was the basis of my philosophy-
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remembering nursing is a mixture of love, art, skill, and a nonjudgmental attitude is what makes

for the best patient outcomes.

Personal Wellness and Patient Safety

Taking care of yourself is the first step to taking good care of others. Recognizing your

own personal needs and taking time for self-care is extremely important for maintaining mental

health. When you feel good physically and mentally, that will reflect in the care you give your

patients. In contrast, if personal wellness is not made a priority, your own issues can trickle into

your work and the quality of patient care will decrease. Taking care of yourself prevents burnout

and fatigue. Sometimes, as nurses, we find it hard to make time for our own wants and needs but

it is imperative we do. The more we love ourselves, the more love we have to give to others in

need. A strong mentality and positive attitude creates a better mind space and allows us to deal

with those challenging days at work in a healthy way.

Patient safety is sometimes a hard thing to maintain, especially when patients are

combative or struggling with cognitive impairment. My philosophy is to approach each patient in

a nonjudgmental manner, reminding myself that there is a reason why they are acting the way

they are. It is our job as nurses to maintain respect and patient dignity while prioritizing patient

safety. My philosophy also focuses on giving self, which is needed in a lot of circumstances

where patients are putting their safety at risk. Sometimes it may mean spending extra time with

that patient, reassuring them, and advocating for them to get the help and resources they need.

This may take extra time from your day, but their wellbeing should be top priority.

Conflict Management and Leadership Style

I am an accommodator, which means I give in to maintain order, peace, and relationships,

sometimes at the cost of my own needs and wants. This style could lead to being taken advantage
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of by people with more dominant personality traits or communication styles. However, I believe

nursing is considered one of the most trusted and professional jobs one can have, and sometimes

it is necessary to “give in” if it means quality patient care is being given. This includes staying

late to cover someone to ensure their patients are being cared for, or working more shifts than

required to ensure the floor has adequate coverage to maintain patient safety. This comes back to

always being willing to give self for the benefit of your patients.

I think my conflict management style will help me be a good leader in the future because

I will have experience in mediating interprofessional conflict. As a leader, you must be willing to

sacrifice your time not only for the patients but for those you are managing. Being a leader does

not make anyone “better than” bedside nursing, and a leader should always be willing to jump

back into hands on patient care if they see their staff struggling. As a leader, you should always

be up to date with standards of practice and policies, and be willing to pass on this knowledge to

your peers. My nursing philosophy is mainly about giving self for the good of others, and I think

my leadership style will be heavily impacted by that.

Conclusion

A solid nursing philosophy can be a mixture of other great philosophies. It should be able

to be applied to all the components I talked about, from leadership style, conflict management,

patient safety, and personal wellness. In summary, my philosophy is to remember nursing is a

combination of art, intuition, skill, and science. You cannot have some components without

incorporating the others when it comes to nursing. Furthermore, every patient should be viewed

with a nonjudgmental attitude and treated as an individual, not their diagnosis. The best thing we

can give to our patients is time and self.

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References

Faye Abdellah Nursing Theorist . Nursing Theory. (2019, September 18). https://nursing-

theory.org/nursing-theorists/Faye-Abdellah.php.

FAYE ABDELLAH NURSING THEORY. Faye Abdellah nursing theory. (2011).

http://www.whyiwanttobeanurse.org/nursing-theories/twenty-one-nursing-problems.php.