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My Nursing Philosophy: An Evolving Journey

Candice Krueger, RN

Delaware Technical Community College

NUR 300: RN to BSN Transition

Professor Pamela McEvoy

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My Nursing Philosophy: An Evolving Journey

“There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and

finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die,

is a process of learning.” Words spoken by Jiddu Krishnamurti. This quote speaks loudly to me.

As I have worked in the medical field, I have always loved learning new things. There is so

much to learn in this field that one person could never learn everything there is to know. It is one

of the reasons I think nursing is so interesting diverse. The employment opportunities are

endless. Not only are there different specialties, but there are also opportunities in case

management, informatics, education and quality. It is overwhelming as a new nurse. Although I

have passed my NCLEX and gained my RN, I plan to move forward and continue to grow to

eventually obtain my masters and become a nurse practitioner.

I believe everything we do as nurses is done with intent. For instance, a substantial

majority of our time is spent charting and teaching, that many may not see. These things are not

busy work. I would love to understand more of the quality and insurance side of the spectrum.

Charting allows the insurance company to read a story whereas educated a patient could be

preventative. It would be great if every patient was willing and able to learn so that they could

prevent themselves from being readmitted. I believe if we understand the why and the

importance of what we are doing, it will be done better, and some will be less likely to cut

corners.

I can relate to Virginia Henderson’s philosophy of nursing. I believe that as a nurse it is

my job to help make the patients as whole as they once were. Henderson believed in 14 needs of

basic nursing care. Her ideas promote basic health and avoid dangers. (Masters, 2023) Not only

does it focus on basic needs such as sleep, nutrition, and excreting waste, but it also focuses on
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avoiding dangers and promoting an emotionally healthy patient. The mind and body are

connected. When one mind is not in a good place, stress will wreak havoc on other systems. I

especially can relate to “work in such a way that there is a sense of accomplishment”. (Masters,

2023) When I have a goal and fail, I feel as though my mood is low. When I achieve something

and feel accomplished, I instantly feel mentally ready to take on another goal. This leaves me

less stressed and overall healthier. I worked closely with an intensivist that credits his health with

meditation. He relies heavily on de-stressing and believes that if one takes this time to do this

you will not become ill. This type of approach also leads to a more preventive approach such as

drinking adequate water, eating healthy foods, getting the right amount of sleep and exercise. As

a nurse I like to help educate my patients on what they can do to help themselves regain their

normal independence. This is much like Henderson’s philosophy. I believe this is how

Henderson’s philosophy can be applied to my daily nursing career. If one is lacking in one of

the 14 components, this is where I could assess, plan, implement and evaluate the patient’s

needs. When all 14 needs are met then I can help educate the patient to remain well. A plan can

be created and then followed up to evaluate how the plan worked. Often there is a team of nurses

that make follow-up calls to ensure the plan is being followed and reach out to the patient to

meet any other needs they may have after discharge. This not only prevents readmissions but

also promotes healthy living and gives the patient a sense of caring. As I grow as a nurse, I am

sure I will incorporate parts of many other theories and philosophies into my own practice. In

my own practice I like to take a more preventative and holistic approach. I feel as though

prevention is more proactive and most of medicine and procedures are reactive. As I work with

different departments and physicians, I adopt other ways of thinking or helping a patient. For

instance, attempting pain control by repositioning a patient, offering a heating pad or providing
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distractions before offering pain medication is an approach I have learned. Offering these things

can help eliminate the need for unnecessary medications. Another key aspect of my personal

nursing philosophy is relationship building. I believe when you tailor your care to a patient’s

needs and personality it can help the patient feel comfortable. When I create connections with

my patients it also build trust. When patients are feeling well and trust their caregiver, I believe

their mood is better. This leads to improved patient satisfaction and possibly quicker recovery.

Sociology and psychology have helped me in my nursing journey by creating a better

understanding of my patients. Understanding patients and how an illness may impact their

mental health is key to providing compassionate care. The sociology and psychology classes I

have completed taught me how to be compassionate and professional. There are also difficult

patients, and this can take a toll on nurses. Teaching nurses’ basic sociology and psychology

helps them ask the right questions to help their patients live a better life post discharge. Some

patients may appear difficult or non-compliant, may just lack basic resources. These things could

make a patient discouraged and miserable. The classes taught me an understanding of

personalities and I have gained knowledge to help patients. As I grow and fine tune my own

personal philosophy, I realize that prevention is so important to me for my own health. As a

nurse I try to educate my patients during their admission and their discharge process on how to

prevent a readmission. If diet can be modified, then I try to educate on things that can be

modifiable.

Lifelong learning is something I feel strongly about. I plan to further my education with a

master’s degree and become a nurse practitioner. Like many healthcare workers I will be taking

courses for continuing education credits to keep my licensure up to date. In my free time I also

have a huge interest in preventive and holistic medicine. I often listen to podcasts on how the
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body works to learn more about why things can happen and how we can prevent a disease

process. Learning is something I have grown to love as I get older. As I learn more, I enjoy

educating my patients. The medical world is always evolving and learning is unavoidable.

Medical equipment is also becoming better each day. For instance, our floor was a teaching on a

new “TR band” to assist post catheterization. It was more comfortable for the patient and proven

to reduce the chance of injury. This is just an example of something learned in my daily work.

Well educated nurses lead to more satisfied patients and better outcomes. As a nurse education is

paramount.

In a nursing career you may be taught how to perform procedures, CPR, and daily tasks

but little is focused on conflict management. Often this can be taught and perfected over time. In

healthcare conflict management is essential. Knowing yourself can help understand strengths and

weaknesses to overcome conflict and try to avoid it. In a nursing role one needs to be

comfortable interacting with patients and peers. The two interactions are quite different, yet

conflict can arise. Having education on how to professionally resolve conflict is helpful. There is

a chain of command that is often utilized in a professional setting. As a nurse if one is unsure of

how to manage a situation there is always someone to assist. As time continues, I become more

comfortable handling different situations. I decided I would take a different approach and break

up the assignments and then let people choose or I would ask all what suggestions they had to

offer. This was helpful most of the time. Those who felt the assignments were not fair, now felt

like part of the solution. I do know that in management you need to be stern yet flexible. There

needs to be an expectation set, if you are too soft, you will be taken advantage of. I do believe a

good leader will never please everyone. If you can get a core of competent staff and the

department can run itself in your absence, then that is good leadership.
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QSEN stands for quality and safety education for nursing. It was designed to enhance

nursing knowledge and capabilities therefore improving patient outcomes. There are six core

competencies: patient-centered care, evidenced-based practice, teamwork and collaboration,

safety, quality improvement and informatics. (Pearson, 2019) The idea is to have these core

competencies integrated into the nursing curriculum to produce better, more competent nurses as

new graduates. QSEN lays the framework for safe patient care. Nurses who are knowledgeable

about QSEN and safe practices and have the skill set to recognize potential risks and therefore

eliminate the problem before it occurs. Healthcare is always evolving and improving. A

healthcare system that promotes a culture of open communication within the team lends a better

outcome for patients. Nurses and ancillary staff are no longer afraid to voice a concern to a

doctor for fear of retaliation. Once teamwork is established the team can focus on patient

centered care. Graduate nurses are also more likely to participate in a residency program. This is

meant to make them feel more comfortable with their decision making and more prepared in

stressful situations. Overall, the six competencies of QSEN are intermingled to provide safe

patient care and promote a culture of safety in healthcare. (Pearson, 2019)

Overall, my nursing philosophy is evolving. I believe patients should have safe tailored

care based on the individual and their own personality. I enjoy people and making connections. I

always think of how I would want to be treated as a patient. Leadership, education, and safety are

key components to the care I provide. I have learned so much in the past clinical year and the

few months I have been working as a nurse. I am always striving to perform the best care and

following the code of ethics in nursing. They support the dignity and universal rights of the

patient.
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References
Masters, K. (2023). Role Development in Professional Nursing Practice. Burlington: Jones and
Bartlett.
Pearson. (2019). Nursing A Concept-Based Approach to Learning. New York: Pearson.