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Personal Philosophy of Nursing

Patrick J Mahoney III

School of Nursing, Old Dominion University

NURS 401 – Professional Development

Professor Cheryl Honeycutt

November 5, 2023
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Personal Philosophy of Nursing

Nursing has long been named one of the most noble professions in the world. From its

ancient origins dating back to 3100 BCE to the beginnings of modern healthcare with Florence

Nightengale throughout the Crimean War, the sacred role of assisting others during some of the

most severe conditions and situations they might ever experience is one not to be taken lightly

and must be approached with great care (Sameh Elhabashy & Abdelgawad, 2019). It is a noble,

thankless career, and it does come with the need for strength of character and mental and

emotional fortitude. As such, there are numerous moral and ethical factors to consider when

contemplating if a nursing position is the right fit.

What does it mean to be a nurse?

To be a nurse is to hold the sanctity of life in high regard and give the best parts of

yourself to whomever you care for. Working as a neonatal intensive care nurse, I feel fortunate

for the ease with which I can give my whole self to my patients. The working life of a nurse has

its stressors, but there are many upsides to having the privilege of helping others in their time of

need. That being said, it takes a special kind of person to devote themselves to the betterment of

sick patients. Nurses must have respect for human dignity and support a patient’s right, or the

rights of their loved ones, to self-determination and autonomy, and must uphold their duties with

a healthy sense of authority, accountability, and responsibility (Code of Ethics for Nurses, 2017).

This type of care takes understanding how to uphold personal and institutional principles and

ensuring that the goals of improvement and safety for the patient are the main priorities.

Why am I a nurse?

I have had several careers in my 37 years of life. However, I felt called to nursing out of

an immense respect for the human condition. Life is by no means perfect, and we all need a little
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help occasionally. While health conditions and times of crisis are sometimes inevitable, being

able to help those in need has been an amazingly rewarding endeavor and has driven me to

pursue a full-time position as someone who can assist those who need it most. One of the biggest

influences in my life has been my mother. I do not personally subscribe to any particular

religion, but she is a devoted Christian woman, and her faith has helped to create the most

amazing role model I could ever ask for. The guidelines she lives by and has raised me to respect

have been quintessential in forging my moral behavior. I can say wholeheartedly that, over the

course of my life, my sense of nurturing and the development of caring for others comes from

her shining example.

Nursing Relationships

As nurses in the medical field, we do not typically get to choose whom we care for. At

any given time, we might encounter people from all walks of life. The more patient interactions,

the more likely nurses encounter people of diverse backgrounds. As such, we must learn to be

sensitive and respectful of the culture of others. This is especially important when interacting

with more significant portions of the community, whether in health clinics, disaster relief

incidents, or volunteering for community outreach programs. Kindness and understanding are

vital tools for successful patient relationships.

It is also just as crucial for nurses to be able to work effectively with other members of

the healthcare team. Without productive collaboration, the quality of patient care suffers, as does

the patient’s healthcare experience. Hildegard E. Peplau’s theory of interpersonal relations states

that proper nursing is, “An interpersonal process of therapeutic interactions between an

individual who is sick or in need of health services and a nurse specially educated to recognize,

respond to the need for help.” (Wayne, 2019). This includes not just how a nurse interacts with
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the patient alone but also advocating for patients, collaborating with team members, and showing

support for the family and loved ones involved in a patient’s recovery.

Nursing Ethics: Moral and ethical principles are the tenets of nursing care. Leading

commandments for nursing practice with ethical tools such as justice, beneficence, and non-

maleficence is a vital part of providing quality care for patients and families (Haddad & Geiger,

2023). Every time I clock in for a shift, I begin my assignment by greeting my little patients with

a gentle “hand hug” on their head and stomach, and I speak to them, letting them know we are

going to have a good shift and that I am going to take good care of them. I begin my hands-on

care from the least invasive to the most invasive as carefully and efficiently as possible.

I consider it my duty to provide the most graceful and diligent care I can afford to these

tiny humans who cannot explain their feelings or exhibit patient independence or autonomy. As

such, I uphold the principles of justice by ensuring the best possible care for every baby, no

matter the circumstance. I utilize beneficence as I actively seek to promote a safe and comforting

environment for my patients to heal and rest. I also stand on the principle of non-maleficence by

continuously staying alert and safeguarding against errors and oversights that could cause a

patient to regress or possibly develop a secondary condition.

My nursing journey has been riddled with bouts of self-reflection, a tireless honing of

personal guidelines and philosophy, and the constant reinforcement of responsibility and

accountability for my duties. Evaluating my beliefs, principles, and personal and professional

ambitions only perpetuates the knowledge that I will have a lifelong passion for aiding others

through difficult times. Looking towards the future, I can only strive to become a more sensitive

and intuitive professional healthcare worker. By maintaining my sense of self-improvement and

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thoughtful attentiveness to my patients, I think the future will give way to mastering the art of

nursing care.
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References

Code of Ethics for Nurses. (2017, October 26). ANA. https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-

policy/nursing-excellence/ethics/code-of-ethics-for-nurses/

‌Haddad, L. M., & Geiger, R. A. (2023, August 14). Nursing ethical considerations. Nih.gov;

StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526054/#:~:text=Nurses

%20are%20advocates%20for%20patients,This%20is%20known%20as%20autonomy

‌Sameh Elhabashy, & Abdelgawad, E. M. (2019). The history of nursing profession in ancient

Egyptian society. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 11, 100174–100174.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijans.2019.100174

‌Wayne, G. (2019, September 10). Nursing theories and theorists: The definitive guide for

nurses. Nurseslabs. https://nurseslabs.com/nursing-theories/#google_vignette