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Philosophy of Nursing Education
Philosophy of Nursing Education
COLLEGE OF NURSING,SPMC
AGH,BIKANER
ASSIGNMENT
ON
PHILOSOPHY OF
NURSING EDUCATION
SUBMITTED ON:-
PHILOSOPHY OF
NURSING EDUCATION
A philosophy of nursing education includes beliefs and values with regard to
the man in general and specifically man as the learner, the teacher, the nurse and the
consumer. It also includes beliefs about health, illness, society, nursing, learning etc.
During the course of time, changes have taken place in the field of education,
health care, socio-cultural aspects, science and technology. There was a need for
change in the existing value systems and beliefs. Changes had taken place in the field
of nursing practice and nursing education also. It was not advisable to adhere to only
one type of philosophy. So it became inevitable for nursing too, to follow the path of
eclecticism, i.e., to draw the best and useful aspects from various educational
philosophies and make one's own philosophy.
1) The Individual has Intrinsic Value and there is Worth Inherent in Human
Life:Each human life has inherent worth and nursing is a service to individuals,to
people, without any distinction between caste or creed, sex or colour, age
orreligion and rich or poor. It is concerned with human welfare. It
acknowledgesthe uniqueness of each individual. It considers health as a human
right. The aimof nursing education is to produce a professional nurse with such a
philosophicaloutlook.
2) Nursing is a Rational Activity:Nursing functions require the exercise ofcritical
thinking, logic and judgements. Nursing is a problem-solving anddecision-malung
process. The nurse is a legally and morally accountableperson.A nursing education
curriculum should include such learning experiences thatwould equip the learner
with skills in problem-solving, decision-malung andcritical thinking.
3) Nursing's Uniqueness is in the Way the basic, social andBiologica1
Sciences are synthesized in Functions that Promote Health:Nursingactions
are based on scientific principles which are drawn from the biopsycho-social
sciences. Any nursing education curriculum should includesubjects like physics,
chemistry, biology, anatomy, physiology, microbiology,' psychology, sociology
and other relevant subjects.
4) The Individual Nurse-Citizen has Some Control Over and Responsibility for
the Political and Social Milieu in which S/he Lives:The nurse is also amember
of the society and a true citizen of the country. As such, he/she hasto have some
active voice in the social, political and legal aspects of thecommunity, especially
with regard to health care matters. The nurse is achange agent as well as a
consumers' advocate and protector. She has to takeactive part in effecting social
changes and she has to speak for the people.One of the important aims of nursing
education is democratic citizenship.
5) Nursing is a Process with a Central Subjective Purpose, an Inherent
Organization or System and Dynamic Creativity:It is an agreed uponbelief
that nursing is a process to attain an end. A process is a series of actionsor
operations to attain an end. Processes have three characteristics. They are:inherent
purpose, internal organization and infinite creativity.
The inherent purpose of nursing is the optimum level of wellness ofhealth for
the individual.
In the case of nursing process, internal organization means the series ofactions
to attain the aim of optimum health of the individual/community.
Infinite creativity in nursing process means the dynamics of evolvinguniquely
more effective and efficient nursing activities for theachievement of the goal of
optimum health.
6) Nursing Functions are Independent, Inter-dependent and
Collaborative;Nursing is a crucial component of multi-disciplinary healthcare
system. The nursing education curriculum should reflect theindependent,
dependent and collaborative positions of the nurse involvingthese respective
functions.
7) Nursing is a Profession and Nursing Practice Must Reflect
Professionalism:This is a much debated issue. One of the aims of
nursingeducation is professional development of the pupil nurse. In order
toaccomplish this aim curriculum should include courses like ethics andstandards
of profession, professional adjustments and research.