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Professional Nursing Philosophy Paper

Sophia Jutzi Beris

Nursing Department, Delaware Technical Community College

NUR 300-502 RN to BSN Transition

Mrs Melissa Banks Bergstrom RN MSN

21 April 2024
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My personal nursing philosophy revolves around the respect of the individuals, their

beliefs, and cultural practices, as I care for them. Myself of diverse ethnic background, I have

the firsthand experience of two different ethnic cultures I belong to, Greek and Swiss. I

understand about ethnic traditions and their importance, their role in influencing illness and

attitudes on healing, chronic illness, and death. In a time of population changes in the United

States with an influx of new immigrants and an increase of cultural diversity, the needs of the

population seem to change. My nursing philosophy, as influenced by Madelein Leininger,

revolves around the respect of the person’s or the group’s cultural practices, beliefs, while

caring for them. In respecting the “center principles for the application of caring, diversity,

excellence, use of ethics, excellence, holism and patient centeredness” as identified by the

National League of Nurses, and of “altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity and social

justice” as essential by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (Masters, 2023), my

aim is to provide patient centered care for everyone. Technology, or its lack, social, spiritual

factors, cultural values and beliefs, local biological factors, local, political, legal, and

economic factors and of course education or its lack, can change the delivery of health care

(McFarland, 2019). My practical attitude is to get to know the patients, their families and

their cultures, convictions, customs, and respect and honor them. According to Mc Farland

(2019) “that culture care revolves around preservation and maintenance of beneficial care

beliefs and values to face disability, illness, dying or death”. While practicing those values I

also aim to discover and change health inequalities as needed.

Patient autonomy is of major importance to me. The patient should be the one deciding

what is best for himself when he has full knowledge of the condition of his health. When a

patient has a different culture and background than the nurse, there may be difficulties in

decision making. The healthcare professionals have the duty to educate him on his health and

provide him with all elements that are needed for him to make those decisions. The nurse

comes to support the patient in that effort. Understanding how to better approach, explain,
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decipher how the care and treatment is, takes lot of effort in that case. Finding the right

resources for the health care team, including the nurse, to learn, understand and act in a way

that is helpful and meaningful to the patient is essential, as is to observe the patient’s values in

a way that is sensitive and respectful to deliver the best care possibly offered. Without

imposing the Western type of medical practice, I want to stay respectful to the traditions and

practices of the patient’s culture, while acting with beneficence, and without causing any

harm.

Curiosity and a strong drive for learning describe me for any subject, and especially in the

field of nursing. Lifelong learning for me is a continuum. Nowadays this is completed to a big

extent with the use of technology that facilitates it, as information with the use of technology

is a click away, and learning today using technology applications is the norm. Opportunities

for learning can be discovered every day, especially in a big hospital working with a variety

of patients. I really enjoy this learning challenge with every chance in that hospital setting.

The implementation of new evidence-based practices and adapting to those new practices is

important to provide the best care possible. Keeping up with technology use in nursing seems

paramount to me. Having a Bachelor of Science in Nursing level of education is

recommended to work in magnet level hospitals as that level of nursing training improves

patients’ outcomes. Completing that education also gives more possibilities for carrier

advancement in a specialty or in the management side of nursing. For me, it is also a matter of

personal satisfaction to complete my Bachelor Science of Nursing level of education and to be

a positive example of resilience for my children, to set goals in life and work towards them. I

started my education in the United States later in life and had to retake courses completed

initially in a different language and country. As other immigrants, I had to face myself
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obstacles, educational for my case in my personal growth, as my previous degree was from

abroad and completed a long time ago. With the courses followed during my studies I learned

about health and disease from birth to death and caring, under the lens of psychology, human

development, statistics, and their applications. Also, while studying history, I realized about

the importance of identifying any biases in respect to race, gender, cultural and ethnic

background as those are still used to discriminate against others today. I also learned about

different culture elements that I would otherwise ignore, especially in regards with gender

definition and sexual orientation. I also learned about wellness and about the influence of the

environment on genes.

Personal wellness is an aspect of care as well. For nurses, it is important to first take care

of ourselves. It is difficult to take care of others if one is not well. An aspect of it is to be

physically well. For that, a healthy diet, good sleeping habits, getting preventive medicine

checks and to implement changes and treatments as needed is recommended. It is important if

one’s family can also get involved, as in that case everyone gets that benefit, and the work is

then lighter. Also incorporating some form of exercise in daily life is helpful. In my case, this

is combined as a hobby, as I enjoy gardening. I start in the fall, cleaning leaves, planning

bulbs and early spring cleaning, mulching, planting. I tend to my flower beds and my

vegetable garden throughout the season until late fall. Some years when that worked well, I

produced an abundance of veggies to last my family until November. Another aspect of

wellness is to engage in social activities. With my family we love to go on long walks and

hikes in nearby state parks and often with our friends. We also have a dog. Our dog is a

constant source of enjoyment and a wonderful stress relief for us all. Being part of a faith
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community is of importance to me, as is developing a network of friends. Through all that, I

stay connected with individuals, who in addition to my family are meaningful to me. Setting

priorities in wellness is of importance. I believe that taking care of us first is necessary and

putting time aside for reflection, reading, meditation and exercise is important for feeling

well. Of course, for every different cultural or ethnic background, that might be experienced

in a different way. In some cultures, like the Chinese or Japanese, those are a way of life. For

me, connecting with others, either through in person interactions or even through calls, or use

of social media is always a source of enjoyment. Wellness is after all a continuum, we need

to keep trying, and developing good habits about it is important.

Conflict management is part of working as a nurse, interactions while working are

constant and opinions and attitudes can get different. Conflict in the workplace but also in

life, is something unavoidable. In case the conflict involves me directly, I try to collaborate as

possible, and am flexible to be accommodating and that would depend on the situation and

what can be involved. When the dispute is around the treatment and medication

administration or a patient, I will not compromise until the other party, usually the provider

works with me to address the problem as safety should go first. To better understand how one

can respond and help improve having control over a conflict, it is possible to measure one’s

conflict resolution kind, using specific tools, like the IREM self-assessment. For me, when

conflict arises, I usually have a collaborative attitude and try to understand and explain what

the right approach can be and am open to learning also new ones.

I find that everyone must be heard and understood, and especially the patient. The

patient and his wishes regarding his care should be driving all care provided. When the patient
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is of a different culture, language, tradition, or culture, faith tradition, or orientation, there is

the risk that some care professionals might dismiss the patient’s wishes about his care. The

nurse’s role is there, especially more important, to help understand, learn about the possible

difference in needs and get familiar with how they might be presented and work with the

patient, help and advocate for the patient and his needs. Also, it is important for the nurse to

feel confident to communicate in clarity with the providers and using a standardized format.

The nurse is the one who is at the bedside all the time and who will be the first to notice

changes in the patient ‘s clinical status to be addressed. To present any new need with clarity

to the provider, with a direct approach, is very important. The nurse is then a valuable

collaborator alongside the provider to give the best care possible. The nurse works close with

the responsible charge nurse to address problems, and the chain of command can then be used

as indicated. What can create conflict often is the staffing ratios. Also, the assignment of

charges that one person cannot accomplish alone. Caring for a patient is a group effort, it is

physically impossible at times to complete all on our own. It is important for the nurse to feel

confident to use the chain of command when not heard at the unit level regarding safety. The

assistive personnel are there to help, but the ultimate responsibility falls on the nurse. To

prevent errors from happening, the creation of care protocols should be used, like in a post-

surgery hospitalization. The creation and re-enforcement of clear practice guidelines can help

prevent errors. Both the medical and nursing teams then have a map to work with. In addition,

collaboration when using an established protocol, is facilitated. Regarding safety improvements

in care, automated systems have been implemented now, using Informatics, that can alarm the

medical and nursing teams. As Wu et al. (2021) note in their article on the use of NEWS, The

National Early Warning Score, is an early warning system that predicts clinical deterioration.
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The use of this system was shown in their study to significantly decrease the development of

severe adverse events. The use of the electronic patient record is very helpful also at its base, as

all documentation is available for whoever is at the bedside, or from a distance like with the use

of telemedicine. Also, to improve safety, the nurse is able, if needed, to activate herself an acute

service delivery capability, like in the form of a Rapid Response Team. In that way, an acute care

team comes to the bedside fast, without even at times going through the provider. As Walco et al.

(2021) write, Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) are used postoperatively as well and help decrease

in hospital mortality especially when started earlier in time, with the first signs of deterioration.

To collaborate well within a team, communication channels need to be open. Also, the

roles a nurse fills can be fluid, or shift. This will really depend on the availability of personnel

and the patient’s or unit needs. Thus, it is important to have an open mind and not to be surprised

when things rapidly change for any reason. The leader of the team is our ally to serve the patients

well and to have a unit that functions well. It is important for the team members to create bonds,

so the team can function with some equilibrium. And when needed, one can also take the lead,

depending on the situation.

Studying to complete the Bachelor of Science in Nursing is only a first step in

continuing a nurse’s education. Joining a professional organization like ANA (American

Nurses’ Association) is a next step that I took. ANA offers free continuing education,

discounts for certifications, useful study modules, a career center,and nursing publications

included with the membership. It also helps with opportunities for mentoring, local

networking, and job opportunities. I am now also licensed in Pennsylvania in addition to

Delaware, and have looked into the mandatory continuing education needed in order to
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maintain my licenses and will develop a plan to complete that early. Soon, I will also initiate

my effort to be tested to become a certified provider that is authorized to use the French and

Greek language in the nursing practice. That will give me an edge in applying in practice

patient centered care with the cultural element in the center. Also, I want to explore what

possibilities can be available for a master’s level education. I like the bedside and I find that

mentoring others to learn at the bedside is something I could be good at. In that way, I can

also give back, as myself was taught by other nurse educators.

Completing a Bacher of Science in Nursing, starting with this introductory class, is the

continuation of my effort to become a nurse, after my children have grown older. It is

demanding for me, as in parallel I work full time. I am also using English, that is not my

primary, native language and that can be time consuming for me, as I doublecheck at times to

be sure for comprehending what is requested of me. Despite the obstacles in the way, I

understand the importance of completing this effort, and I aspire to take this as an opportunity

to be better equipped in my nursing practice, and to grow as a nurse and as a person.

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References:
Code of Ethics for Nurses, with Interpretative Statements, ANA, e-book, 2015

Masters, K.(2023). Role Development in Professional Nursing Practice (sixth edition).Burlington,

MA: Jones &Barlett

McFarland MR, Wehbe-Alamah HB. Leininger’s Theory of Culture Care Diversity and

Universality: An Overview With a Historical Retrospective and a View Toward the

Future. Journal of Transcultural Nursing. 2019;30(6):540-557.

doi:10.1177/1043659619867134

Test your personality (April 9,2024). Retrieved from https://www.16personalities.com

Walco JP, Mueller DA, Lakha S, Weavind LM, Clifton JC, Freundlich RE. Etiology and Timing of

Postoperative Rapid Response Team Activations. J Med Syst. 2021 Jul 14;45(8):82. doi:

10.1007/s10916-021-01754-3. PMID: 34263364; PMCID: PMC8341203.

Wu CL, Kuo CT, Shih SJ, Chen JC, Lo YC, Yu HH, Huang MD, Sheu WH, Liu SA. Implementation of

an Electronic National Early Warning System to Decrease Clinical Deterioration in Hospitalized

Patients at a Tertiary Medical Center. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Apr 25;18(9):4550.

doi: 10.3390/ijerph18094550. PMID: 33922991; PMCID: PMC8123282.