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Foundation of Care: My Personal Nursing Philosophy

Matthew Kitto

Department of Nursing, Delaware Technical Community College

NUR300-502: RN to BSN Transition

Mrs. Melissa Banks Bergstrom, RN MSN

April 21st, 2024

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My nursing philosophy is centered on delivering compassionate, patient-centered care

through continuous learning, advocacy, discipline, and empathy, guided by Ida Jean Orlando’s

Deliberative Nursing Process Theory. Orlando emphasizes the importance of a dynamic and

responsive relationship between nurse and patient, explaining that the nurse’s role is to find out

and meet the patient’s immediate need for help (Gonzalo, 2014). As a nurse, I strive to uphold

the essence of nursing that Orlando put forth, which involves a structured yet flexible process

that includes assessing, diagnosing, planning, implementing, and evaluating the needs of the

patient. This cyclical process ensures that the care I provide is continuously adapted to the

evolving needs of the patients, my colleagues, and myself, creating a practice that is equal parts

effective and reflective.

My personal nursing philosophy is guided by the following action statements,

As a nurse, I pledge to:

• Dedicate myself to my role as an advocate and caregiver, a vital part of fulfilling the

overarching purpose of nursing: to support, heal, and educate, thereby promoting a

healthier community.

• Always place the patient’s well-being at the forefront of all my decisions, ensuring

that their needs and well-being guide every action.

• Commit to maintaining discipline, curiosity, and empathy, and allow these traits to

guide my interactions in scenarios ranging from simple to complex, ensuring that my care

is not only technically proficient but also compassionately delivered.

• Treat the patient and family as part of the care team, actively involving them in the

decision-making process to ensure that care is patient-centered and holistic.

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• Strengthen my relationships with patients and colleagues, creating a collaborative

healthcare environment that enhances the quality of care and fosters mutual respect.

• Embark on a journey of lifelong learning and professional development, ensuring

that every action taken is informed by the latest medical knowledge and best practices.

• Participate in community and professional organizations to further enhance my

abilities and contribute meaningfully to nursing and society at large.

• Uphold the highest standards of moral and ethical conduct, ensuring that my

professional actions reflect integrity and respect for the dignity of those I serve.

My role as a nurse is significantly enhanced by a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

education. A bachelor level education not only broadens my career opportunities and potential

compensation but also deepens my knowledge and credibility within the healthcare profession. I

value continuous learning and recognize that a BSN is crucial to upholding this value. A BSN

will provide me with an opportunity to work on critical skills such as communication, conflict

management, critical thinking, using and implementing research, and an overall understanding of

the dynamic nature of healthcare systems. In fact, the knowledge gained through a BSN

education directly enhances patient outcomes, as evidenced by research indicating a correlation

between decreased patient mortality and increased baccalaureate-prepared nurses (Rosseter,

2023). Therefore, my commitment to lifelong learning is not just a professional obligation but a

personal goal to ensure the highest standards of patient care.

After reflecting on my personal values and beliefs about the nursing profession, Ida Jean

Orlando’s Deliberative Nursing Process Theory resonated with me. Orlando’s theory emphasizes

a systematic approach to nursing through its structured yet flexible five stages: assessment,
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diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation (Gonzalo, 2014). This cyclical process

aligns with my commitment to continuously adapt care to meet the evolving needs of patients,

ensuring my practice remains effective. Additionally, Orlando’s theory supports both a holistic

and medical approach to nursing by valuing both subjective patient information and objective

medical data. By balancing medical data with empathetic understanding, I strive to provide every

patient with the best quality care.

Personal wellness is integral to my role as a professional nurse, having a profound

influence on how I care for others. My ability to maintain physical, spiritual, social, emotional,

and intellectual wellness directly impacts my capacity to perform the demanding tasks required

of nursing. By consistently reflecting on my wellness levels, I can optimize my own well-being

along with my patients. Physical wellness will provide me with the stamina and strength required

to endure long shifts and the physical tasks required of patient care. Spiritual wellness will

deepen my sense of purpose, enhancing my dedication to nursing and my own personal values.

Social wellness will assist me in forming a healthy work-life balance, preventing burnout and

building resilience. Emotional wellness will allow me to manage stress and maintain a

compassionate and professional demeanor, crucial for patient and interprofessional interaction.

Lastly, intellectual wellness will guide me in engaging with up-to-date knowledge and evidence-

based practice, ensuring high-quality care is being delivered. Orlando’s Deliberative Nursing

Process Theory highlights the necessity of personal wellness in nursing. The theory states that

nurses must be keen observers and responsive to the expressed and unexpressed needs of

patients, requiring a high level of self-awareness and wellness from the nurse. By ensuring my

own personal wellness, I am better able to engage fully in the nursing process and provide

patient-centered care. Additionally, personal wellness aligns with my personal nursing

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philosophy that focuses on the value of continuous improvement, a key aspect of maintaining

personal wellness.

Having strong conflict management abilities is an important part of being a competent

nurse. My personal values and beliefs about the importance of knowledge, discipline, and

patient-centered care shape my approach to conflict management. My style of conflict

management is primarily strategic and analytical. This approach allows me to address conflicts

methodically, focusing on solutions that contribute to the long-term effectiveness and

cohesiveness of the interdisciplinary team. In professional practice, this style of conflict

management promotes an environment where conflicts are resolved through thoughtful analysis

and clear communication. I believe in addressing conflicts by understanding and analyzing the

root causes, then leveraging the strengths of different team members, an important aspect of

developing strong conflict management skills (Doyle, 2020). By utilizing the strengths of each

team member, conflicts are solved while simultaneously building cohesiveness. I believe it is

important to approach conflict as an opportunity for growth, ultimately creating a supportive

healthcare environment where focus remains on providing the best possible patient care. By

aligning my conflict management strategies with my personal nursing philosophy and Orlando’s

theory, I ensure that my professional actions are consistently aimed at enhancing patient well-

being and collaboration.

The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses Competencies are an important part tool for

establishing quality and safe practice. The QSEN competencies guide my practice by providing a

structured framework for delivering high-quality care. Embracing all six QSEN competencies—

including evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and safety—has been shown to improve

patient outcomes significantly (Hunt, 2012). Safety is a key aspect of my role as a nurse, serving
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as a foundation on which all patient interactions and interventions are implemented. In alignment

with the QSEN competencies, specifically safety, I am dedicated to preventing harm and creating

an environment for myself and others where patient harm is continuously identified and

mitigated. Creating a safety culture ties in with my personal nursing philosophy that emphasizes

the importance of patient-centered care. Patient-centered care, as a core aspect of the QSEN

competencies, ensures that my nursing actions are always aligned with patient preferences,

needs, and values, enhancing the delivery of care (Grand Canyon University, 2021).

Being a nurse means being a leader. As a leader in nursing practice, I prioritize instilling

the importance of continuous improvement, compassion, resilience, and patient-centered care in

others. These qualities ensure that care is delivered at a high level. Additionally, I believe it is

crucial to lead by example. For instance, I do not instruct someone to perform a task if I would

not do it myself or lack the knowledge of how to execute it properly. Additionally, I cannot

advise my colleagues to stay updated with the latest medical knowledge if I am not doing so

myself. I believe it is important to create an environment of ongoing improvement as a leader.

Furthermore, an emphasis on compassion and empathy creates a culture where every team

member feels valued and motivated to contribute to shared goals. Lastly, I believe it is important

to always ensure that my actions and those of others are aligned with the standards of ethical and

moral conduct, reinforcing integrity, which is essential in nursing.

In conclusion, my nursing practice is guided by my personal nursing philosophy and Ida

Jean Orlandos Deliberative Nursing Process Theory. As I progress through my career, I will

remain committed to personal and professional growth, ensuring that every patient I encounter
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receives the highest level of care I can possibly provide. My philosophy of nursing will continue

to evolve as I strive for excellence in patient care.

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References

Doyle, A. (2020, September 17). A List of Conflict Management Skills With Examples. The

Balance. https://www.thebalancemoney.com/conflict-management-skills-2059687

Grand Canyon University. (2021, March 1). Understanding The Importance of QSEN

Competencies. GCU. https://www.gcu.edu/blog/medical-studies-sciences/understanding-

importance-qsen-competencies

Hunt, D. (2012). QSEN competencies. Nursing Made Incredibly Easy!, 10(5), 1–3.

https://doi.org/10.1097/01.nme.0000418040.92006.70

RN, A. G., BSN. (2014, October 21). Ida Jean Orlando: Deliberative Nursing Process Theory.

Nurseslabs. https://nurseslabs.com/ida-jean-orlandos-deliberative-nursing-process-

theory/#h-orlando-s-deliberative-nursing-process-theory

Rosseter, R. (2023, April). The Impact of Education on Nursing Practice. Www.aacnnursing.org;

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-

data/fact-sheets/impact-of-education-on-nursing-practice