Philosophy of Nursing
N314 - Foundational Concepts
N481 - Role Transition
Purpose of Assignment
The purpose of this assignment is to enable the student to rediscover his or her personal philosophy of nursing as it exists upon the completion of the baccalaureate nursing program.
​
Student Approach to Assignment
The backbone of nursing care is one’s personal nursing philosophy. It dictates how a nurse prioritizes, contextualizes, and carries out nursing actions. In looking at my initial nursing philosophy from the start of my nursing education to the philosophy I hold now demonstrates the increased depth of knowledge, perspectives, and experiences I have gained throughout the program. Defining my personal nursing philosophy allowed me to better explore my morals and convictions behind my role as a nursing professional.
Reason for Inclusion of Assignment in this Portfolio
Critical Thinking
-
Uses nursing and other appropriate theories and models to guide professional practice.
-
Example: Within the paper, I described and outlined my nursing assumptions based on three separate nursing theories. Henderson’s Nursing Need Theory describes the nurse’s role as a necessary supplement to enabling a patient to meet their specific needs and encouraging independence. Rogers’ Theory of Unitary Human Beings illustrates that a patient is the sum of both their internal emotional and spiritual components in combination of the external influences of their environment. Watson’s Theory of Human Caring which emphasizes the nurse’s role as a caregiver and the significance of this dependent relationship on the patient.
-
Leadership
-
Articulates the values of the profession and the role of the nurse as a member of the interdisciplinary healthcare team.
-
Example: As one of my nursing assumptions, I emphasized the inevitability of collaboration with other members of the healthcare team when detailing the encouragement towards independence portion of Henderson’s Nursing Need Theory. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, social work and many other specialized professions are integral to ensuring patient progression toward optimal independence. It is a necessity to collaborate with others and be a part of the patient’s support system. Nursing plays a vital role for the patient as we are their main coordinators of care.
-
Culture
-
Integrates knowledge of cultural diversity in performing nursing interventions.
-
Example: This can be seen within this paper when detailing the assumption that a patient is complex. All factors must be considered in planning their care. Emphasis on cultural influences is touched upon in Rogers’ Theory of Unitary Human Beings. More specifically, I explained the importance of asking the patient about their background to determine how it will affect the care they will receive. Considering a patient’s various forms of culture, including ethnic, occupational, and sexually, alters the types of resources necessary in providing patient care both in and out of the hospital.
-