My personal philosophy stems from the life values instilled in me as a child. These values consist of integrity, trustworthiness, connection, and compassion. From childhood, my passion has always been to care and make a positive impact in the lives of others. My personal philosophy is rooted in dignity, service, and evidence based practice. It focuses on the holistic wellness and empowerment of each patient while showing the upmost respect regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, or life choices.
My personal definition of nursing is providing high quality selfless care for the patient with a goal of alleviating suffering and bettering one’s life. Nursing involves so much more than administering medication and caring out orders. Nursing to me is all about the relationship established with patient and understanding their perspective. Being a nurse means being a friend, ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on, and a patient advocate. Essential elements of nursing consist of compassion, maintaining dignity, alertness, attentiveness, competence, responsibility, and respect.
There is an age-old debate regarding if nursing is considered an art or a science. To me it is a beautiful blend of the two. I believe the science aspect comes from years of schooling and medical experience. The art aspect comes from the qualities, values, and beliefs from within the nurse.
Nursing is an art because one must possess the art of discernment, connecting with people, and gaining the trust of others in order to fully fulfil the role. One must possess the art of knowing when to speak up, when to be tough, and when to be sympathetic. The art of coming up with creative ways to uplift patients and families on the most difficult days of their lives. The art of being able to sense when something is wrong and anticipating needs. As a nurse, it is also essential that one masters the art of prioritization, time management and the art of being flexible in varied situations. In the nursing field, one is constantly iterating with diverse populations so the art of being self-reflective and aware of biases is important. Lastly with the nature of the job, the art of active listening, and effective communication between patients, families, and physicians is essential.
Just as much as nursing is an art, I believe it is equally a science. The human body is extremely complex, and a nurse must possess an understanding of anatomy, physiology, biology, chemistry, and psychology to safely deliver care. Nurses should be well versed with medical terms, procedures, medication dosages and side effects. They must also study and thoroughly understand symptoms and precautionary actions to be taken in regard to patient illness. As new research is continually being released, it is the responsibility of the nurse to be aware of the latest best nursing practices.
Health can be defined in numerous ways. In my opinion, the definition of health is more than merely the absence of illness or disease. It is a junction between total mental, spiritual, physical wellbeing and optimal functioning. In order to assist patients in achieving total health, I believe it is important that each patient should be treated as an individual and not a number. As a nurse practitioner, I do not want to be a part of an organization that values the number of patients seen over the quality of care provided
Every person has a different set of values, and experiences. As a provider, I do not believe in using a set treatment for every patient with similar symptoms. I want to develop a personal relationship with my patients in order to create a customized treatment plan that works best with the patient. Along with individualized care I also feel strongly about providing holistic care to each patient. When a patient presents to me with an issue, not only will I address the presenting issue, but I will also investigate the factors contributing to the presenting issue. These other contributing factors may include diet, lifestyle, stress and environment.
The environment in which a person is raised and currently inhabitants has a huge impact on a person’s health and the health of their family. According to The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), maintaining a healthy environment is central to increasing quality of life and years of healthy life. Globally, 23% of all deaths and 26% of deaths among children under age 5 are due to preventable environmental factors (2014). The World Health Organization (WHO), defines environment as all the physical, chemical, and biological factors external to a person, and all the related factors impacting behaviors (n.d). Many factors are to be considered when evaluating a person’s environment such as: are there good schools, are there good jobs in which people can make decent living, are there any grocery stores near, are there safe places to exercise, is it a stressful environment riddled with fast food restaurants and liqueur stores. The health inequities in America are known, and my passion is work in the underserved populations who do not have the same opportunities to be healthy due to the environment. I will work to provide resources and work with legislators to make a change. Because I believe that it is a basic American right for every citizen to have the same opportunities to be healthy and lead a productive life.
My view of person takes into count the mental, spiritual, and physical aspects of being. To be able to get to know each patient to this level requires dedication, and consistency. To think of the person fully, I believe you also must think of the role they play in their family. As a family nurse practitioner, not only am I to provide best care to the patient, but I am to care for the patient’s entire family.
In closing, as an advanced practice nurse, I vow to uphold the ethical standards of the American Nurses Association and my personal values by providing high quality safe care, and maintaining patient privacy and rights. I strive to be a patient advocate, educator, and role model for healthy health practices. I believe each patient should be treated individually and holistically. I consider it an honor and a privilege to be able to care for patients as a nurse and future provider. I will to continuous hold myself accountable to the standards I have set for myself in this paper.