The Evolution of Personal Nursing Philosophy

Since commencing my path of formal nursing education, my personal nursing philosophy has evolved, strengthened, and matured. Core theorists such as Magdaleine Leininger and Jean Watson continue to provide the underpinnings of my nursing philosophy, worldview, and outlook on practice. Leininger’s transcultural nursing theory continues to inform my ethical framework when working with diverse patient populations, while Watson’s theory of care underpins my attitudes and beliefs toward what we frequently refer to as the anatomy of care. In four papers produced throughout the RN-BSN program at West Coast University, including one entitled “The Anatomy of Care,” I have demonstrated competencies in all the major areas of the university’s learning outcomes. Reflecting onmy growth as a nurse through the RN-BSN nursing program, I build bridges between theory and practice and shall continue to do so throughout my career.
During the initial development of my personal learning philosophy, I exhibited awareness of diversity among nursing students. When writing about the development of my teaching-learning philosophy, I pointed out the “different perspectives and potential outcomes depending on the learning needs of each student and the overall dynamics that are present in a given learning environment,” (Tabufor, 2017b, p. 1). This early recognition of diversity in nursing education highlights my improved mastery of West Coast University’s learning outcome number 18, which is stated as: “Develop an awareness of patients' as well as healthcare professionals’ spiritual beliefs and values and how those beliefs and values impact health care.” In my early work reflecting on teaching and learning as a nurse, I also referred to Watson’s work on the importance of the learning environment (Tabufor, 2017b, p. 3). In that same assignment, I concluded that the optimal learning environment for nurses means “getting everyone involved,” and I do believe in the importance of a collaborative work environment for nurses in any healthcare setting (Tabufor, 2017, p. 7).
When reflecting on the principles of the anatomy of care, I return to “the skeletal structures” of nursing, which I called “the firm foundations of nursing education and evidence-based practice,” (Tabufor, 2017a, p. 1). Through my work on the anatomy of care, I recognized how “nurses learn about new technologies, and are dedicated to professional and personal development throughout their careers,” (Tabufor, 2017a, p. 1). Similarly, I noted that nurses should remain active leaders and patient advocates as they become “involved in the processes whereby healthcare systems, policies, and institutional procedures and protocols are improved with the outcome of shaping patient outcomes to meet specific organizational goals,” (Tabufor, 2017a, p. 1).
When rewriting my paper on my personal nursing philosophy, I reflected on “additional values as respect for personal choices, compassion towards individuals in need,” (Tabufor, 2017d, p. 1). The meaning of evidence-based practice also became clear throughout my participation in this program, as the “acquisition of knowledge through education is very significant,” (Tabufor, 2017d, p. 1). In that same paper on personal nursing philosophy, I became committed to “offering my nursing services with professionalism, competence, compassion, empathy and high standards of care for the patience to the best of my ability,” (Tabufor 2017d, p. 1).
Finally, as I begin to connect my nurse education with professional nursing practice, the ethics of the profession become increasingly salient, permeating my work. In a paper on the introduction of nursing ethics, I referred again to evidence-based practice as the cornerstone of our profession: “Extensive research also comes in handy, as it gives a wealth of information on new ailments of ways of curbing patient fatality,” (Tabufor, 2017c, p. 2). Nurses have an obligation to provide competent and informed practice, not just with regards to healing the physical body but also “protecting the moral space” of patients, providing “compassionate care,” and “respecting the principles of autonomy, non-malfeasance, justice and beneficence,” (Tabufor, 2017c, p. 1). Combining these four key assignments into a cohesive personal nursing philosophy prepares me for the challenges of our profession and meeting high standards of patient care.



References

“Madeleine Leininger’s Culture Care.” Retrieved online: http://nursing.jbpub.com/sitzman/ch15pdf.pdf
Tabufor, E. (2017a). Anatomy of care. Paper submitted to West Coast University.
Tabufor, E. (2017b). Development of my teaching-learning philosophy. Paper submitted to West Coast University.
Tabufor, E. (2017c). Introduction to ethics. Paper submitted to West Coast University.
Tabufor, E. (2017d). Personal nursing philosophy (rewritten). Paper submitted to West Coast University.