My Personal Philosophy of Nursing

Philosophy Revisited in the Nursing Field

As I embark upon the path of becoming a nursing practitioner, I am increasingly aware of the importance of having a core philosophy to define my practice. According to Hall (1996), defining “a personal philosophy of nursing…helped create a template for my education and a framework for teaching and mentoring” (p.326). Elements of Hall (1996)’s personal philosophy included cultural competence, the desire to help people, and a commitment to constant learning. These are all elements of my own personal evolving nurse philosophy. Above all, the core of nursing is treating the whole patient, addressing the components of person, health, environment, and nursing (Nikfarid et al., 2018). A nurse must listen to the patient’s concerns, and then try to do all she can to improve the patient’s health, respecting how health is defined for that person, at the patient’s stage of life and wellness. It is also important to consider the patient’s environment, which may include dimensions such as family support, the patient’s culture, and also socio-economic or personal conditions, which may make it easier or harder to pursue a state of better health.

Nurse practitioners are in unique positions to practice more independently, and critical to my personal philosophy of nursing as a nurse practitioner is to embrace the independence I am given, but also be willing to work with a variety of other providers as part of an interdisciplinary healthcare team. Patients require a variety of providers to attain a state of wellness quite often, including physicians, therapists, assistants, and others. Communicating with the patient, caregivers, and the healthcare team is the best way to optimize resources. On the other hand, nurse practitioners should also feel confident when they are able to be independent and to act as an advocate and a teacher, when this is in the best interests of the patient. As pressures increase for cost savings and efficiency, keeping the personal aspect of nursing becomes all the more vital.