Purpose
           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
          As graduation approaches, it is imperative that I rediscover my philosophy of nursing. By reevaluating my nursing philosophy, I am able to view my growth over the course of nursing school and truly understand the depth of my philosophy. The creation of my philosophy and clear delineation of my values, beliefs, and principles will help guide my nursing practice to ensure that I maintain integrity in my work that is also consistent with professional standards of nursing practice.
    
Reason for Inclusion 
          This assignment is included in my portfolio to demonstrate my growth throughout nursing school and an increased understanding of the nursing profession. It provides direction for how I would want to lead my professional career as a nurse. The following competencies were met in this assignment:

​

• Critical Thinking

  • ​Uses nursing and other appropriate theories and models to guide professional practice.

    • Example: In my paper, I explained my assumptions about the nurse’s various relationships through different nursing theories. In the nurse’s relationship with the client, I utilized Madeleine Leininger’s Transcultural Theory of Nursing.  To discuss the nurse’s relationship with the community, I used Florence Nightingale’s Environmental Theory. Lastly, when explaining the nurse’s relationship with other healthcare professionals, I utilized Imogene M. King’s Theory of Goal-Attainment.

• Teaching

  • Provides relevant and sensitive health education information and counseling to patients, and families, in a variety of situations and settings.

  • Evaluates the efficacy of health promotion and education modalities for use in a variety of settings with diverse populations.

    • Example: When discussing the principle of autonomy, I explained how my Community Health group observed that the Norfolk Drug Court participants had high blood pressure readings. As a result, we tailored our health education and promotion classes for reducing blood pressure. Many of them made the autonomous decision to improve their health, and at the end of our two semesters with the Drug Court participants, we saw a significant decline in blood pressure. This showed us that our health teachings were effective.

 

• Research

  • Applies research-based knowledge from nursing as the basis for culturally sensitive practice.

    • Example: When explaining the relationship between nurses and clients, I stated that nurses should be culturally competent. I supported my assertion with research that claims being culturally considerate can aid in creating suitable nursing interventions and be the difference between a patient’s progress or decline

 

• Leadership

  • ​Articulates the values of the profession and the role of the nurse as a member of the interdisciplinary health care team.

    • ​Example: When discussing my principles, I noted that one principle I had was collaboration. I stated that I had the opportunity to attend “rounds” with an interdisciplinary healthcare team and relay to them that my patient was experiencing intermittent pain. I displayed leadership through collaboration and patient advocacy. Through coordination, we were able to produce a revised plan of care that better suited the current needs of the patient.

    • Example:  I articulated the values of the profession in the assumptions section of the paper. These values include a culturally sensitive nurse-patient relationship, a holistic environmental relationship between the nurse and the community, and the importance of goal-attainment within an interdisciplinary healthcare team. I stated that nurses and others on the team must work towards a common goal to achieve health outcomes. 

• Culture

  • Integrates knowledge of cultural diversity in performing nursing interventions.

    • Example: I used Madeleine Leininger’s Transcultural Theory of Nursing to discuss the relationship I believed nurses should have with their clients. I included that being considerate of a patient’s culture can lead to the creation of suitable nursing interventions that can optimize their experience and healing.