Running Head: AN INTROSPECTIVE VIEW 1

An Introspective View of my Philosophy of Nursing

Lyzette Terman
Old Dominion University
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An Introspective View of my Philosophy of Nursing

I have always felt compelled to help others in need as well as those less fortunate. This

paper afforded me the opportunity to streamline a glide path and fully explore my beliefs and

values as well as fuse the two together to create my personal philosophy of nursing. The purpose

of this paper is to discuss my philosophy of nursing based on the aforementioned, personal

values and beliefs. The key take away I gleaned during the production of this paper was to take

an introspective review and thoroughly reflect on what my values and beliefs are and how they

inherently play a role in my nursing style.

How does the definition of philosophy play a role in my value and beliefs as a nurse? Let

us start with a common understanding of the term; What is philosophy? Per the Oxford Living

Dictionary, philosophy is defined as a theory or attitude that acts as a guiding principle for

behavior (Philosophy, Oxford Living Dictionary, 2017). Therefore, based on the definition one

can surmise that an individual’s unique philosophy directly influences the style of nursing

practice. My personal philosophy of nursing helps guide and identify my nursing career approach

and path. It enables me to be acutely aware of my many limitations, strengths, and motivators.

Additionally, I understand that everyone has their own set of values and beliefs that differ from

my own. Throughout this paper, I will explore my paradigm of the world as I see it through my

lens. Understanding that each person has individual drivers and aptitude I would speculate that

no two papers produced for this assignment will be similar beyond the general guidelines.

Nursing Defined

Per the American Nursing Association (ANA), the definition of nursing is the

“protection, promotion and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury,

facilitation of healing, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human
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response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, groups, communities, and

populations” (American Nurses Association, “What is Nursing?”, 2017). This definition

identifies the role the nurse takes in providing care to individuals and not just their illness. When

evaluating a person, consider their general health, environmental factors, and the type of person

that they are. The list is substantially longer, although, for the sake of brevity I will limit to these

three points. Basically, look at the whole situation as opposed to merely evaluating the limited

illness which brought them in. In my experience, it is best to treat a patient as an individual and

not by their disease. Furthermore, it is best for anyone, to include myself, to generally steer clear

of judging the patient based on their beliefs and values. Being able to identify and set aside these

differences permits me to separate out my own values and focus on the care of the patient

without judgement.

In accordance with the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses, a nurse “practices with

compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth and uniqueness of every individual,

unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of

health problems” (Blais & Hayes, 2016, p. 62). Simply stated, nursing is the compassionate care

of individuals without judgement.

The Purpose of Nursing

Nursing is an ancient profession which to this day, affirms the constant need for

unrestricted care. I believe nursing has a purpose. The principled view of nursing has been

carried through the ages and has evolved into what it is today thanks in part to technology and

the constant array of medical advancements. At the core of the argument there is a necessity to

remember that nursing is still fundamentally similar to what it has always been, care for others.

Today the purpose of nursing is many things. It is being a leader, and educator, an advocator, a
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political advocate and a care provider. These characteristics are key components a nurse must

encompass and take ownership of the values which are presented in this metaparadigm. The

metaparadigm of nursing consists of four concepts: person or client, environment, health and

nursing (Blais & Hayes, 2016, p. 101). The Nursing Code of Ethics serves as a guideline for

nurses across the globe to treat people we encounter with dignity and respect regardless of race,

financial status, social status, beliefs, or disability, again this goes back to the all-inclusive

purpose, to provide compassionate care without judgement. Nursing is an age-old endeavor and

its role has continuously remained defined as caring for the ill and injured.

My Values and Beliefs

To better understand my personal values and beliefs I conducted related exercises which

facilitated in the identification of my nursing philosophy which guides my nursing practice. I

learned more about myself with these exercises and I also came to realize there is no right or

wrong answer. We come from varied cultures, backgrounds, and life experiences which largely

influence individual thinking, values, and belief structure which in turn sets in motion

development of individual philosophy.

Accepting that we are all different, there is an imperative to acknowledge that each of our

patient’s belief system will vary, sometimes drastically. The bottom line is to ensure uniform

care and necessitates humility to be able to identify and respect their individual beliefs. I value

health, education, responsibility, basic human rights and integrity. I believe in integrity or doing

the right thing when no one is looking. I consider it an honor to help others who are less

fortunate. Everyone is entitled to food, clothing, a house over their head and medical care. I

believe nursing is selfless and helping the less fortunate is a privilege. Through promotion of
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health and education, providing a presence during times of grief, compassionate care, and

advocacy I am helping others while I am self-actualizing so it is a symbiotic relationship of sorts.

Guiding Principles for my Nursing Practice

I have been working as a nurse for seven months. My family believed in ensuring we

treated each other with respect and cared for our elders during times of illness. My family taught

me to always show respect and to offer help to those whom are less fortunate. I carry these

values with me as I carry out my profession. In my nursing practice, I have three principles that I

work by. These principles are as follows:

1. Treat everyone with dignity and respect regardless of their status.

2. Continuous education in nephrology nursing and hemodialysis

I treat my patients with dignity and respect without regard to their background, social status,

financial status or disease. They come to the hospital during their weakest and perhaps most

frightening time in their life. I take each patient assignment without even thinking twice. I learn

about my patient and take the time to ensure they have eaten, are comfortable and even have a

warm blanket. These basic needs fall in line with the tenants of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. It

is the basic needs that sometimes makes a difference in someone’s day. Another principle that I

live by is continuous education. As a dialysis nurse, I am constantly interacting with patients

who have been on hemodialysis for countless years and interact with patients who are new to

hemodialysis. It is my duty to increase my knowledge in not only hemodialysis but in

nephrology nursing as it benefits my patients and the care I provide to them. To support an

increase in knowledge, I enlist in continuing education courses specific to dialysis found on the

National Kidney Foundation website as well as read textbooks in nephrology nursing.

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Conclusion

In conclusion, writing this paper gave me the opportunity to personally reflect on my

values and beliefs which, briefly, are health, integrity, education, and basic human rights. I

defined nursing as a profession that continuously provides compassionate care regardless of the

individual’s background. The purpose of nursing was defined as containing many roles to

include; leader, advocator and care provider, to name a few. I successfully identified my own

philosophy of nursing and how those principles that make up my philosophy and guide my

nursing practice. My principles consist of treating everyone with respect and continuing

education specific to dialysis and nephrology nursing. Nursing is truly a calling and in line with

my moral compass affording me an opportunity to give back to society, add value to my

organization, and help those during their time of need.

A Personal Reflection

Writing this paper gave me the opportunity to reflect on my culture and how it plays a

role in the values and beliefs that I carry with me. I learned a lot about myself through this

journey of self-discovery. As a new nurse, I thoroughly appreciated the focus of this paper as it

effects my practice and serves as a reminder that we are all human beings and we are not defined

by how we live or the diseases and illnesses that can afflict us.
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References

American Nurses Association. What is Nursing? (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2017, from

http://www.nursingworld.org/EspeciallyForYou/What-is-Nursing

Blais, K., & Hayes, J. S. (2016). Professional nursing practice: Concepts and perspectives.

Boston, MA: Pearson

Philosophy. (n.d.). Oxford Living Dictionaries. Retrieved March 14, 2017, from

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/philosophy
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Honor Code:

I pledge to support the Honor System of Old Dominion University. I will refrain from any form

of academic dishonesty or deception, such as cheating or plagiarism. I am aware that as a

member of the academic community it is my responsibility to turn in all suspected violations of

the Honor Code. I will report to a hearing if summoned

Signature ________Lyzette Terman_____________________________________

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Personal Philosophy of Nursing Revision Summary Table
APA or grammar error
Example: incorrect font
Title not capitalized and abbreviated,
incorrect font, and the words Running Head
are not included
Title on second page in bold print, comment
T1
Online dictionary resource cited incorrectly
on page two, comment T2
In text citation of direct quote cited
incorrectly on page, comment T3
Punctuation error involving a comma,
comment T4
Third statement too specific and only two
principles are needed for the paper, comment
T5
Specific examples not included regarding
education, comment T6
Last two sentences of the principles paragraph
deleted based on recommendation, comment
T7
The sentence regarding financial gain
weakened the conclusion, comment T8
On references page, the letter C in concept
was not capitalized after the colon, comment
T9
Book title not italicized in reference list,
comment T9
9
Correction made, include APA page
number
Font changed to Times New Roman, p. 228
The words Running Head included, title
abbreviated and capitalized, and font changed
to Times New Roman font size 12, p. 229
Boldface removed from title on second page,
p. 23, 28, 42
In parenthesis, the word being defined,
philosophy, is added along with the name of
the online dictionary and year, p. 170-172
Author name, year and heading added in
parenthesis immediately after the close ended
quotation marks, p. 171 & 172
Comma added after word care which is
between elements, p. 88
Third statement deleted, two required for
paper
Examples were added to inform the reader
how I am increasing knowledge in dialysis
and Nephrology Nursing
Deleted last two sentences of principles
paragraph based on recommendation
The sentences regarding financial gain in
nursing deleted. Instead summarized values
and principles were added accordingly in the
paragraph
Capitalized C in concept, p. 101
Book title italicized, p. 104
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State missing in citation on reference list, State added to citation, p.187

comment T10

Citation missing name of the author, Added American Nurses Association to

comment T11 beginning of citation, p. 183, 184