Nursing Philosophy

The advance practice nurse (APN), is a registered nurse who received further
education and training. This role has several components. The advanced practice
nurse has the opportunity and responsibility to impact society in several ways. He/
she is able to hold leadership positions and help to create policies to promote health
not only in the healthcare setting, but in the community as well. By providing
research, the advanced practice nurse helps to share new information in order to
establish and improve best practices and contribute to the profession. The APN can
also affect society and the profession of nursing by becoming an educator and
contributing directly to the future of nursing in the classroom or clinical setting. As a
registered nurse I have seen the importance of ethics in my career and I can only
imagine that importance will grow as an APN. Every decision we make as APNs we
must ensure it is one of integrity.
No matter what component, it is my belief that the advanced practice nurse is
always trained to lead, improving outcomes and eliciting change not only on an
individual patient basis, but at a systems and community level. The APN, especially
in the primary setting, should play a huge part in health promotion, empowering
people with knowledge about their health and well-being, allowing them to take
charge of their health and therefore putting more emphasis on primary care as a
opposed to treatment. It will be our responsibility to educate the nursing
community and friends of the nursing community on ways to help produce and
support legislation that we agree with. Society views nursing as a very trustworthy
profession. As an APN we are given even more responsibility and more trust that
should not be taken for granted but upheld.
Nursing as a profession has historically met the challenge of being defined
apart from any other profession as it incorporates different disciplines such as
medicine and psychology. This challenge has also manifested when trying to
compose my own nursing philosophy. I often have to ask my self, as a nurse
practitioner, how will I be different from a physicians assistant or a physician?.
The nurse practitioner has the unique advantage of patient care experience and
training in not only treating a disease, but a patient holistically. On the other hand,
as opposed to the registered nurse, the nurse practitioner is called upon to use
assessment skills and diagnostics to make medical diagnoses in order to serve and
treat patients. While holding true to the primary principals we learn as an
undergraduate nurse, the APN is able to exercise the full potential this profession
has to offer, impacting legislation and even the future of healthcare on a bigger scale
than the Registered Nurse. For example, the APN has the opportunity to gain
leadership roles within healthcare systems and are able to ensure integrity within
those organizations.
With recent passage of healthcare reform there will be an increased need for
the advanced practice nurse. As more and more advanced practice nurses are used
and recognized in society, I feel the profession, its specialties, responsibilities and
standardizations will continue to be clarified and expounded upon. Simultaneously,
as I continue my graduate study and career as an APN, Im sure my philosophy with
be clarified and expounded upon as well.