!"##$#% '()*+ ,-!./012 ,'32/.

/,'4 5





Personal Philosophy of Nursing
Dani Smith
Dixie State University



,-!./012 ,'32/./,'4 6
Personal Philosophy of Nursing
What does it mean for a nurse to care? To some, caring is the core value that led them to
becoming a nurse. The difference between a nurse who has caring behaviors and a nurse who
does not is what really separates out the extraordinary nurses from the others. An extraordinary
nurse believes the philosophy that everyone is human, and that everyone deserves to be treated
with kindness, love, and respect. Theorist Jean Watson philosophy of caring nursing uses the ten
caritas, which are:
Formation of a humanistic altruistic system of values
Instillation of faith-hope
Cultivation to sensitivity to ones self and to others
Development of a healing-trusting, human caring relationship
Promotion and acceptance of the expression of positive and negative feelings
Systematic use of a creative problem-solving caring process
Promotion of transpersonal teaching-learning
Provision for a supportive, protective and/or corrective mental, physical, societal,
and spiritual environment
Assistance with gratification of human needs
Allowance for existential phenomenological-spiritual forces
Personal Experience

Four years ago this month, my family experienced a tragedy. One of my closest uncles, at
the age of 48, fell on an ice hockey rink & hit his head brutally hard on the ice. He was rushed to
the emergency room, and transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with severe head trauma.
,-!./012 ,'32/./,'4 7
He had a fractures skull and some bleeding. The medical team decided that his intracranial
pressure was too high and that he needed to be in a medically induced coma. Unfortunately when
he had visitors, his pressures would increase too high from the stimulation, so the hospital was
very cautious with visitors. I come from a very large, very close family. We swarmed the waiting
area of that ICU with loved ones and friends, while one or two people would go back to the
room, and sit quietly with my uncle. When walking into his room, many of us got a gut
wrenching shock .This was not our uncle that was fun and happy. Our uncle was covered in
tubes, and monitors, and had bruises and swelling on his face. For many of us this was too
much, and we could not handle being in the room. My uncle was still in a coma the day of
Thanksgiving, and the staff allowed us to all come in and say a family prayer with my uncle. I
know this touch so many hearts of my family. My uncle experienced a stroke three days later,
and was pronounced brain dead. We were then faced with the choice of taking him off life
support, or having him live a life we knew he did not want. His wife and children made the
difficult choice of taking him off life support.
Philosophy

The ICU team was an incredible example of Jean Watsons ten caritas of caring. These
caring standards were not just stopped at my uncle, but were extended out to his loved ones. We
were allowed the time with my uncle to say goodbye, and after his passing they did not rush us at
all. The entire health care team provided us with the sensitive care that we needed. The nurses
were there to comfort the family and grieved with us. With my uncle passing after such an
unexpected accident, this gave us comfort. We still mourned our loved one, and we still were
sad. However, the staff allowed us time to grieve and cry. I will never forget the nurses that
helped not only my uncle, but also my family through this difficult time. We never were told that
,-!./012 ,'32/./,'4 8
all thirty of us sitting area at times, needed to leave. We never were told that we could not visit
his room. We were comforted with great staff there that made his awful accident, a little more
bearable. The nurses made sure my uncle passed away comfortably and surrounded by family.
We as a family were treated by sensitive and caring nurses, who believed in the philosophy that
everyone deserves to be treated with kindness, love, and respect. Some of my family members
were angry at what had happened. The nursing team allowed them to be angry, and allowed them
to vent their feelings to them. We were in an environment that was new to us. No one walked
into his room and expected to see tubes coming out everywhere, and machines beeping all
around him. This was all very new to us. The nurses explained to us what the machines were,
and if a machine beeped, what was happening. The nurses made sure were comfortable in that
ICU room, and felt comfort in knowing what was going on around us. This team of nurses made
it clear to see that they believed that during difficult times like this, sincere caring can greatly
impact the process for the better.
Conclusion

A good nursing philosophy recognizes that treatment of patients, also includes treatment
of the family. Those are all the patients. Illness affects the entire family. Caring behaviors can
make or break a good relationship between the nurse and patient. Without these behaviors such
as treating patients as humans and not just a job, listening to patients and respecting them, being
professional and treating each patient as individuals, patients quality of cares suffers.. The type
of nursing cares provided will be remembered as part of the experience, so I believe that it is
very important for me to treat patients with the golden rule; treat people the way you would like
to be treated.

,-!./012 ,'32/./,'4 9
References
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 72(11), 451-456. Parker, M. E., & Smith, M. C.
(2010). Nursing Theories and Nursing Practice (3rd Edition). Philadelphia, PA, USA: F.
A. Davis. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com