NURSING PHILOSOPHY

This is an excerpt from the paper...

Nursing philosophy, in general, can be defined as a conceptual model or framework providing

a frame of reference for nurses to guide their thinking, observations, interpretations, and
practices (Seedhouse, 2000). My personal philosophy of nursing is Betty Neuman's Health Care
Systems approach (see: Neuman & Fawcett, 2001), which views both the client and the
practice of nursing as systemic in nature. As to the concepts of the nursing metaparadigm,
Neuman and Fawcett (2001) define the client holistically, tie health and well-being to the
holistic nature of the human being, interpolate the environment as comprised of extrinsic and
intrinsic variables, and characterize

the profession of nursing as the facilitation of total wellness or well-being. The purpose of this
paper is to discuss my personal philosophy of nursing and the personal and professional
factors that have contributed to the development of my general views.

Factors Influencing My Personal Philosophy

In my experience with nursing, I have found that the practice requires not only extensive
knowledge but also great flexibility and strong attention to client needs and desires which
means, of course, that better understanding the client can lead to meeting his or her needs in
a more comprehensive way. In my search for guidance for a way to more fully understand the
client, I read many and diverse nursing theories, finding that each offered insight and
assistance