Running head: PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY PAPER

Kristen D. Crewe
Personal Philosophy Paper
NUR 4142: Synthesis for Nursing Practice
October 18, 2016
Dr. Christine Turner
I pledge.

PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY PAPER

Section 1: How do you define nursing?

During my tenure at Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing, my definition of nursing
has evolved and matured. I define nursing as providing safe, evidence based, and quality care for
others that are not able to take care of themselves due to a sickness, diagnosis, surgery, etc. I
could also define nursing as offering self to provide holistic care, which promotes health and
wellness, to patients and their families during their most vulnerable times. In relation to nursing,
providing service to patients entails advocating for their needs with the knowledge of health care
practices and policies. Nursing also goes beyond caring for patients, as well as their families, in a
clinical setting. Nursing includes expanding on principles learned as a nurse generalist. Nursing
education is continuously adapting to current practice and new evidence based practice.
Section 2: How is your personal philosophy reflected in your nursing practice?
My personal philosophy is reflected within my nursing practice each time I encounter a
patient in the clinical setting. My personal nursing philosophy includes practicing safe, quality,
compassionate nursing care, providing patient education and seeking out learning opportunities
to promote nursing education. I ensure that my personal nursing philosophy is upheld in my
nursing practice regardless of patient situations, beliefs or values.
I practice safe, quality, compassionate nursing care during each patient interaction. I
practice safety in my nursing care by following policies and procedures defined by the facility in
which I am practicing. I am aware of how to properly locate current and/or updated policies
within the Bon Secours databases. I always look to experienced colleagues when inquiring about
nursing practices, policies, and procedures I am unsure about. I ensure quality nursing care by
following the plan of care defined by the interdisciplinary team to promote holistic healing. I am

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compassionate in my nursing care by providing patient centered care that allows patients to know
that their needs are being addressed accordingly.
As I grow in my role as a nurse generalist, I take pride in the knowledge and information
I have obtained from nursing education. With each patient interaction, I provide education to the
patient as well as their family. For example, if a patient has a new or worsening diagnosis of
heart failure, I am sure to provide education about the management of heart failure including
daily weights, diet changes, lifestyle changes, and medication management. I am aware that with
thorough and effective patient education, readmission to the hospital can decrease, enabling the
facility to receive financial reimbursements. During my immersion experience on the Coronary
Care Unit at St. Mary's Hospital, I continuously seek out learning opportunities to improve my
skills and expand on my current knowledge. I am aware that nursing includes lifelong learning
and education.
Section 3: Provide an example of a nurse-patient encounter that demonstrates application
of your personal philosophy of nursing.
During immersion under the supervision of my preceptor, I cared for a patient that
qualified for the Code Ice protocol following a cardiac arrest. The purpose of Code Ice is to slow
metabolic processes in the patient with the intent to preserve brain function. Caring for the
patient required several nursing interventions that were timed. To provide safe, quality nursing
care, I located the policy for the Code Ice protocol, followed the care plan defined by the
interdisciplinary team, asked questions and made adjustments to care accordingly. The patient
was sedated, vented and restrained while I care for her. I have learned on several occasions that I
should always interact with the patient regardless of his or her conscious state. I provided

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compassionate patient centered care by informing her of each procedure being performed, using
intentional therapeutic touch and handling her in a gentle manner. Her family was present during
her hospital stay as well. I provided compassionate nursing care to her family by informing and
showing support.
This patient situation was extremely difficult, especially for the family. She (the patient)
required 1:1 nursing care. There was no evidence of learning when providing patient education;
therefore, patient education was mostly directed to the family. I educated the family by
informing, providing reading materials related to the patient situation, consulting appropriate
medical groups (palliative, renal, cardiac, and neurology) and encouraging the family to ask
questions about their loved ones care. There were so many interventions and procedures that I
was unsure of as I cared for this patient. I was sure to locate the Code Ice protocol to prevent
missing any important nursing intervention. I asked many questions to expand my nursing skills,
knowledge and education.
Section 4: How have your values and beliefs chanced since you wrote your original
personal philosophy of nursing paper in NUR 1100?
Since I wrote my original personal philosophy paper in NUR 1100, my values and beliefs
have not changed significantly but I can identify a few changes. However, my values and beliefs
have expanded and exemplify my growth in nursing. After three years in the Bachelor Science of
Nursing program, I expected my values and beliefs to alter since I wrote my original personal
philosophy of nursing paper.
In my original paper, I stated, "I believe that every individual has the right to have high
quality nursing care and the right to make their own decisions about their bodies despite factors

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such as race, class, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc. No one should ever be treated
differently in a healthcare setting because they are different or hold different values and beliefs
than you may have." To elaborate on that statement, including my current nursing philosophy, I
believe that each patient has the right to safe, quality nursing care that embodies respect and
compassion. I believe that patients deserve accurate patient education that will improve their
health, wellness, and decrease the chance of a readmission to a healthcare facility. Lastly, I
believe that providing care to patients involves holistic nursing for the mind, body and spirit.
In my original paper regarding my values, I stated, "I chose to sum them (my values) up
into three terms; I value compassion, flexibility and teamwork. When you have compassion for
those around you and the job that you are doing, you tend to perform a whole lot better than
someone working just for a check. When youre flexible you have the ability to adjust to any
situation at any time. Being a team player and an advocate in a healthcare setting increase the
chances of delivering high quality and efficient care." I still agree with the three values stated,
however, my description of the values has slightly changed. I value compassion by providing
patient centered care that best fits the patients needs. Nursing is always evolving as well as
unpredictable. It is important to maintain flexibility while caring for patients and working with
your team. Lastly, teamwork promotes quality patient care by adequately meeting all patient
needs. Without teamwork, nurses would lack proper resources to complete their job in a safe
manner.
Section 5: Describe Patricia Benners theory: From Novice to Expert or Skill Acquisition in
Using the Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition as her foundation, Patricia Benner
developed her theory, known as From Novice to Expert or Skill Acquisition in Nursing Model.

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The Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition is a theory that describes learning as experimental,
situation-based and that an individual must go through five stages in learning (Benner, 2001).
The five stages of learning span from novice to expert.
Benners nursing theory is not based on how to be a nurse but more so how nurses obtain
skills and knowledge over time (Benner, 2001). She proposed that one could gain knowledge and
skills without ever learning the theory (Benner, 2001). Benners model can be useful in
determining the needs of nurses at different levels of professional growth (Benner, 2001). Her
stages of skill acquisition include novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert
(Benner, 2001). She suggests that expert nurses develop over time through an appropriate
nursing education background as well as several clinical experiences (Benner, 2001).
Section 6: Describe which stage of skill acquisition most accurately represents your current
professional development.
After attending Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing for three years and working
within the health care setting for over four years, I would have to say that advance beginner most
accurately represents my current professional development. I started in nursing school with more
health care experience than most of my peers. It was easier to transition into the nursing role with
prior skills such as time management, proper bedside manner, basic patient care practices and
communication. With the knowledge obtained during lecture and clinical, I am climbing the
professional development ladder. I would not consider myself competent just yet because my
critical thinking skills are still developing. However, as I continue to grow in my career as a
nurse, I know that I competent will eventually most accurately describe my professional
development.

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Section 7: State 3 things you will do to move to the next stage of skill acquisition.
As stated previously, I consider myself to be an advance beginner on the skill acquisition
ladder. As I begin working as a nurse in the clinical setting and gain new experiences, I expect to
advance to the level of competent. In order to advance to the next stage of skill acquisition and
beyond, I am required to and I will actively participate in the new employee orientation on the
unit in which I am hired, identify areas that I need to improve and seek assistance when I am
unsure in the clinical setting. With these steps, I hope that I will be able to proceed to the next
stage of skill acquisition.
As a new graduate nurse, it is required that I complete orientation on the unit that I am
hired. I am aware that regardless of where I am employed and what level of skill acquisition I
possess, I will always be required to complete new employee orientation with every new position
I attain. During orientation, I will form a rapport with my preceptor that is conducive to learning.
I expect that my preceptor will be proficient or above with the proper knowledge and skills to
guide me on the path of professional development. I hope that during this point in my career, as a
new graduate nurse, I can positively build on the clinical foundation that I have.
I think that it is important to know what my strengths are in regards to nursing. However,
in order to reach my full potential, it is imperative to identify the areas that need improvement or
weaknesses. With my peers using constructive criticism, I hope that I will be able to easily
identify my weaknesses. Once I identify my areas that need improvement and adjust accordingly,
I will be well on my way to the next level of skill acquisition.
Lastly, in order to move to the next level of skill acquisition, I will seek assistance from
my peers whenever I am unsure in the clinical setting. I am aware that all of my peers will not be

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experts but each of them is capable of being some type of resource when making clinical
judgements. I have learned from previous experiences that my peers hardly ever mind helping
with critically thinking about patient situations. Asking questions will also build my level of
critical thinking, enabling me to make appropriate clinical judgments.
As I continue on the journey of nursing, I hope to grow with the experiences that will be
attained in the clinical setting. I hope that with all patient interactions, my critical thinking and
clinical judgments will further develop. I am sure that as I grow as a nurse, my individual
personal philosophy will alter. I look forward to becoming an expert nurse and serving as a
resource for others in the clinical setting.

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References

Benner, P. (2001). From novice to expert: Excellence and power in clinical nursing practice
(commermorative ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.