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Philosophy of Nursing
Katlyn Romero
“I have neither given nor received aid, other than acknowledged, on this assignment or test, nor
Nurses must have certain qualities in order to offer the best care to their patients. The first
step to this is being self-aware; this self-awareness can be achieved when one is able to identify
their personal values and beliefs. I have reflected on my values and beliefs to create my personal
philosophy of nursing. This paper will discuss what this philosophy is, my personal experiences,
Nursing Defined
The tenets of our program’s philosophy statement include nursing, nursing education,
caring, health, and service. When I think of how I define nursing personally, I believe these
topics form the foundation of nursing. My definition of nursing has been created over my years
in nursing school. Each experience I have had has influenced how I view this profession.
Nursing is a profession that provides patients compassionate care and support. Personally, I
believe nursing is defined as promoting healing in all aspects through the use of therapeutic
interventions. I will address the tenets of nursing, caring, and health in relation to my personal
definition of nursing.
Nursing
The first tenet, nursing, focuses on the importance of collaboration, learning, and
creativity. Evidence-based practice is also vital; this is what therapeutic interventions are based
upon. The interventions we offer as nurses must be backed by research in order to optimize
healing and safety. Creativity is necessary in order to maintain flexibility and excel in problem
solving. In nursing, learning is something that must be sought out to offer quality care.
Caring
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compassionate care is core to the profession of nursing. This tenet emphasizes the application of
safe nursing interventions to meet realistic outcomes, as well as holistic care. My definition, to
offer healing in all aspects, is achieved through the use of holistic care. My program of nursing
Health
The tenet of health describes the ultimate goal for our patients. Health is a self-defined
definition, as it is unique to each patient and their needs. Those that are ill or dying can all
achieve health. This also ties into the use of holistic care. We must care for the patient as a
whole, not simply their illness. Holistic care includes the mind, body, and spirit.
care and healing are things I strive towards in my interactions with patients. My therapeutic
interventions are evidence-based and tailored specifically for each patient. I recognize the
importance of a specialized care plan formed to the individual needs that a patient may have. In
compassion by practicing empathy; I try to look at things from the patients’ perspective. In order
to care for others, I also practice self-care to remain present. Practicing presence and empathy
takes energy; by ensuring I get enough sleep and maintain my own health I can offer these things
to my patients.
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them maintain their autonomy and providing education. Nurses are educators in addition to their
other responsibilities. By educating patients we help them take ownership of their health, which
in turn can increase compliance with medications and other interventions. Empowering patients
can have their specific needs met. As a nursing student, I have worked continuously on
improving my practice. I am sure this will continue to evolve as I progress through my career.
Example Encounter
During my time in clinical I have had many patient encounters that helped to form and
solidify my personal philosophy of nursing. One specific example occurred during my pediatrics
rotation. I was caring for a young patient with a behavioral disorder; the patient’s mother was
also present. This was my first experience caring for a pediatric patient, and I was nervous at the
prospect of a parent being present during care. During my initial assessment I worked on
establishing a trusting relationship with both my patient and her mother. Through this I was able
to identify certain needs related to my patient’s developmental stage and education opportunities.
My patient was a school-aged child with high energy. I interacted with her in an
individualized way by making a “game” out of certain activities. I let her participate in her care
as appropriate as well. For example, I let her take her own temperature, take off her own blood
pressure cuff, and choose her own snacks. The latter was especially important, as she had been
refusing to eat. Offering choices enabled her to feel a sense of control and empowerment. All of
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these things kept her engaged; children in the industry vs. inferiority stage need to feel involved
and active.
After developing a trusting relationship with the mother, she expressed a lack of support
system and feelings of being overwhelmed. I used therapeutic listening and presence to show
empathy and compassionate care. With this knowledge, I offered to stay in the room and play
with my patient while she could leave for lunch. Such a simple task allowed her the respite that
she needed. Before I left for the day, she thanked me for all that I did with her and her daughter.
This experience illustrated to me perfectly what compassionate care is all about. Every
step of care that I planned out helped me successfully care for my patient and her mother. I used
therapeutic interventions that were evidence-based and unique to my patient. I also practiced
empathy and creativity in this specific situation. I would say this is just one of many encounters
At the start of my nursing school career, my values and beliefs centered on equality,
empathy, holistic care, and education. In my previous philosophy of nursing I also stated the
importance of collaboration and freedom of choice. My values and beliefs have not changed
through school; they have simply been reinforced by my experiences. I now have more clinical
experience to base my beliefs off of. This has created a better understanding of what my role is
as a nurse. These fundamentals have remained important to me over the past three years.
Skill Acquisition
According to the Benner’s application of the Dreyfus Model to nursing, there are
different skill levels at which a nurse can be (Benner, 2001). The progression goes from novice,
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knowledge and skilled performance as a clinical nurse characterizes each level. In order to
identify one’s level of proficiency, one must first understand what defines the levels.
Novice is the first stage at which nursing students “enter a new clinical area” (Benner,
2001, pg. 21). The skills of a novice nurse are limited and they have little to not experience.
Basic skills are taught and rules guide most actions. The next stage is advanced beginner; these
nurses or nursing students have real situation experiences gained from the hospital (Benner,
2001). The advanced beginner can start to improve on assessment skills and recognition of
important signs. Following advanced beginner is competent. Competence is reached once the
nurse can develop long-term goals think further in the future about her patients’ care. For
Once decision-making and time management improves one can move into the proficient
stage. Proficiency can be exemplified by the “experience-based ability to recognize when the
expected normal picture does not materialize” (Benner, 2001, pg. 29). The final stage is expert.
Expert nurses are described as “fluid and flexible” and do not rely as much on rules as much as
the previous stages (Benner, 2001, pg. 34). An expert nurse is more comfortable using their own
Based on the definition of each skill level, I identify most with the advanced beginner. I
began at the novice stage when I first entered nursing school and progressed through my clinical
rotations. I then progressed to the advanced beginner with my experience in different clinical
sites and simulations. I have had two and half years of clinical, which have allowed me to learn
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from real life situations. I would say I have not reached the competent stage because I have not
been on a job for two to three years. I have not had the opportunity to be in a similar situation
According to Benner’s theory, the new graduate nurse is in the advanced beginner stage
(Benner, 2001, pg. 23). We require specific instructions and guidance from a preceptor.
Prioritization is a skill that is being developed, and is by no means something I have mastered at
this stage. My time management skills are also a big learning opportunity. When there are
multiple acute patients, I still consult my preceptor when it comes to prioritization. My preceptor
is a great resource for any questions I have. I feel once I begin my career I will be able to
improve on these aspects of nursing and work on progressing to the competent stage.
In order to improve and progress to the next level, competent, I will take certain actions.
common goal for new graduate nurses in order to identify changes in patient status and acuity
(Benner, 2001, pg. 22). I believe this skill is essential to offering quality care. I must be able to
recognize any worsening condition or emergency situation. This also will help me improve my
Another action I will take to move towards competence is to be proactive and practice as
many hands on skills as I can. I need to seek out new opportunities to learn and become more
confident in the clinical setting. A characteristic of the competent stage is more experience and
built into most orientation programs, I also am striving to participate in committees and other
professional meetings to increase my knowledge base. There is very valuable knowledge that is
taught in these environments and it will be helpful for me to draw on when I am practicing as a
registered nurse.
All of these efforts will aid me in increasing my practical knowledge. I have learned the
theoretical piece in my lectures and written assignments. However, the greatest amount of
learning I will now go through will be real world experience. If I can get to the point where I feel
comfortable referencing my experiential knowledge and connect them to present situations I will
Conclusion
believe compassionate, holistic care is our responsibility in order to facilitate healing. This care
must be evidence-based to ensure patient safety. My experiences over the years in nursing
school have formed my values and beliefs in this area. I hope to progress from advanced
beginner to competent as I graduate and begin my new career. Nursing is a profession in which
you are constantly learning new things every day. It is my intention to offer the best care I can to
my patients; furthering my education on a day-to-day basis and seeking out more experiences is
how I will achieve this. I believe as I gain this experience I will increase in my confidence,
References
Benner, P. (2001). From novice to expert: Excellence and power in clinical nursing practice