Running head: NURSING PHILOSOPHY DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU

NURSING PHILOSOPHY
CHARLENE DOVER
DELAWARE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE
NURSING PHILOSOPHY: DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM UNDO TO YOU

Nursing Philosophy

I wanted a nursing philosophy that would fit the actual ideals of the nurse that I currently

am and will continue to want to be in the future. To help find a philosophy, I had to review my

beliefs, my values, ethics, everything that has built me into the person and nurse I am today. I do

believe that through this research I have found the philosophy that suites me and encompasses

what I have learned in this class and feel this will be carried with me throughout my nursing

career, and one that will be applicable in every facet of my life… “Do unto others as you would

have them do unto you”. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you means to treat

people the way you would like to be treated yourself. Not every person has the same beliefs

about health, wellness, comfort, or end of life needs. I would want those taking care of me to

know my needs, concerns and beliefs so they can best be met. This is the reason I believe that

“do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is a philosophy I feel I will carry with me

and apply to every facet of life from nursing to health and wellness and all relationships.

Continued Education

Lifelong learning to me as a nurse means continuously seeking knowledge for personal

development and to make myself a better nurse by keeping up to date on treatments, diseases and

cures and options for end of life treatment and care. The healthcare field is ever evolving and

changing. I feel it is important to try and keep up to date, to know what to expect, and to keep

myself educated. This transition course has helped me to realize even more how important my

BSN classes are. Part of the journey of to BSN includes enhancing the knowledge that I already

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have and expanding upon ideas that will be beneficial to my practice. Being committed to

lifelong learning, every week I was given and completed assignments that continued my pursuit

of learning and to help me treat my patient’s how I would want to be treated myself.

Henderson’s Need Theory and Personal Wellness

Virginia Henderson’s Need Theory defined nursing as “The unique function of the nurse

is to assist the individual, sick or well, in the performance of those activities to contributing to

health or its recovery that he would perform unaided if he had this necessary strength, will or

knowledge. And to do this in such a way to help him gain independence as rapidly as possible”

(Vera, 2014).

The Need Theory identified the 14 basic needs of a patient: 1. Breathing normally, 2.

Eating and drinking adequately 3. Eliminating body waste 4. Moving and maintaining positions

5. Sleep and Rest 6. Selecting suitable clothes 7. Maintain normal body temperatures 8. Keeping

the body cleaned and groomed 9. Avoiding dangers and injuring others 10. Communicating with

others in expressing emotions, needs, fears or opinions 11. Worship according to one’s faith 12.

Working in such a way that there is a sense of accomplishment 13. Play or participate in forms of

recreation 14. Learning, discovering or satisfying the curiosity that leads to normal development

and health and using available health facilities. The basic needs components show a holistic

approach that covers physiological, psychological, spiritual and social needs.

A major concept of the need theory is that individuals have basic needs that are a

component of health and require assistance to achieve health and independence or a peaceful

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death. An individual achieves wholeness by maintaining physiological and emotional balance

(Vera, 2014). Additionally, to concede with my philosophy, Henderson stated “the nurse does

for others what they would do for themselves if they had the strength, the will, and the

knowledge”.

Conflict Management and Leadership

Knowing what your personality strengths are can help to enhance your nursing style and

demeanor. In the conflict management assignment and completing the personality quiz, I

discovered that my personality type is the “Defender”. This was of no surprise to me, as I felt it

was quite fitting. The “Defender” is supportive, reliable, patient, enthusiastic, loyal,

hardworking, and has good practical skills. “Defenders” like to put good service and dedication

above all else and can be relied on for their kindness and ability to listen to concerns and find

ways to resolve them. My conflict management style was collaborating. A collaborator puts the

emphasis on the goal and the relationship. They listen and communicate to understand needs and

values. As a nurse in long term care I must be extremely patient. I recall an incident when we

had a new admit, the patient was uncooperative and somber. Upon admission we are to do an

assessment and give the patient a shower/bath. The new admit wanted nothing to do with the

nurse or CNA’s involved. I entered the room, sat down across from the patient, I explained who

I was, and what I needed to do. I explained everything in detail and asked what he had a concern

with. I ended up finding out that the patient was uncomfortable with a woman showering him,

so I was able to arrange for a male CNA to assist with the shower. With being able to have a

male CNA perform the shower the patient agreed to let me to the skin assessment and finish the

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full assessment. By being kind and patient, I was able to solve the problem and collaborate for

both sides to “win”. I feel that this is how I would have wanted to be treated, fitting in my

philosophy “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.

Leadership roles are an inherent role of the registered nurse. Progressing from an LPN to

an RN, the change in roles has become more apparent. When I worked as an LPN, the

responsibility was not as in depth with the expectations as being an RN. As an LPN I had smore

specific tasks i.e.; medication pass, blood glucose checks, specific treatments. As a registered

nurse I am expected to know more, to critically think and more importantly, to lead more. The

expectations of my role are now higher as my education level has raised.

QSEN

Patient centered care, when patients and their families are involved in making decisions

about their care, the focus shifts from “doing to” to “doing with.” When patients and families

are treated as members of the care team, they can become safety allies, and this can even help

prevent errors. Teamwork and collaboration are essential for coordinating complex care

involving all the patient’s health care disciplines. The result of collaboration or teamwork and

those involved should be the same. When a group collaborates, they are working together toward

a shared goal. Everyone in the group has the same vision in mind. Nurses can better navigate

communication when the roles and responsibilities of all the team members is clear. Evidenced

based practice uses current evidence-based standards for care interventions. Healthcare

technology is extremely fast moving, and nurses are expected to know the standards of care that

guide their practice and know which interventions may be high-risk. Nurses need to recognize

when to deviate from standards to consider patient preferences, values, and beliefs within a

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evidence based approach. Nurses who practice from a spirit of inquiry with reflection on care

delivered will use skills in informatics to seek current evidence to determine best practices and

clarify care decisions. Quality improvement uses data to monitor the outcomes of care processes

and use improvement methods to design and test changes. The goals are to always increase

improvement and increase safety and quality of the health care systems. Quality improvement is

a process that involves nurses, physicians, and everyone involved in patient care. In order to

improve care, the entire team must be committed to the same goal. Knowledge and skills related

to quality improvement are essential tools for nurses and they must be used if nurses are to be

effective at leading and implementing change. While the role of nursing is extremely important,

it is essential that all the care providers are working together as a team committed to improving

patient care. It is not enough for a nurse to be well-educated in the technical aspects of nursing

and be well-intentioned in providing good care. Unless there are consistent efforts to measure

and improve care, the system will continue to provide great care in some places and situations,

but then mediocre and even poor care in some of the others.

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is a nursing philosophy that

incorporates principles of spiritualism, Virginia Henderson’s Need Theory, personal wellness,

quality and safety education, and conflict management. This nursing philosophy is my personal

perspective and my contribution to all my patients and to the field of nursing. It has a spiritual,

personal and professional meaning. My philosophy encompasses all that I am and all that I hope

to continue to grow to be in both my personal and professional life.

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References

Petiprin, Alice (2016) Need Theory. Nursing Theory. Retrieved from: http://nursing-
theory.org/theories-and-models/henderson-need-theory.php
Petiprin, Alice (2016) Virginia Henderson- Nursing Theorist. Nursing Theory. Retrieved from:
http://nursing-theory.org/nursing-theorists/Virginia-Henderson.php
Petiprin, Alice (2016) Nursing. Theories and a Philosophy of Nursing. Retrieved from:
http://nursing-theory.org/articles/nursing-theories-and-a-philosophy-of-nursing.php

Qalehsari, M., Khaghanizadeh, M., Ebadi, A. (2017) Lifelong Learning Strategies in Nursing: A
Systemic Review. Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles

Sherwood, G., & Zomorodi, M. (2014). A new mindset for quality and safety: The QSEN
competencies redefine nurses’ roles in practice. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 41(1), 15-
22, 72. Retrieved from http://www.prolibraries.com/anna/?select=session&sessionID=
296

Vera, Matt (2014) Virginia Henderson’s Nursing Need Theory. Nurses Labs. Retrieved from:
https://nurseslabs.com/virginia-hendersons-need-theory.php