Examples Of Nursing Philosophy

Nursing Philosophy Around the world today, there are various activities that serve as points of interest to many individuals. There are those who take it upon themselves to invest their time, energy, and resources into numerous pursuits that can range from religion to botany. In time, these points of interest develop even further and become sources that fuel individuals to develop ideas and principles about them. These ideas and principles become guidelines for those who are old and new to the realm of a specific interest and set standards that convey how to practice and incorporate them into someone’s everyday life. Yet, it is important that each individual develop a philosophy, or personal ideology, that not only gives meaning to their
interests, but also has the possibility of having an even greater impact on their views and interpretation. One area that could be taken into consideration is that of nursing. Nursing is a well-known profession that is practiced by countless amounts of characters from diverse ages and backgrounds who walk different scopes of life. According to the Jacksonville University School of Nursing Philosophy, such dissimilarities should be valued and incorporated into the nursing practice. Although “scholarly inquiry, clinical excellence, leadership, and health and education technology” are emphasized throughout the nursing program, everything centers on the caring and the active pursuit of knowledge that the student nurses must veer their pliable minds toward (Jacksonville University, 2012, paragraph 1-4). Focusing in on the aspect of caring, caring is essential in all stages of nursing starting from the education a nurse receives and ends with the actual practice the nurse implements.
In other words, not only does it take the care and consideration of a nursing school’s faculty to mold a person, but it also takes into account the individual’s ability to have compassion about the well-being of others. One fundamental truth about nursing as a profession is that it focuses on the care and prospective recovery of people who are not in the position to act alone (Kirwan, 2014). That is why one statement that can be ascertained at this point is that one cannot be a nurse and not have the ability to care for
people. One well known nursing theorist, Milton Mayeroff, developed a theory on caring in nursing that is taken into serious contemplation by many. This theory takes into account essential elements that are vital for each person to acquire in order to effectively practice nursing with caring for others as the ultimate outcome. Some elements include “knowing, alternating rhythms, patience, honesty, trust, humility, hope, and courage” (Bailey, 2009). Each of these elements goes and travels around in a circle, so to speak, but eventually it all comes back to the founding principle of caring. Truly, if a person strives to develop these highly regarded qualities they will be able to find a sense of joy in helping others to reach their fullest health driven potential. According to the International Journal for Human Caring, another theory that can be taken into consideration is that of the theoretic outline developed by Anne Boykin and Savina Schoenhofer (Bailey, 2009).
In their theory “Nursing as Caring,” they delve into the characteristic and moral traits that are needed for a positive relationship to develop between a nurse and a client. Another part of this relationship is the nurse’s ability to walk in the shoes of their patient and be able to “come to know the other [individual as someone who is not only alive, but also a person that has the ability to express] personal dreams and aspirations [for their growth and care. For it is in that] ‘coming to know,’ that the nurse is able to offer a straightforward invitation to the other to ‘express calls for nursing, calls for caring in relation to that which matters to the patient’” (Bailey,
2009). One vital aspect of the nurse and patient relationship is the ability of the nurse to care enough about whether or not they are gaining the trust of their patient. Trust is a very tender seed that the nurse must water and help grow. Such growth in trust can be further opened by the nurse sharing bits about themselves that the patient can connect with which will further enhance the budding relationship (Dinç, 2013). Other items that a nurse can do in order to facilitate a trusting and thus caring relationship, is the nurses ability to communicate with their client. Nurses must be able to care that they are reaching out to their patient on a level that reaches their level of comprehension and understanding. The nurse should be able to put their patient at ease with their ability to know their needs, but without compromising their morals (Dinç, 2013). In conclusion, nursing goes hand in hand with the art of caring. It can be said that being a nurse involves giving of oneself in the sense that one has to give up time, energy, and resources in order to “nurse” an afflicted individual. Yet, it can prove to be a challenge if a person is unable to care about others. This caring must be more than surface caring but must probe deeper into acknowledging exactly who the person is behind the illness and gaining the trust of such an individual. Whether it is a child or adult, a nurse has to care because that is what brings about positive outcomes. A nurse has to care because nursing is caring.