My Nursing: My Personal Philosophy Of Nursing

According to the ANA, it states nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations. (“What is nursing," 2017) Many people may not realize nursing is more than what the definition defines it to be. When the words nursing and philosophy come together it is outlined as the knowledge and or experience of taking care sick, injured, or infirmed people. There are so some many characteristics that a nurse can pose and mold themselves from. These are a few traits that I feel are vital to my philosophy of nursing: accountability, personal
experience, and professionalism. Some nurses focus more on other characteristics but these are imperative to my nursing philosophy. Nurses choose which field that are in based off what they feel comfortable in or what is available at the time they are hired.
Personal experiences help to shape personal beliefs and morals. If someone’s only nursing experience is in corrections or pediatrics, then their way of practicing or nursing is based off of things they have encountered throughout their career and in time it evolves. If a pediatric nurse has never given a TB skin test she may feel uncomfortable if she starts to work at a nursing home and has to give one to new admits on his/her unit. She may also hesitate in asking someone about how to give it. Nursing is forever changing so
that this is why it is crucial for nurses to involve themselves in continuing education and nursing journals to keep them on task and up-to-date with other areas of nursing even though it may not be required by their state to renew their license. Being held accountability may be a something nurses face with many challenging decisions.
A doctor has written an order for a geriatric patient with chronic renal failure for Metformin 4000mg by mouth twice a day. The nurse who will be carrying out the order knows that the maximum dose for Metformin is 2550mg per day but she says to herself that the MD should know this and never questions the MD about it because she is scared that he may yell at her and gives the patient Metformin 4000mg that morning and that evening. The patient is now in the hospital on fighting for his life after receiving an overdose. Who should be held accountable for this negligence? What should be the consequences for the persons involved? We are human beings and human beings will make mistakes but if you have the knowledge that will prevent harm it is that nurse’s obligation and oath to “do no harm.” Even though the MD is the prescriber we are trained professionals as well and the MD should have been notified and if he wanted the order to be carried out after being informed we as nurses have the right to refuse. The state board of nursing have rules and regulation that we must follow so that we may continue to have a license. Accountability requires one to agree to be morally responsible for the aftermath of their actions. We are expected to be held accountable for things that we are assigned to and the consequences that may occur. Making sure that we practice within those guidelines will help
prevent harm and legal issues. Nurses need to remember that they are also responsible for assuring that we are protecting patients. In other situations, we must put our own feelings aside to provide the best care possible It may be times when an upset family member has said some harsh words to you because their mother was taken to a bingo game at 3:08 pm and not 3:00 pm when bingo started or a patient did not get an extra biscuit for breakfast as he desired and now wants to report you to the nursing supervisor. Sometimes you have to find that inner peace within yourself so you will make sure that you say the right words. Staying professional is the most appropriate approach when issues like this arise. When the next day for bingo comes around have the family member’s mother at the 3:00pm bingo game for 2:55pm and for the patient that didn’t get the extra biscuit ask him if there is anything else extra that he would like for lunch and make sure that it is on his tray before he gets it. When circumstances arise, every action does not deserve a reaction. It is okay to maintain your composure in which doing so shows growth and maturity. Florence Nightingale provided the blueprint for nursing and showed willpower to change things for the better. The nurse sculpts his or her own blue print to accommodate their own perception. I will continue to use this an outline while practicing. Being a great and productive nurse is not something that is learned over night it is learned from personal experiences, difficult situations, and time. In my 9 years of being a nurse, I have learned that things take time. Empowering my colleagues to help each in complex situations help to keep the momentum going especially if the day at work is getting to be overwhelming. Maintaining my nursing philosophy reflects my integrity even though it is challenged often. As I matured over time, I now know how to decipher what needs to be addressed and when to address it. Nursing philosophy is interpreted in many different ways and will forever change as nursing continues to evolve and advance. From the personal experience that help shape nurses to being held accountable for the responsibilities that you are assign to; this field is so broad with ideas to help collaborate with other team members to provide the best care for patients. professionalism continues to define mines. I’m appreciative for everything that I’ve been thorough during my nursing career. Sometimes I can feel overwhelmed with certain decisions that I have to make. This field has given me to many opportunities to excel with my career, to bond with strangers, and to become the exceptional nurse that I know I am. I have also decided to continue to further my education but I will keep my personal nursing philosophy as I grow but who knows what the future may hold.