Philosophy of Nursing
University of Central Florida
My Complete Nursing Philosophy When I consider my what my personal philosophy of nursing is, I reflect upon all I have learned thus far about what a holistic approach to healthcare entails, as well as several professional nursing values which I consider to be priorities when providing nursing care to my clients. With an emphasis on the mind, body and spirit working together as a whole rather than separate parts, the holistic approach to nursing provides the framework for my nursing philosophy that the concepts of person, environment and health are interconnected and all have a lasting impact on one another. Defined, the concept of a “person” means any individual with innate physical and psychological needs (Chitty, 2011). Every individual is considered to be unique, which Chitty (2011) attributes to both genetic and environmental differences in each person. Therefore, from this particular reasoning, we can gather that the concepts of environment and person are interrelated, making this necessary to consider when practicing holistic care. As nurses, we should be considering the type of environment our client is accustomed to and how it influences the care they receive, the beliefs and values they hold and the overall state of health they present with. Health is the third major concept to acknowledge when providing nursing care to our patients because it is largely influenced by the concepts of person and environment. The type of environment our client is exposed to may determine their accessibility to affordable health care and their willingness to adopt lifestyle changes necessary for holistic wellness (Wilkinson & Treas, 2011). In order to provide the best care possible for their clients, nurses should have a strong set of values that govern the way they practice. Chitty (2011) states that, “values evolve as people mature” (p. 294). In addition to the general trend of value maturation, Chitty also claims that the
My Complete Nursing Philosophy When I consider my what my personal philosophy of nursing is, I reflect upon all I have learned thus far about what a holistic approach to healthcare entails, as well as several professional nursing values which I consider to be priorities when providing nursing care to my clients. With an emphasis on the mind, body and spirit working together as a whole rather than separate parts, the holistic approach to nursing provides the framework for my nursing philosophy that the concepts of person, environment and health are interconnected and all have a lasting impact on one another. Defined, the concept of a “person” means any individual with innate physical and psychological needs (Chitty, 2011). Every individual is considered to be unique, which Chitty (2011) attributes to both genetic and environmental differences in each person. Therefore, from this particular reasoning, we can gather that the concepts of environment and person are interrelated, making this necessary to consider when practicing holistic care. As nurses, we should be considering the type of environment our client is accustomed to and how it influences the care they receive, the beliefs and values they hold and the overall state of health they present with. Health is the third major concept to acknowledge when providing nursing care to our patients because it is largely influenced by the concepts of person and environment. The type of environment our client is exposed to may determine their accessibility to affordable health care and their willingness to adopt lifestyle changes necessary for holistic wellness (Wilkinson & Treas, 2011). In order to provide the best care possible for their clients, nurses should have a strong set of values that govern the way they practice. Chitty (2011) states that, “values evolve as people mature” (p. 294). In addition to the general trend of value maturation, Chitty also claims that the
References: Chitty, K. K. (2011). Conceptual and Philosophical Bases of Nursing. In M. Iannuzzi & M. A. Zimmerman (Eds.), Professional Nursing: Concepts & Challenges (pp. 272-302). Maryland Heights, MO: Saunders Elsevier. Wilkinson, J. M., & Treas, L. S. (2011). Fundamentals of Nursing. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company.