Personal Nursing Philosophy: Impact on Patient Care and Ethical Values

This essay delves into the significance of nursing philosophy in shaping patient care approaches. It highlights core nursing values such as humanity, integrity, dignity, and social justice, emphasizing the importance of compassionate care and ethical considerations in nursing practice. The author reflects on personal experiences and the evolution of their nursing philosophy, drawing from theories like Nightingale's and Watson's to underscore the need for holistic and individualized patient care. While acknowledging the benefits of Watson's theory in promoting mental and emotional well-being, the essay also addresses its limitations in certain clinical settings, advocating for a flexible framework that integrates scientific evidence and practical experience to ensure optimal patient outcomes. The essay concludes by affirming the crucial role of nursing philosophies in guiding interventions and fostering a caring and compassionate approach to nursing.

Running head: Nursing philosophy
Nursing philosophy
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Authors note:

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` The philosophy of nursing is a statement that states the nursing values or ethics
through which nurses provide care to their patient. The core nursing value takes into account
many factors like humanity, integrity, dignity and social justice. These values are integrated
in nurses when they take care for their patients. In nursing caring is an important aspect of
providing treatment to the people caring can be best demonstrate by the nursing philosophy
and values (Adams, 2016). Carefully integrated values are helpful in forming a nursing
framework and efficient clinical practice. Nurses are required to be caring and the principle
of the philosophies further strengthen nursing work force. A personal philosophy must reflect
on personal beliefs and thoughts that would make difference in nursing activity. It is
important to follow a principle as they help in guiding through the nursing practice.
There are many philosophies of nursing like Nightingale philosophy of nursing. This
philosophy reflects on the safe environment for better treatment to the patients. She claimed
that the essence of nursing lied in the capacity of nurse by providing care. This influence of
humanism in nursing is essential in today’s complex life and strongly holds the value of
nursing and caring (Alligood, 2017). According to Florence Nightingale, a nurse should
provide care for a patient with sensitive and humane care. The clients treatment must be
ensured by resolving their problem in natural process. In this nursing philosophy, ethical and
moral values are given importance and does not allow imposing values on others. I also
believe that while caring for a patient nurses must provide care based on the sensitivity of the
patient. Nurses encounters different patient with different ailments and different mind-set
(Holmes, 2016). There is a need of more compassionate care in some situation. The essence
of nursing rests in this ability to provide care based on the needs. This philosophy allows
fluidity in nursing believes. Scientific and technological advances is also considered in this
philosophy and learnings.

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Nursing philosophy is important in nursing activity to critically think and reflect those
ideas in the practice of wellbeing. My personal feeling of nursing gives importance to
commitment to public service and nursing care. Nursing philosophies help in pursuing the
desire to help the needy. Patient care must be individualised and depend on patients need of
care. I discovered my nursing philosophy in my initial posting as nurse. Nursing philosophies
are taught during training but it is during the time of nursing that we understand the need of
personal philosophies. My nursing philosophy is based on more humane care to the patient
and provide holistic approach to the treatment (Grove, 2019). My current philosophy is
different from the time I first joined. My nursing philosophy evolved with passing time and
experience. Humanism philosophy helped me to build a nursing framework and strong
foundation to my prospective. Nursing responsibility broadens with responsibility of patient
care and the value of interconnectedness becomes crucial. From my personal experience, I
encourage other nurses also to build a personal philosophy, which would guide them in
nursing activities. There is a need to have personal reflection while choosing a framework to
ensure efficacy in nursing practice and care to patient.
Jeans Watson theory defines the nursing principle that embrace positive mind and is
rewarding for the patient. This theory mainly focuses on how care progression can make
better care plan and restore health. The structure of this theory is based on caring factors. This
theory also focusses on care for the family members of the patient and help in expanding
nurses’ own actualization (Clark, 2016). This philosophy of nursing perfectly fits into the
framework that I follow in nursing. Similar to the thoughts of the theory I also feel that
nursing must also give mental stability to the patients family members. My personal
philosophy also reflects on the learnings of this philosophy. I also believe that while caring
for a patient nurses must provide care based on the sensitivity of the patient. Caring is the key
to patients healing capacity and can speed up the healing process. This theory uses the

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context of healing of community, family and culture. This theory has influenced many
theorist and in academicians in building a trust and relationship between the patient and
nurses. Psychological needs are very important from holistic point of view and gives them
mental strength. This theory has influenced me in adding compassion and empathy in the
nursing care (Elhami et al, 2017). This kind of care is important in healing and can be
interpreted personally. Effective caring promotes healing and family growth. The main focus
of this theory is placed on spiritual needs and mental health that meets the higher level of a
person’s wellbeing and human needs. According to me the utilization of this theory would
enhance nursing practice.
However, this theory may be poor fit for some situations as this theory gives more
emphasis on mental healing and less importance to biophysical needs of the patient. It is
important to support a patient and provide counselling but at the same time nurses should
take care of his needs due to the illness like wound management. Caring is innate but the
training and experience in nursing follows other principle also which is management of
illness. A person suffering from disease like pneumonia may not get benefit from this theory
(Norman, Rossillo & Skelton, 2016). In such illness for instance nurse needs to take care that
he limits his chance of infection and healing process would depend on how nurse take
intervention for his physiological needs. Health largely needs a physical attention and this
theory puts more emphasis on psychological issues. The psychosocial practice of this theory
may lead to hard implementation in nursing practice and would have fewer implications in
nursing. Watson’s theory is more generalised and applicable in mental health care while may
be ineffective in areas like oncology and critical care environments. This theory is useful in
academic settings and help promote mental wellness by using caring science theory.
It is important to match a theory to get a framework and provide nursing care.
However, this theory may be disadvantageous for some health care settings (Khademi,

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Mohammadi & Vanaki, 2017). Therefore, for an ideal nursing care we must follow a
framework based on situations. Based on nursing experience and scientific evidence we must
make necessary changes in such framework. This theory is especially helpful for caring for
ageing patients. The theory would help establish a caring relationship with the patient. There
is another disadvantage of this theory and that limits the nursing practice. Based on the illness
a patient is admitted and the short stay in the hospital, it would be near impossible to provide
such detailed caring to every patient.
Therefore it can be concluded that nursing philosophies help in guiding the nurses in
their interventions and care plan. In my personal feeling the James Watson theory of nursing
has played a key role in building a caring and compassionate nurse in me. However, a theory
may not fit for some situations and may be disadvantageous for care plan. James Watson
theory puts more focus on psychological and social wellbeing (Kaakinen et al, 2018). In
settings like oncology care or someone suffering from pneumonia, this theory may not work.
The theory does not keep some points into account like bio physical prospective of the
patient. It is beneficial to follow a framework in nursing, however there may be limitations.
Based on nursing experience and evidence-based practice changes may be followed in
nursing criteria.

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