PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING

Personal Philosophy of Nursing

In order to be able to form and articulate a personal nursing philosophy
requires one to know what nursing means to them while analyzing and
inventorying their own values and beliefs. Through this self-awareness one is
able to reflect on the guidelines that steer their practice, thus ultimately
defining what a nurse is to them. It is this definition that lays the framework
for the codes that will govern ones practice as health care providers.
Another important element that cannot be let out of this process is the how
the Code of Ethics for Nursing plays a role in guiding the standard of care in
nursing practice. After 18 years of nursing practice, my values and beliefs
have been established but are not set in stone, as they are often times
challenged by experiences met within the hospital. The cycle of experience,
inner reflection and growth is never ending in the role of the nurse and is
imperative for maturity and growth within the person.
The definition of nursing has evolved over a long period of time from
Rufida in the sixth century establishing a school to teach how to treat the
sick, to most recently Loretta Ford establishing a nurse practitioner program
to help the misfortunate in rural America. It was the predecessors that
forged a path by laying the foundation for which nurses have grown into a
noble profession. They accomplished this through men entering into a
female dominate role, to the nurses that set their safety aside to take risks in
caring for the contagious and ill, and lastly to those that took social norms
and changed them by addressing uneasy issues in relation to the

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underprivileged patient, thus steering nursing down a altruistic road (Blais &
Hayes, p. 38-39). Over time the definition of what a nurse is has varied, but
the one component that has been constant is the element of care that is
administered to the sick. This is the main reason I entered nursing, for my
love of helping others. Nursing is most rewarding to me because of the
different facets of care I can provide, whether that is accomplished through
physical care of administering medicines and treatments or emotional
through listening and touch. The American Academy of Nursing (ANA) on
their website www.nursingworld.org defines nursing as, 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 (American Nurses Association,
2013).
The definition by the ANA goes hand in hand with the purpose of
nursing. I divide the purpose of nursing into three areas prevention,
treatment and support. Nurses play a critical role in the prevention and
spread of disease through education to their patients and the public
promoting health. Upon admission to the hospital, I have a captive audience
to teach to throughout my patients hospitalization up until their discharge.
My unit provides a teaching packet that is loaded with information related to
prevention of injury and disease in respect to the care of the patient. The
forms range from immunization schedules, care seat safety, storage of

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medication, to my favorite hand washing. The nurse plays a significant part

in the multi disciplinary team that affects the direct outcome of the patient
through their skilled and competent care that they provide during a patients
hospitalization. It is through the direct contact at the bedside that a nurse is
able to provide the treatment necessary to help heal or comfort their
patients. This is where I spend a great deal of my time, administering
medications or providing treatments ordered by the doctor. If healing is no
longer possible, the nurses role slightly changes to now providing palliative
care to their patient. I find this role challenging and rewarding to be able to
provide the best possible care in keeping my patients comfortable while
allowing them to die with dignity and in peace. It has taken many years to
become more comfortable in this final role due to having to face the fact that
we are human and cannot heal everyone that comes into our care.
It is key to be able to identify ones beliefs and values systems both
personal and professional in order to be aware of what guides their practice
of care. I believe integrity is a core value in the publics view of the nurse.
This high moral standard our profession is entrusted with, can be potentially
tarnished or worse destroyed with actions that do not follow good work
ethics. I believe it is through the value I place in honesty, accountability, and
reliability that enables me to build upon in forming therapeutic nurse-patient
relationships and simply being the best nurse I can be for those entrusted in
my care. Trust is another important value that can be destroyed without
integrity and I feel should be taken seriously. This standard can be fostered

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through honesty, maintaining confidentiality and education. I believe it is

through trust that the nurse is able to care for their patients holistically. I
want my patients to be able to trust that I know what I am doing while they
are in my care along with knowing that I will not share information shared
with others outside of the medical team. The title of nurse does not stay
within the confines of the hospital; therefore, living a life with integrity is a
public display of the worth of the nurse even though ones actions and
behavior may be on their personal time. I believe continuing education and
staying current is ones practice is essential in delivering the best care
possible as one takes accountability for their own professional development
thus potentially improving the outcome for their patients. A nurse that
embraces their thirst for more knowledge, not only invests in themselves but
in those they care for as well. There is extreme value in treating the whole
patient, not just their disease. In meeting all of their holistic needs, one may
find comfort and solace faster and without fear or judgment. Ultimately, I
find value in my belief that we all answer to a high being and I believe He
guides my hands and is with me as I care for the sick. It is through this that I
believe that I am fulfilled as a nurse while I carry out His work.
A code of ethics is necessary to set standards of care within this
profession which could be different than ones personal belief and value
system. Understanding and being cognizant of ones values and beliefs is
imperative in nursing due to the unique situations we encounter within our
daily tasks (Blais & Hayes, p. 49-59). The ANA does a wonderful job of listing

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the Nursing Code of Ethics for Nursing on their website. Two areas that stood
out to me, where the sections related to professional boundaries and
integrity within this long document. In caring for children it is easy to cross
boundaries due to the close physical contact we have with our patients. At
times we hold, swaddle, rock, feed, sing to, read books and tuck into bed,
thus making it all the more important to define boundaries to help the nurse
not risk threatening the sanctity of the therapeutic relationship. This is key
to the patients well being along with the survival of the nurse in not
partaking in behaviors that could potentially risk their license and risk burn
out. This is not an easy boundary to keep because there are a lot of gray
lines, but through being cognizant and mindful of ones actions, it is not only
possible it is essential. The Code of Ethics recommends seeking help from
superiors if the boundaries are being jeopardized (Code of Ethics p.6).
Provision 5 in the Code of Ethics speaks to the integrity of the nurse by
seeking out their own educational needs in order to remain competent and
knowledgeable in their field of work (Code of Ethic p 9-10). With nursing
changing through our new evidence based care, it is of most importance to
say current within your field of work. After many years of my employer
suggesting a group of us become certified in our field of work (Pediatric
Hematology/Oncology), I took the exam and passed. The feeling of
accomplishment was almost as exhilarating as passing the NCLEX exam. It
is with great pride that I am able to add initials behind my RN, to which I get
to explain frequently to those patients or parents that inquire as to what

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CPHON stands for on my badge. This knowledge I am able to pull from daily
as I teach my patients or new nurses. When there is the situation of I am
unfamiliar with, The Childrens Hospital of The Kings Daughters (CHKD), has
done a phenomenal job of writing detailed policies and procedures that are
available to all staff on the Internet. This increases the integrity of the care
provided, due to it being the most current practices in our hospital.
The greatest challenge that I have encountered in my nursing practice
is in relation to ethical issues such as a family not telling their child that they
have cancer or more devastating to me was the family that refused to tell
their child that he was going to die within that hospitalization. These
situations go against my internal code of beliefs and values regarding
honesty, integrity, and trusts for the need and want to prepare the child or
parents on what to expect through this process is pressing. I am proud to
report though, my team at CHKD does an amazing job of helping to navigate
the parents through this difficult experience to enable them to come to grips
with the inevitable and share with their child the news that ultimately must
be shared.
In closing, after 18 years of experience although I had not ever been
consciously aware of my nursing philosophy, I had formed one. Over the
years, I have questioned others motives of becoming a nurse because their
value, beliefs and work ethic did not uphold my definition of what a nurse is
to me. I am proud to report that these nurses I questioned their career
choice did not work on my unit. What is most interesting to me though, as I

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reflected was the realization that my philosophy changed from the time I was
new graduate to now, an expert in my field of practice. While my core
values and beliefs of integrity, honesty, reliability, accountability,
trustworthiness and caring have not changed, my view on education has
been revised. I have been stagnant in my formal education for many years
and refused to see the worth of a Bachelors Degree in Science (BSN) over my
Diploma of Nursing, but through this nationwide push for all nurses to have
their BSN, my eyes have been opened to an entire other world. For
advancement in my career, a degree is required, thus I must surge forward in
this decision to earn my BSN. The challenge of writing papers is excruciating
to me as I loathe being a novice, but when this experience is a memory, I will
be the expert helping the novice nurses coming behind me in this journey.

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Works Cited
American Nurses Association. (n.d.). American Nurses Association. Retrieved November 13,
2013, from http://www.nursingworld.org/
Blais, K., & Hayes, J. S. (2011). Professional nursing practice: Concepts and perspectives.
Boston: Pearson.
Code of Ethics for Nurses. (2010, November 15). Code of Ethics for Nurses. Retrieved
November 13, 2013, from http://www.nursingworld.org/codeofethics

Online search
http://www.nursingworld.org
http://www.nursingworld.org/codeofethics
http://www.nursingworld.org/Mobile/Code-of-Ethics
http://www.nursingworld.org/EspeciallyForYou/What-is-Nursing
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/publications/white-papers/hallmarks-practiceenvironment
https://www.ncsbn.org/ProfessionalBoundaries_Complete.pdf

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Honor Code:
I pledge to support the Honor System of Old Dominion University. I will refrain
from any form of academic dishonesty or deception, such as cheating or
plagiarism. I am aware that as a member of the academic community it is
my responsibility to turn in all suspected violations of the Honor Code. I will
report to a hearing if summoned

Signature: Pamela A Johnston RN CPHON