Running head: PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY

Personal Philosophy
Michelle Arslan
Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing
Transition to Baccalaureate Nursing
NUR 3240
Ms. Karyn Schultz, RN
March 04, 2016

On my honor, I have neither given nor received aid on this assignment or test, and I
pledge that I am in compliance with the BSMCON Honor System.

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Personal Philosophy

Personal philosophy is defined as the rational investigation of truths and principles,

knowledge and conduct (Weiten, 2007). Some Scholars believe that a nurses personal
philosophy is modeled by the years that they spend as a nurse and that the nurses philosophy
will change with time and experience. Although this is a valid point I would also argue the point
that people are a product of their society or environment, and that life experience outside of the
workplace also develops a nurses personal philosophy. Some elements that may affect personal
philosophy may be race, religion, socioeconomic standing; and of course life experiences.
Truth can be a perception of reality; or what we believe to be true as perspectives by our attitude.
What are attitudes? As defined in the text, attitudes are positive or negative evaluations of
thoughts (Weiten, 2007). A nurse forms their opinions based on good and bad experiences. They
may ask themselves what did I learn from that? What could I have done differently? Through
these questions a culture of safety is created (Siarkowski Amer, 2013).
My own personal philosophy have originated long before I decided to become a nurse
from my upbringing. I was born into a catholic family and not to my surprise while taking this
course I realized that my personal philosophy mirrored that of the Catholic Health ministry. The
Catholic health ministry states that their goal is bring together people of diverse faiths and
backgrounds by being an enduring sign of healthcare rooted in the belief that every person is a
treasure, every life a sacred gift, every human being a unity of body, mind, and spirit, that works
to bring alive the gospel of justice and peace, and to answer Gods call to foster healing, act with
compassion and promote wellness for all persons and communities with special attention to
neighbors, the poor, under served, and most of all the venerable; by their service they strive to
transform hurt into help ("Ethical and religious Directives," 2016). Nursing is not just a job but

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rather an honor, an honor to take care of others in their time of need; never thinking of ones own
personal gain but rather to help out your fellow man.
Within my own personal philosophy safety is always at the forefront with the thought that
we as nurses may have the best intentions at heart, but we must always carry out medical
intervention in the safest way possible. We as nurses must also foster a culture of safety on our
units and take pride in our work and our units with open communication among staff members.
Some may ask how this is achieved as stated in the text collaborative care in nursing includes
intra and interpersonal communications skills to provide patient centered care and foster a
culture of safety (Siarkowski Amer, 2013). Another fundamental principle for me is cleanliness.
In my opinion cleanliness is a basic human need; once a persons personal hygiene is address
then the healing process can begin. Another philosophy that I whole heartedly believe in is
proper pain management; followed by proper nourishment. Florence Nightingale was an
innovator before her time and addresses such topics of patient care with a focus on infection
control, proper ventilation of patient living quarters, cleanliness, cohorting patients with the same
disease processes, and holistic care of mind, body, and spirit (Zborowsky, 2014).

In closing it is my personal philology to treat patients holistically, mind body and spirit.
Nurses should also extend the human factor in their care as well. Working for Bon Secours
allows me to share prayer with patients upon their request and foster a sense of pride in my work
(Connell, 2012). I am honored to care for patients and family in their most vulnerable times in
their lives, and care for the most vulnerable populations. My nursing care and philosophy is not
something that has originated upon my career choice but rather has formed sense my early
childhood experiences coinciding with my adult choices and decisions. Nursing has allowed me

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to display with precision my personal philosophy and I hope with time I will be an exemplary
seasoned nurse.

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References

Catholic Health Association. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.chausa.org/ethics/ethical-andreligious-directives

Connell, T. M. (2012). Spirituality and spiritual care from a Careful Nursing perspective. Journal
of Nursing Management, 8, 990-1001. http://dx.doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.13652834.2012.01462.x .
Impact of Healthcare Environments. Health Environments Research & Design Journal , 4, 1934. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=5bfc578773f0-40c8-91c15c08bdb13f6d%40sessionmgr114&hid=111&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#d
b=heh&AN=100517656
Siarkowski Amer, K. (2013). Quality and Safety for Transformational Nursing:Core
Competencies. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
Weiten, W. (2007). Psychology themes & variations (seventh ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomas
Learning .