PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING 1

Personal Philosophy of Nursing

Sarah Lewis

Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing

2/23/16
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As a new nursing student, my philosophy of nursing may be different than an

experienced nurse of twenty or more years. I believe that through experience a nurse’s

philosophy changes over time. Throughout nursing school, a student’s philosophy might focus

primarily on providing the best service, caring for the patient, and being an advocate for the

patient. These philosophies may change slightly when the nurse gets their first job and begins

working in a hospital. The nurse will incorporate his or her own philosophies with the

philosophies set by the hospital in which he or she works. After a few years of working in the

hospital, the now experienced nurse may develop their own philosophies based on personal

experience with patients and coworkers.

What exactly is a nursing philosophy? A nursing philosophy provides the foundation for

how the nurse thinks and acts based on their personal values and beliefs. These beliefs and

values are reflected in the nurse’s care and are sometimes challenged by their patient’s values

and beliefs. My personal values and beliefs as a new nursing student are very vague and

universal due to my lack of experience as a nurse. Growing up I was taught to live by the Golden

Rule and to “treat others they way you want to be treated”. As a patient lying in a hospital room I

hope my nurse provides me with the best care to improve my health, while creating a bond in

which I feel at ease every time he or she enters the room. My philosophy of nursing is to always

smile when I enter a room so my patient knows I am happy to be there and to help in any way

possible. A simple smile can go a long way, it can be the difference between a good and bad day.

I will follow this philosophy to guide me through nursing school and into my nursing career.

In order to understand philosophy of nursing, one must first understand philosophy.

Philosophy is defined as “ the study of the principles underlying conduct, thought, and the nature

of the universe” (Chitty & Black 2011, pg. 261). From a very young age, some sort of
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philosophy is implanted into everyone’s existence, whether it is good or bad, right or wrong, it is

how we perceive the world around us and interact with it. Some philosophies are taught with

catchy sayings such as “sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me” to

“you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar”. As we grow and mature our philosophies

grow and mature with us, and eventually turn into professional philosophies. These are

philosophies we use not only in our adulthood, but in our careers as well. Professional

philosophies lay the foundation for how we will interact with others in a professional practice. A

philosophy of nursing is very important for a nurse to have when interacting with patients and

coworkers. The nurses philosophies will determine how the nurse behaves based on his or her

personal values and beliefs.

Our beliefs’ characterize one’s “intellectual acceptance of something as true or correct”

(Chitty & Black 2011, pg. 256). On the other hand, our values are “freely chosen principles,

ideals, or standards held by an individual, class, or group that give meaning and direction to life”

(Chitty & Black 2011, pg. 258). Just to clarify, beliefs are personal and values are universal. For

example, I personally believe domestic violence is wrong, I believe in providing the best nursing

care, I believe in being accountable, I believe in kindness to all, I believe in gay marriage, I

believe all people are created equal, I believe in the power of the truth. These are just some of

my beliefs that I carry with me everyday, however as a nurse my beliefs will be challenged.

Some nurses do not believe in gay marriage and therefore this could become a conflict when the

nurse has a gay couple come in for treatment. A good nurse however, leaves their judgments at

the door and does not allow their own beliefs to get in the way of their job as a nurse.

Maintaining a nonjudgmental approach towards patients ties in with the nurse’s values.

When a nurse can identify their values, he or she can use those values in making decisions and
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also keeping a neutral opinion when dealing with patients that have opposing values. My

personal values as an arising nurse are: compassion, service, advocacy, and openness to learning,

empathy, and kindness, among many other values. Beliefs are something that people hold onto

for a lifetime, unlike values they do not change with maturity. Overtime ones’ values can change

due to experience, changing society views, or even personal reasons. The values a nurse has is

reflected in his or her work, for example, if the nurse has a strong value of family when caring

for a patient the nurse will maintain a strong tie to the patient’s family. This could be something

as simple as keeping the family informed or encouraging the patient’s ties with their family. I

have a strong need to fix people, whether that is physically, emotionally, or psychologically

which makes me a very compassionate person and soon to be nurse. Values and beliefs are the

core of the philosophy of nurses. Without values and beliefs, the nurse would not be able to

establish a philosophy as a whole for their professional nursing career.

My values and beliefs have helped me to shape my own philosophy of nursing. Like

many philosophies, a person reaches them through first their core values and beliefs. As

mentioned previously, “you catch more flies with honey than vinegar” demonstrates one’s belief

in being kind in order to attract people, as well as their value of kindness. With a strong value in

being kind to all people, I will smile whenever I enter a patient’s room. Smiling around all my

patients will show them that not only will they be treated kindly, but also that I treat all of my

patients kindly regardless of their differences. I believe that providing the best nursing care can

be achieved simply by making someone’s day even through something as simple as a smile.

In conclusion, I believe throughout time a nurse’s philosophy will change from the start

of their education to years into their career. The philosophy of nursing lays the groundwork for

how the nurse will act and behave based on his or hers values and beliefs. My personal
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philosophy of smiling in order to spread kindness and ensure I am treating everyone equally

demonstrates how my values and beliefs helped to shape my philosophy of nursing. Identifying

my personal philosophy in my early education as a nursing student will help to shape my nursing

philosophy and ensure that I live by that philosophy as I grow in my career.

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References

Chitty, K., & Black, B. (2011). Professional nursing: Concepts and challenges (6th ed.).

Maryland Heights, MO: Saunders.

“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.”

Signature: Sarah Lewis

Date: 2/23/16