Nursing Philosophy: Draft I

We had to write a nursing philosophy for class. I thought I would just share mine with you. :) It's not very good, but I will revise it sooner or later.

Nursing Philosophy
by Nancy O'Toole

My nursing philosophy is based on four concepts. These four concepts are the person, the environment, health and nursing.
The person is a unique individual, who needs an individual plan of care. A person should be looked at as a holistic individual. They are not only made up of the physical body, they are also looked at as spiritual, and mindful. A person is individual, but is also influenced by the environment that surrounds them, including their environment, their family, and their situation. The person is made of the mind, body and spirit. The goal for an individual is that these three aspects work together harmoniously. To achieve this, each unique individual needs unique care. A person is not defined by their disease or condition. A person is defined by their history, a person is defined by their beliefs, by their habits, and by their actions.
The environment is what surrounds every being. An environment is constantly changing. The effects that the environment has on a person are constantly changing as well. An environment can have good influences or bad. Stress is a part of environment that will always be prominent. A nurse should know what kind of stressors have been in a person’s environment. Stressors have a lot to do with a person’s health and the effect it has on their future health. The environment the surrounds a person includes the weather, the living situations for a person, the people that surround the person, and the religious beliefs that the individual knows. All of these surroundings affect the person and their outcomes. It is the duty and responsibility of a nurse to provide a safe, stress-free environment for a person. The safer and healthier the environment in which a person is placed, the better the outcomes for that person.
The health of a person is unique to each individual. What may be healthy for one person may be different to another. Health is when the mind, body and soul are in union. The mind body and spirit are at peace together. When these three aspects are out of balance the health of a person is being compromised. When a person is ill, usually their physical health is weak. Illness can also affect a person’s mental health, and lastly it can affect a person’s spiritual health. Usually the physical health is under stress first. Around the same time, the person’s mental health may waver. The spiritual health of a person is usually the strongest, when a person has a reached a terminal illness, they may start to question God or rely on their beliefs even more. Each person’s physical, mental and spiritual health is different. The levels of health and the way they perceive them are unique to each individual.
Nursing is a unique career. It is an art as well as a science. A nurse must know how to bring the person, health and environment together. A nurse enables a person to regain their fullest potential. A nurse has the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. They have the ability to make choices that can help a person become as healthy and independent as possible. A nurse also has a responsibility. They have the responsibility to make critical choices that will affect a person and impact that person’s environment. A nurse is autonomic, and while they have autonomy, they are also caring. They care about the outcomes of the person; they care about the environment that surrounds that person. A nurse will look at the person as a whole, they will not define the person by their condition. They will see and treat the person as a human being. A nurse will help a person gain full potential and will educate that person in what they need to know. A nurse will release a person from suffering. A nurse is a caregiver who cares for each individual as uniquely as possible.

Thanks for reading!!! Namaste!!!