Running head: CARING WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Caring Makes A Difference Christy Larsen Dixie State University

Caring Will Make A Difference Since I was a little girl, all I wanted to do in life was to save the world. My decision to enter the field of nursing helps fulfill that dream for me. It is not the Superman-like heroics I imagined, but in a more understated and personal way I get to make a difference in the lives of many individuals on a daily basis. With every nursing situation being so different, what singular theory would be the best foundation to build my nursing philosophy? I have researched many nursing theories and theorists and have come to the conclusion that, while many theories are utilized for any one patient, Watson's theory of caring fits my ideal for the nursing profession and is ultimately at the heart of what nursing is all about, which is to provide appropriate nursing care

CARING WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE with good outcomes. Through thoughtful and individualized care, a patient feels understood, accepted, and safe. This creates a safe haven for the patient to say and feel what needs to be said, which then promotes health and well-being. My Experience When I was in my first semester of nursing school I started my clinicals at a local rehabilitation home. I partnered with a classmate and we were told to pick a patient at random and go meet them and help them. My partner and I picked a lady named Anna. We did not know anything about her. As we went into her room we soon realized we had some challenges ahead of us. Anna had experienced a stroke, was bedridden with little mobility, and possessed very limited communication skills. She could only talk in a whisper and with the Television in her room turned on constantly and her oxygen blowing loudly it was almost impossible to hear her. We asked her questions and in an attempt to hear her answers we put our faces within inches of her mouth. After just a few minutes of this we were all very frustrated and no further along then when we met her. Desperate not to give in and pick a new patient, we formulated an idea on how to interact with her. We asked the nurses at the station for a pen and some paper and told them we planned to have her write out her answers for us, since she could barely talk. We explained the situation to Anna and she very much wanted to try it, despite the limited mobility left in her hand as a result of her stroke. We asked her a question and off she went writing like there was no tomorrow. She was able to tell us what she needed and more. We found out the next time we came back that she was asking for us and waiting for our return. It saddened me that the nurses at this home had never even tried to communicate with her, past what they had been doing. Because of a lack of caring, Anna was a prisoner in that facility

CARING WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE and to her own body. As a result of our experience, things changed and she was able to be involved in her plan of care, she had a voice and a choice. All it took was a couple new students who cared about a person and wanted to help. Anna got a part of her life back that day, and I realized that I wanted to continue to help people for as long as I can. My Nursing Philosophy Because of my experience I have developed a personal nursing theory based on caring. This theory of caring is based in all parts of the nursing concepts; person, health, environment and nursing. First of all there is no nursing if you do not have a person in which to give care. This could be an individual, families, communities, groups, or society as a whole. The caring I will give to my patients will be tailored each and every time, because each patient has their own unique struggles, health problems, religions, lifestyles and cultures. Regardless of my personal beliefs, my patients will feel respected and know that they are receiving the care they need and deserve. Since I care about my patient I want them to be as healthy as possible. I am going to look at my patient as a whole and attempt to help them attain and/or maintain a balance between their physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and cultural harmony. Caring acknowledges what is important to each patient, I feel that is the most important aspect to providing nursing care. (Austgard, 2006). They want to know that they are being heard and that what they value is being included in the care they receive. As a nurse, I will be aware of all the environmental factors my patient is facing and, with a caring attitude, help my patient feel less stressed and hopefully at ease. Patients who feel comfortable cope better with their illness and have faster rates of healing then those patients who admit to being uncomfortable (Malinowski & Stamler, 2002). My theory of caring will lead me

CARING WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE to care and advocate for my patients the best way possible, because I will actually know them and their needs. The Importance Of A Nurse's Personal Health It is easy to lose yourself when caring for others and a nurse needs to be conscious of his/her own health while caring for others. Nurses put their health at risk in multiple ways during any given shift. When they do not use the restroom when they need to, when they accept extra shifts to help out with shortages, when they are not eating right because they are so busy with patients care, they are risking their health. Nurses put their own health at risk when they perform patient care, exposing themselves to infectious diseases, bodily fluids, and patients who can be combative or under the influence. Needless to say, a nurse needs to make sure they are taking care of themselves first or they will not have the health or mental capacity to take care of their patients the way each of them deserve. Watson To The Rescue There are many nursing theorists from which I can choose to emulate. There is Orem's self-care theory, Leininger's trans-cultural theory, Watson's theory of caring, and Florence Nightingale's environmental theory, to name a few. At the top of the pile, above all, I would place Watson's theory of caring. Caring is something that is easy to understand, but can get lost in the busy life of a nurse. Caring creates a connection between individuals that can be stronger than modern medicine, or surely enhance it, molding the way a patients healthcare is delivered and received. Conclusion I think a good thing to remember is that no one theory works for every patient, and that every patient may benefit from the use of more than one theory in his or her care. Each patient

CARING WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE has his or her own diagnosis and unique struggles that will affect their health care experience. Ultimately though, by caring for my patients, I will do whatever is necessary to help them achieve the best outcome possible. I will achieve this by learning from researching evidenced based practice, becoming efficient in my skills, keeping the healthiest environment possible, or teaching my patients how to care for themselves. Anna certainly was grateful for the moment of caring my classmate and I had for her, and I am grateful to have been shown how important caring is in nursing. A quote I once read by Eleanor Roosevelt said "To handle yourself use your head; to handle others, use your heart." A caring heart is going to help me save the world one patient at a time.

CARING WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE References Austgard, K. (2006). The aesthetic experience of nursing. Nursing Philosophy 7, 11-19. Malinowski, A., & Stamler, L.L. (2002). Comfort: Exploration of the concept in nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing 39(6), 599606.