ROBLES-MEDINA_PHILOSOPHY

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Nursing Philosophy

In order to be able to help people, or patients, a nurse must develop a rapport, and even
relationship with them. As a nurse gains experience, this becomes empathy of what a patient is
experiencing, and how to best help them cope or succeed. This all comes back to getting to
know someone, and this is something I have honed over 18 years as a teacher.
I believed that focusing on creating relationships with my students and their parents was
the key to both their success in learning, and being a responsible educator. Reaching out came
naturally to me. Before school started, I would introduce myself through postcards, welcome
them, and give them a preview of our year together. In essence, I was preparing them for what
they would face, providing encouragement that we would get through this together, and that they
would be successful.
Establishing these relationships helped me to really learn about my students, understand
them, and meet their education needs. This relationship development allowed for a comfort level
that put the student at ease, and felt they could come forward with questions, or even have just a
sympathetic ear. My previous experience provides a wealth of knowledge in relating to students,
parents, co-workers, friends and family.
My teaching experiences, and philosophy directly ties into Hildegard Peplaus theory of
nursing. The building of relationships is a critical skill for a nurse, and having this experience
allows for being a step ahead in the field. This relationship building is demonstrated in Peplaus
theory that focuses on developing the nurse-patient and family relationship (Potter, Perry,
Stockert, & Hall, 2013). Following Peplaus theory is useful in establishing effective nursepatient communication when obtaining a nursing history, providing patient education, or
counseling patients and their families (Potter, Perry, Stockert, & Hall, 2013, p. 44). These

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basic, but critical, relationships are essential to nursing because patients have to feel comfortable
and safe when revealing private information to the nurse. Patients and their families are seeking
help for their healthcare problems and rely on the nurse for: honesty, caring, and educational
information only a nurse can provide.
My nursing beliefs can be matched to that of Tucson Medical Centers (TMC) core value
of community. TMC emphasizes being kind to everyone in the community (TMC, 2015). Being
kind can be defined as truly caring about someone else and valuing them as a person, which
nurses consider a reflex. TMC also feels that it is important to be seen as educators and leaders
in the community (TMC, 2015). Every community needs to have a place they can go that they
trust for healthcare information.
My nursing philosophy is that building positive relationships is essential for a positive
healthcare experience for the patient, family, and nurse. To build this relationship, a nurse should
be welcoming, listen to the patient, and be honest. The nurse should listen to the wants and
needs of the patient and work with them to develop health goals. The nurse should have open
communication with the patient and always follow through on what they say. Trust, caring, and
an open-dialogue is being created. When these approaches are utilized, a health care plan that is
specific to the patients needs can be developed and followed without interruption or extra
stressors.

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References

Potter, P., Perry, A., Stockert, P., & Hall, A. (2013). Fundamentals of nursing (8th ed.). St Louis,
MO: Elsevier Mosby.
TMC. (2015). Mission, Values, and Vision. Retrieved February 3, 2015, from
https://www.tmcaz.com/TMCHealthcare/MissionVisionValues