Nursing Philosophy Draft

Background If anyone had asked me at the beginning of my sophomore year of high school what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, I would have probably not given a straight answer. I always saw pictured my adult self in various positions. At one time I wanted to become dermatologist or some kind of physician. I also saw myself as someone who wanted to work with computers or maybe graphic design. But being a nurse was something that never really crossed my mind. When I was a junior in high school I had the opportunity to work as a secretary in the maternity ward of my hospital. It was an eye opening experience and it helped me realize this is what I needed to be. Working at the hospital was one of the most stressful yet enjoyable experiences. I learned hands on what it was like to be a nurse. I would see the pressure and anxiety in their faces when the provider was not available or there were to many patients on the ward. Yet I still saw the joy and delight when a new baby was born. I also saw how strong the nursing community was and how they all used teamwork to help themselves get by the long shifts. Most importantly I saw that all those nurses had one thing in common and it was that they loved what they did and loved helping their patients. To me that was rewarding to me that is what made me realize this is what I need to do. Before I entered the program or worked at the hospital I thought that nurses did the providers dirty work. But I realized it is so much more than that. Nurses are the ones that help their patients feel better, and are there with their patients through the beginning up until discharge. I knew that if I decided to be a nurse it was not going to be easy. The long and endless nights of studying have already taken a toll on me, but this is who I want to be. What is Nursing? The definition of nursing can vary from person to person, nurse or not. Many people only see nurses as doctors assistants, women, caretakers, and lovers. These statements are valid, but

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at the same time they are not. Nurses are not only doctors or providers assistants, they all work together as a team. Nurses are not just all women, they can also be men, transgendered, or from other backgrounds. Nursing to me is an art, profession, commitment, and perseverance. Nursing is being able to be your real self in what you do. To be a nurse you need to do what you love and love what you are doing. Nursing is an art because like any art it requires creativity and inspiration. Nurses with their art form are always looking for creative and new ways to help their patients. Nursing is a commitment because it requires long restless hours on the floor every single day from the beginning until the end of your career. Nursing is also sacrifice. Nurses everyday sacrifice what they love and things they want to do to be selfless and help their patients. A nurse needs to sacrifice his/her own time to do their job correctly and efficiently. Nursing is also a form of learning. To be an efficient nurse the learning does not stop after you obtain your license or stop going to school. Nurses have to keep themselves updated on the innovative new technologies and practices of the nursing and medical world. A nurse has to learn from their fellow nurses and patients on better ways to help their practice. Nursing also requires being open on the diversity and cultural differences of their patients. If a culture is unknown to them it is their job to learn about the culture to help facilitate their clients needs Nursing with Clients Nurses should not just interact with their clients because it just their job and mean of income, but with honesty and respect. Nurses should truly love what they are doing and truly show it with their clients. A nurses main goal should be to care for their client and help recuperate their health no matter what situation of the client is in. Every nurse should look at each individual client with no judgment or prejudices. If a nurse cannot do that then the client

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will not receive the care that they truly deserve. The most uncomfortable situation for any individual is to be taken care of by a person who does not truly care for their needs. A nurse should be able to communicate with a client and respect their individual wishes even if they are noncompliant. A nurse should also treat a clients family as if they are patients as well. At times this is very difficult depending the situation but to help the patient the nurse needs to try as hard as they can. Being only a sophomore-nursing student I admit I have not experienced what it is like to take care of a patient or deal with a patients family that is noncompliant or disruptive. But from what I have learned is that at the end of the day the patients needs are what is most important. Morals and Ethics Discussing morals and ethics in regards to nursing is a very controversial topic. Every nurse and patient has come from different backgrounds and has very different ethical views. I was baptized as a Catholic and went to private Catholic schools until I graduated high school. My grandparents are devout Catholics and go to church more than twice a week. Despite my background I am Agnostic. I believe in spirituality, yet I dont believe that to find your better self or gain an eternal afterlife you need to be religious. Although I do still believe in concepts from all different religions especially Christianity like love your neighbor and Do unto others as you would have them do to you. With that being said I will face dilemmas when caring for or working with others that do not have the same views as me. When I have to take care of a patient that is either has a medical issue where my moral and ethics are challenged, I need to look at the best interest of the patient as difficult as it will be. I also have to be aware of hospital procedures and rules on how to take care of a patient in an ethical dilemma.

Nursing Philosophy Draft

I am a first generation American; both of my parents were born in the Dominican Republic and immigrated to the United States in the 1980s. Most of my family members are working class immigrants that do not really understand English, since Spanish is their first language. All of my life I have had to deal with prejudices, stereotypes, and discrimination in regards to my race. My background is what is going to help me when I work as a nurse. I know how it is working or dealing with others that cannot understand the language, and understand the frustrations with being taken care of by an ignorant or judgmental nurse. These experiences will help me take care of my patients because I understand; I will never want someone of a different culture, morals, and ideas to feel excluded just because they are not what are considered normal in our society. Since this is just the beginning of my nursing career I do not know what to expect, and am still nave to all of the experiences that I am going to go through. My philosophy is simple; love yourself and love your patient. To be a good nurse you need to be able to love yourself, because when you do it reflects on your work ethic and caring for your patient. When you truly care for your patient and their needs you will be able to do your job as a nurse efficiently.