RUNNING HEAD: Lindsays Nursing Philosophy 1

Professional Nursing Philosophy

Lindsay OHara

Delaware Technical and Community College

Kelly Davis

September 27, 2017

Nur 300
RUNNING HEAD: Lindsays Nursing Philosophy 2

Lindsay OHaras Professional Nursing Philosophy

As a new graduate nurse, I am very eager to start my career as a professional. This bright

new adventure that I am embarking on has lots of exciting challenges and opportunities. I am

very excited to become a member of this exceptional profession and help make a difference in

my patients health.

Personal Values and Beliefs

In order for me to succeed as a professional in the nursing, I need to stick to my core

beliefs and constantly learn. I believe that compassion, caring, and trust are the key components

of patient care. I also believe have great interpersonal skills help a nurse communicate with their

patients. I developed great personal skills during my time as a bartender. I learned to really listen

to people and see issues from all the sides, not just one. While taking classes at Del Tech, I saw

that it was important to respect everyones opinion, even if you didnt agree. My ethics class

showed me that while people may have differing opinions, it is still possible to have a

conversation and understand a different point of view. I feel like nurses are constantly learning.

Every patient is different, and the way you may typically treat on situation may not work for this

patient. It is important that nurses constantly keep up with new technologies and treatments.

Medicine is a constant evolving practice, and it is wise to try to keep up with the changes.

Nursing Theories

Every nurse has a different style of nursing. I believe I model my nursing style after

Watsons Philosophy of Science and Caring, with a little bit of Benners Novice to Expert. I am
RUNNING HEAD: Lindsays Nursing Philosophy 3

true believer that caring is the core of nursing. Watson states " A science of caring is

complementary to the science of curing, and the practice of caring is central to nursing"

(Petipprin, 2016). Caring can only enhance the patients healing. Watson also believed that a

patient should be treated holistically. I believe that nurses need to treat the patient physically,

emotionally, and spiritually. We can treat the physical, but we need to make sure patient is

emotionally ready for treatment and if need be, spiritually motivated. I know there are many

times I have prayed with patients, because I feel if the patient knows I am supportive of their

spirituality, that they will be more likely to confide in me about anything that is bothering them.

While caring is at the forefront of nursing, Benners Novice to Expert also describes my

technique of nursing. Being a new nurse, I was definitely a novice. Now that I have 6 months of

experience, I feel like I have become an advanced beginner. The advanced beginner shows

acceptable performance, and has gained prior experience in actual nursing situations. This helps

the nurse recognize recurring meaningful components so that principles, based on those

experiences, begin to formulate in order to guide actions (Petipprin, 2016).

Personal Wellness

In order for nurses to take care of their patients, they must first take care of themselves.

For me, I have double duty. Not only do I need to take care of myself, I am carrying my second

child, so I am responsible for myself, my unborn child, and up to six patients. Personal wellness

is extremely important to any nurse. Patients depend on us to aid them in their treatment and road

to recovery. Nurses must take care of themselves in order to be there for patients. If a nurse is

neglecting their health, they are not able to focus the required attention needed for patient care. If

a nurse is skipping meals, or getting less than required sleep, their concentration will not be

where it needs to be in order to efficiently take care of the patients. For me, I know I need to
RUNNING HEAD: Lindsays Nursing Philosophy 4

make sure that I am snacking throughout the day, in order to avoid any morning sickness, which

would take time away from my patients. My personal philosophy is to make the patient feel like

they are my number one priority. Establishing a trusting patient-nurse relationship is very

important to me. I want the patient to trust me and confide in me. If I am not available or not on

top of my game, patients may sense that and be reluctant to trust me. Personal wellness not only

benefits myself, it benefits the patients as well.

Conflict Management

Conflicts are almost always guaranteed to arise in any profession. In medicine and

nursing, it very important that the conflict gets resolved as soon as possible and lines of

communication stay open with everyone involved in the patients care. Different personalities

can bring different coping techniques and attitudes to the workplace. I personally prefer a

structured environment with chain of command authority, while others may prefer a less rigid

pace. In order to deal with conflict, I feel open conflict resolution is the best. I feel like the

tension between different parties can affect the patient, so it is best to clear the air as soon as

possible. There are times where I have used conflict avoidance, but I feel like it always winds up

becoming a bigger problem when I do that. It is beneficial for all involved with patient, to adapt

to everyones different attitudes and learn from one another. Learning from each other can only

bring harmony to the workplace. Teamwork is essential in nursing and the more we work

together, the better patient outcomes will be.

Patient Safety

Patient safety is my first priority always. Keeping up with current practices and

constantly improving safety measures for our patients is of the utmost importance. Patient

centered care, teamwork and collaboration, education, and best evidenced practice are essential
RUNNING HEAD: Lindsays Nursing Philosophy 5

for patient safety. Putting the patient first and including them in the plan of care can only

enhance the treatment of the patient. In order for the patient to trust me, I want them to

understand and know that I put their safety first and value their opinion in their care. Teamwork

and collaboration is vital for the care team. Every provider needs to be in agreement with

treatment plan. If there is a disagreement, its important to find common ground and continue on.

If there is a miscommunication, thats when mistakes occur. We as health care providers are not

perfect and mistakes will happen. We need make sure we learn from any mistakes made, and use

the best evidenced practices in order to avoid future mistakes. Nurses can learn from

experiences to synthesize and apply knowledge in advancing their practice (Sherwood and

Zomorodi, 2014).

Leadership

As a new addition to this profession, I am still developing my leadership skills. I am a

very outgoing, compassionate person, but my wisdom is still developing. I feel like my

leadership skills are slowly progressing and as I continue on in this profession, I hope I develop

some of the leadership skills that some of the senior nurses around me have. They should also

be dynamic, passionate, have a motivational influence on other people, be solution-focused and

seek to inspire others (Frankel, 2008). I feel like I try to emulate my preceptors leadership

style. She is always there to lend a helping hand, or answer a question for anyone. I hope that one

day I am the nurse new nurses come to and ask advice or questions. I feel in order to be an

effective leader, a nurse should exemplify good communication, teamwork, and being adaptable

to change.
RUNNING HEAD: Lindsays Nursing Philosophy 6

Conclusion

My nursing philosophy is tailored to me, to exemplify what I feel is important to me and

my career. As my career goes on, and I hope to grow wiser and Im sure my nursing philosophy

will evolve. I couldnt be more eager and excited to be in the nursing profession and I look

forward to the knowledge and experience I gain along the way.

RUNNING HEAD: Lindsays Nursing Philosophy 7

References

Frankel, A. (2008). What Leadership Styles Should Senior Nurses Develop?. Nurse Times. 104.

23-24.

Petiprin, A. (2016). Jean Watson Nursing Theorist. Retrieved from: http://www.nursing-

theory.org/theories-and-models/watson-philosphy-and-science-of-caring.php

Sherwood, G., & Zomorodi, M. (2014). A new mindset for quality and safety: The QSEN

competencies redefine nurses roles in practice. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 41(1),

15- 22, 72. Retrieved fromhttp://www.prolibraries.com/anna/?select=session&

sessionID=296