Running head: PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING 1

Philosophy of Nursing

Kellie Jean Stark

Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing

Christine Turner, PhD, RN

NUR 4142: Synthesis for Nursing Practice

October 18, 2018

I pledge….
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Philosophy of Nursing

For as long as I can remember, I have always had the desire to help those in need. Not

only do I feel most fulfilled when I am serving and caring for others, but also when I am solving

problems and critically thinking. This is why I believe nursing is more than a career, it is a

complex calling. A call for nursing requires a commitment to lifelong learning, educating,

caring, healing, and offering service. Nurses have the unique ability to provide critical care,

make crucial judgements, calculate and administer medications, and restore health, all while

providing compassion, comfort, nonjudgmental care, empowerment, and holistic interventions.

Despite barriers to health care and frustrations, nurses show up and are able to perform these

tasks with a smile, warm heart, and thick skin.

Personal Philosophy of Nursing

Nursing is an honored profession that provides many rewards. It is an honor to be trusted

with improving a patient’s health and promoting wellness. My philosophy is that nurses have the

responsibility to demonstrate ethical behavior while providing the best care. I will always strive

to demonstrate integrity and live up to the expectations but, with difficult situations, it can be

easy to get swept up by relationships and become lost in care. I now understand that I will not be

able to give my all to every patient at every moment. There would be nothing left to give my

family, friends, and eventually my patients. At the end of the day, I believe it is important for

nurses to have balance and understand their own values and beliefs. I know it will take years of

experience to find the perfect balance.

Nursing-Patient Encounter
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When I started nursing school, I was a one hundred percent positive that I would be able

to ignore a patient’s past or flaws in order to bring about the best nursing interventions and save

the world. I was sure I would be able to care for rapist, abusers, murderers, or thieves without

any shadow of doubt. My heart was in the right place but I was very naïve. In reality, situations

are not that transparent.

After actually caring for a critically ill patient and convicted rapist, it forced me to reflect

on my thoughts and feelings towards a patient who has unfairly and severely hurt another person.

This nurse-patient encounter made me question if I should give him the same attention, kindness,

and advocacy as I give to all of my patients. My doubts did not align with my beliefs and values,

or the hospital’s mission. After reflecting, I realized that it is not my job to judge or withhold

care and compassion. It is my ethical duty to treat every patient the same, regardless of who they

are as a person and their past. My perception and understanding of a situation in the clinical

setting has changed. Now that I have context to my previous philosophy, I am comfortable with

my beliefs and confident in my ability to provide nonjudgmental holistic care to all patients. At

the end of the day, everyone looks the same in a hospital gown.

Benner’s Theory

In order to push career development and expand the minds of nurses, Patricia Benner

adapted The Dreyfus Model of Skill and Acquisition and applied it to the world of nursing.

Benner created five levels of proficiency that reflects a nurse’s level of education, performance,

and experience. The levels include novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert.

Benner’s model measures the nurses progress through these stages by focusing on two main

aspects of nursing practice. The first aspect is the transition of a nurse’s ability to only rely on

abstract principles and strict guidelines for reference and transitioning into nurses that use
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concrete experience as paradigms (Benner, 2001). The second aspect is the change of perception

and understanding of situations. A novice nurse looks at a demanding situation as a compilation

of equally important parts, but eventually transitions to see situations as a complete whole where

only certain parts are important (Benner, 2001).

Skill acquisitions. The five levels include novice, advanced beginner, competent,

proficient, and expert. The novice nurse does not have any experience and requires rules and

strict guidelines to follow and guide them through tasks and situations. The rules apply to every

situation without any context. An advanced beginner has minimal experience and can be guided

by a preceptor. Advanced beginners understand the situation but need the support of a mentor. A

competent nurse has been on the job for two to three years. Competent nurses are organized and

prepared while they plan care and goals for their patients. Proficient nurses have a deeper

understanding of the situation and base their decisions on past experiences. They are able to

consider pros and cons and hone in on accurate interventions. The highest level is expert. The

expert nurse has practiced for many years. They no longer rely on rules and guidelines to

understand a situation. It is hard to measure and describe their knowledge and experience. The

levels in the model are important because it provides clear direction and motivation for nursing

careers.

It is important to note that a nurse can move back and forth from proficient and expert.

Depending on a nurse’s specialty and amount of time in a certain field, it can be difficult to

switch to one specialty to another. For example, a cardiac nurse transferring to a labor and

delivery unit.

Advanced beginner. At this point in my nursing career, I consider myself to be an

advanced beginner nurse. With the supervision of my preceptor, I take the initiative to provide
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care and create a list of tasks to perform. I demonstrate acceptable and safe practices and I have a

marginal amount of experience that helps guide my clinical decisions. With graduation right

around the corner, I believe I am on the right track. I am always eager to learn and gain more

experience. I am motivated to advance to the next level.

Action Plan for Moving Forward

I strongly believe that with continued education, moral courage, and experience I will

move my nursing career to the next stage of skill acquisition. First, I will continue to openly seek

opportunities that facilitate growth and leadership. Education is an infinite tool that creates

innovation, success, and change. I will always value the gift of learning. I enjoy attending forums

and conferences for new information and ideas. I plan on joining councils and organizations

within the hospital. Additionally, I will use my moral courage to guide my career. I will not be

afraid to trust my intuition and question orders or treatment. I will not be afraid to ask for a

second opinion if a situation does not feel quite right. I will follow my moral compass and learn

from mistakes. Lastly, experience is a major component to moving forward. I believe that

tenacity and passion will push me through difficult situations. There are not enough books in the

world that replaces valuable first-hand experience.

Conclusion

In conclusion, as I approach the next chapter of my life, I could not be more hopeful and

excited. I pray that I will always remember my calling to become a nurse and that my philosophy

of nursing continues to evolve. I hope that with education, moral courage, and experience I am

able to move forward and provide good care to those in need.

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References

Benner, P. E. (2001). From novice to expert: Excellence and power in clinical nursing

practice (Vol. 1). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.