Nursing is more than just simply a career. Nursing is a calling from a higher power. I chose to be a nurse for several different reasons. My uncle was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in (date). The care and compassion shown to my uncle put nursing in another perspective for me. The feelings of care and comfort my family received during this tragic time had a strong impact on my decision to become a nurse. I decided that I wanted to make the lives of sick individuals, as well as their families, less stressful. I decided that I wanted to become a nurse.
Person All clients should receive care that is based on the individual; the care of the person is one of the core concepts of nursing. A core mission that I like to follow as a professional nurse is based on Huber’s text, Leadership and Nursing Case Management. Huber (2006) states, “nursing is a service profession whose core mission is the care and nurturing of human beings in their experiences of health and illness” (p. 3). It is my opinion that nursing care should be given to an individual regardless of race, color, creed, or cultural beliefs.
My belief is reinforced by Hood and Leddy’s (2006) statement that “effective nursing care includes meeting special cultural care needs of clients” (p. 292). Environment Environment is essential in the well-being of all cultures. Consideration of the environment is also crucial to the practice of holistic nursing. Leiniger and McFarland (2006) stated, “holistic dimensions of environment go beyond commonly focused biophysical and emotional foci used by nurses, and to broad areas of grasping living and caring settings” (p. 10).
Thus, it is important to obtain, understand, and include all aspects of a client’s environment when providing care. Health Health is another important aspect to the philosophy of nursing. It is also included in the holistic approach of nursing. Venes and Thomas (2001) define health as “a condition in which all functions of the mind are normally active” (p. 892). In my opinion, health means much more than the functioning of the mind. Health is not only being free of disease, but also being physically, mentally, and socially well.
Physical health of clients can be promoted by ensuring all clients receive adequate exercise and the proper medications. In addition to physical health, an equally important aspect of wellbeing is mental health. Therefore, to properly maintain health, it is imperative for nurses to assess both the physical and mental health of clients. An example of assessing health could be analyzing verbal and nonverbal communication to uncover mental health issues while discussing care or obtaining a health history with clients. The third aspect of health, social health, is another important characteristic to the philosophy of nursing.
Regardless of economic status, patients should be entitled access to quality health care, education, and a fit environment. The social and economic status of clients should be carefully evaluated by the nurse, as inadequacies in any area can lead to poor health and well-being. Nursing The basic definition of nursing is “the care and nurturing of healthy and ill people, individually or in groups and in communities” (Venes & Thomas, p. 1414). My personal definition of nursing goes into more detail than the one given by Venes and Thomas. In my opinion, nursing is the act of helping people to sustain life.
The basic skills of caring for clients are learned in the classroom. However, true nursing knowledge and intuition can only be acquired with experience and research. Research and knowledge are two major components of nursing. Through research, the world of nursing has expanded to incorporate new theories, evidence based practice, and methods by which nurse can improve the lives of their patients. In other words, nursing is a dynamic profession has evolved into both theory and research–based practice (Cherry & Jacob, 2002). Professionalism
Professionalism is a vital element to providing quality care to all clients. The professional nurse should be both knowledgeable of a community’s needs and skillful in fulfilling those needs. Professional nursing also addresses patient advocacy for clients in need. The professional nurse speaks to physicians, social workers, and other interdisciplinary team members in a knowledgeable and professional manner. In my clinical practice, I strive to continue to function as a productive professional nurse. The legal and ethical rights and responsibilities of all nurses are guided by professionalism.
In some aspects, the incorporation of the nurse as strong member of the medical community is what solidifies the nurse as a professional and not technical career. Philosophy in Practice In order to live out my philosophy of nursing, I must first remind myself why I chose to be a nurse. I must also remember what it is important to me. I will continue to remain dedicated to the health, safety, and well-being of my clients. My clients are important for many reasons. The main reason is that my clients are my responsibility. On the other hand, my family is also my responsibility.
The only difference between my clients and family is that after work I am no longer responsible for my clients. I am forever responsible for my family. Another point to remember is that I am responsible for my fellow health professionals. I must continue to guide them so they will make sound ethical decisions. In addition, I must ultimately remember to take care of myself. My own health and well-being is essential to my ability to provide quality care to all clients. I must first be of sound mind and body in order to be beneficial to anyone else.