PROFESSIONAL OUTLOOK: THE NURSING PHILOSOPHY 1

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1 PROFESSIONAL OUTLOOK: THE NURSING PHILOSOPHY 1 Professional Outlook: The Nursing Philosophy John B. Ward UIN: Old Dominion University Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements in the course NURS 300: Introduction to Nursing Theories and Concepts I in the School of Nursing Old Dominion University NORFOLK, VIRGINIA Fall, 2010

2 PROFESSIONAL OUTLOOK: THE NURSING PHILOSOPHY 2 Professional Outlook: The Nursing Philosophy The role of a nurse in the healthcare field and the definition of nursing care have been widelydebated topics since the infancy of formalized Nursing in the overall timeline of healthcare. This professional outlook assignment serves to provide the beginning nursing student with an opportunity to explore and define their own personal philosophies regarding the role of nurses and the concepts of nursing care while still in early stages of their nursing education and profession. By exploring and defining their own ideas regarding the role of a nurse and the concept of nursing care, the nursing student can be better prepared to provide competent, unbiased patient care for the remainder of their student experience, and for the duration of their future career in the field of nursing. The term philosophy has several connotations, though it can generally be defined as a system of beliefs, values, viewpoints, or tenets that a person or group generally believes in or adheres to. When applied to the field of nursing, a philosophy can serve as a guideline for nurses that fosters and promotes exceptional, professional, and unbiased care to all patients in need of treatment. Philosophies such as this serve to ensure that standards of care are met, and that all patients receive the best care possible in a timely and impartial manner. Personal Philosophies of Nursing On a fundamental level, I believe that a nurse's role in the modern world is to be that of a provider of professional, reliable, and informed healthcare to another person to an extent that such a person could otherwise not provide for himself or herself in a time of need. As with all aspects of social interaction with others, I believe everyone working within the nursing field should treat others with the same care, professionalism, and respect that they would prefer to be treated with themselves if they were in a time of need. My personal philosophy on modern-day nursing calls for nursing providers who are accepting of all people, and nurses who are willing to provide unbiased care, without hesitation, to people of all races, religions, creeds, and cultural backgrounds. In addition, a nurse must be willing and capable of providing for all of a patient's physical, psychological, social, emotional, and spiritual needs, among many other things. In a study designed to address the perceived differences in needs between nurses and their

3 PROFESSIONAL OUTLOOK: THE NURSING PHILOSOPHY 3 patients, (1999) discovered that less-significant needs, such as social and emotional needs, are often overlooked by many nurses despite their critical importance to the patients themselves. The results of this study confirm that basic physical needs are not the only needs that patients desire to have addressed, and that the perceived-needs of a patient are not always what a nursing provider might incorrectly think they are. A nurse must be cognitively aware that their patients will often not have the same values, beliefs, cultural backgrounds, and personal life philosophies. A nurse should provide such competent and unbiased care to their patients to the best of their abilities. In order to continually provide care of this level to both their current and future patients, nurses must continually strive to better their healthcare knowledge and skills through practice and exploration, and they must maintain an adequate level of social awareness that recognizes and incorporates all belief systems, including cultural and religious differences. When it comes time to make the transition from nursing student to registered nurse, I plan to seek employment at a place of business that offers a work environment that is supportive of all the goals and ideals that I previously mentioned. At its' core, I would hope that this environment would offer the best care and resources available to those patients who are in need of it. In addition, I would hope that this care is provided in an unbiased fashion, with a level of competence that far surpasses the minimum requirements expected of the field at the time. I would also hope that this environment is as supportive of its' employees as it is of its' patients. Although I don't directly draw my beliefs from any one renowned nursing philosophy or nursing theorist, I discovered through research for this assignment that Virginia Henderson's theory on patient needs most closely relates to my own nursing beliefs. As I previously stated, I believe a nurse must be willing and capable of providing for all of a patient's physical, psychological, social, emotional, and spiritual needs to an extent that a patient could otherwise not provide for himself or herself in a time of need. Henderson's theory makes the assumption that nurses are needed to help patients meet fourteen basic human needs that others would otherwise not be able to provide for, such as breathing normally, eating and drinking adequately, maintaining cleanliness, helping to express emotion and faith, and maintaining an overall level of health and functioning.

4 PROFESSIONAL OUTLOOK: THE NURSING PHILOSOPHY 4 Professional Outlook The Nursing field faces many challenges in carrying out both their daily duties and their longterm operations. From having to deal with a vast array of differing medical conditions on a day-to-day basis, to dealing with the consequences of politics and healthcare debates on a grander scheme, there is no shortage of challenges that a nurse faces during the course of their career. As with most professions of this current time, the Nursing profession currently faces difficult times as the current economic recession takes its' toll on its' employees, and the field in general. In attempts to cut costs and salvage their businesses, many employers have failed to hire adequate staffing, despite the fact that the patient population continues to vastly increase in number. Some nursing employees have been laid off, while others have been required to work more hours, or to take pay cuts despite an increasing workload. This has damaging effects on both the nursing employees, and their patients. I personally believe that problems stemming from the current recession will continue to be the greatest challenge to the profession of nursing in the future, though the ever-growing population of elderly and obese patients follows close behind in second place. Future employers will design administrative and employment structures that will aim to cut costs and increase financial gains in the midst of ever-growing and sickly patient populations. This will clearly place both patients and employees at greater health risks. Educational Goals The majority of medical branches within the healthcare field require a degree of learning that is considered by most within the field to be a life-long process of educational growth and skill development. Similarly, the nursing profession is also commonly viewed by most providers in the field to involve a life-long learning process. Careers in all healthcare fields require an extensive knowledge base and skill competence in many facets of both medical and non-medical branches of study. Given the demanding day-to-day requirements and patient care expectations when operating as a nurse, it is only reasonable to expect nurses to have some of the most extensive knowledge and training in the healthcare world.

5 PROFESSIONAL OUTLOOK: THE NURSING PHILOSOPHY 5 Becoming a great healthcare provider requires a significant amount of advanced medical education and training, and becoming a great nurse bears no exception to this statement. At some point after receiving my BSN and practicing in the field for a period of time, I hope to pursue a career in Nurse Anesthesia. At a minimum, this will require me to seek out several years of critical care experience and a master's-level degree. I would welcome the opportunity to function in a position of autonomy and leadership within this discipline. I believe that operating within such a discipline would allow a nurse to put their many years of training and education together while presenting them with situations in which they can perform to the maximum of their abilities. Summary In summary, my philosophy of modern-day nursing care centers around professional, reliable, and unbiased healthcare. The modern-day nurse must willing to provide all patients with care that they could otherwise not provide for themselves during a time of need, and they must do so in an accepting and impartial manner, without hesitation, to people of all races, religions, creeds, and cultural backgrounds. This care consists of, but is not limited to, the patient's physical, psychological, social, emotional, and spiritual needs. Nurses should treat others with the same care, professionalism, and respect that they would prefer to be treated with themselves if they were in a time of need, while at the same time being aware that their patients often have different values, beliefs, and backgrounds. Throughout the course of the semester, I have become more cognizant of the personal attributes that I sometimes overlook or forget about in the day-to-day grind. The significance of being compassionate to all patients and for all complaints, both big and small, has become most significantly clear to me in the process. Examining the vast array of theories and concepts in the field of Nursing has opened my mind and expanded my beliefs pertaining to the practice of nursing care. The most significant change in perception that I have made about the profession of Nursing pertains to the sheer volume of different perspectives of nursing care within the Nursing field. Just three months ago, my perspective of nursing care was somewhat narrow and limited, and I would never have imagined that so many different ideas and theories pertaining to the different aspects of nursing care existed.

6 PROFESSIONAL OUTLOOK: THE NURSING PHILOSOPHY 6 References Hostutler, J. J., Taft, S. H., & Snyder, C. (1999). Patient Needs in the Emergency Department: Nurses' and Patients' Perceptions. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 29(1), Retrieved from &S=JFBHFPBEMODDKBOJNCDLGFFBIAPOAA00&Link+Set=S.sh %7c7%7csl_ 10?