Nursing: The Profession of Compassion and Selflessness
I have known for a very long time that I was meant to help people. When I thought of becoming a nurse, I knew it was meant for me. I believe the best care I can give to my patients is through nursing. Caring is to nursing as a beating heart is to living, it is necessary. The Theory of Caring by Jean Watson is defined as developing a helping and trusting relationship with patients and maintaining an individual's dignity, as well as being compassionate and feeling empathy towards patients (Lachman, 2012).
With this theory, Jean Watson was my primary influence on my decision of becoming a nurse. The theory of Caring can be applied in my everyday practice as a nurse. An example of a caring nurse is someone who helps a patient who had a stroke or has had surgery to regain their strength or learn how to understand their new limitations. This paper will discuss different principles concerning how I feel about what it means to be a human being, the environment in which humans exist, health and illness, and what professional nursing is or should be.
Human beings come in every shape, size, color, and culture. I believe that nurses should not let a patient's race, ethnicity, culture, or religion affect the way they treat that patient. From a very young age my mom has influenced this value on me. She taught me that regardless of a person's cultural affiliations or beliefs, each individual should be treated as a human being. As a nurse, I will learn through my education and experiences what I do not understand and will remain unbiased towards my patients, regardless of their backgrounds.
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Just because people look different than you, doesn't mean as a nurse you cannot take care of them. Everyone has the same basic survival needs according to Maslow, and they need food, oxygen, rest, activity, shelter and sexual expression (Black, 2014). All human beings have to adapt by changing, growing, and developing to their environment. As a nurse, I will strive to provide my best care to all of my patients.
My beliefs about the environment in which humans exist is that their surroundings can either benefit or hurt the health and safety of the people living in that area. As a nurse, the protection and safety of my patients is very important to me. This is done by making sure I am up to date on all immunizations to protect my patients, that I wash my hands to prevent the spread of infection, and that I teach my patients how important infection control is to everyday life.
I would also teach my patients how to make their home environment a safer place. For example, if I had a patient that came to the hospital because they kept falling at home and getting injured, one problem I would look for would be clutter or obstacles that could cause them to trip and fall.
Health and illness are viewed differently by different cultures. As a nurse, I have to respect my patient's wishes when it comes to their cares while at the hospital. I feel that keeping a patient's culture involved in their care, anywhere from their religion, how they dress, their activities of daily living, their health beliefs, and values will improve the rate of recovery and the overall environment with positive vibes. I believe that I have to look at my patient as a whole and if they have family around to help when needed. I will make sure that the patient and their family are educated on any information needed to assist the patient after being discharged from the hospital (Cowell, 2014)
Professional Nursing to me is also being responsible and accountable for my actions as a nurse. Compassion, empathy, and providing the highest standard of care are the code of ethics for the nursing practice. To become the best nurse, I will take a view of my patient and their family as a whole, not just a disease or illness with patient centered care.
Patient centered care is treating the patient by considering their preferences, needs, values, and ensuring that they are involved in developing their plan of care. I will be a team player with other RNs, LPNs, CNAs, therapists, social workers, case managers, and the doctors. Knowing that, if we all work together, the patients will receive better assistance to get well and be successful after being discharged from the hospital.
After writing my philosophy for this paper, I am excited to get my nursing career started. I have talked about what it means to a human being, the environment in which we live, health and illness, and professional nursing and what it means to me. These personal values will be a guide for me to be successful in my nursing career. As stated before, I strongly believe that caring is to nursing as a beating heart is to living. Therefore, nurses live with their patients and die with their patients.
References
- Black, B. P. (2014). Professional Nursing: Concepts & Challenges, (7th ed.). W.B. SaunderCompany, 2014. VitalBook file.
- Cowell, J. M. (2014). The Old Is New: A Philosophy of Nursing. Journal of School Nursing (Sage Publications Inc.), 30(5), 315-315 1p. doi:10.1177/1059840514548191
- Lachman, V. D. (2012, March-April). Applying the ethics of care to your nursing practice. MedSurg Nursing, 21(2), 112+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.prx-herzing.lirn.net/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA286390078&v=2.1&u=lirn50909&it=r&p=PPNU&sw=w&asid=455ecd5bcc03f40a5859e43e78d4a5e1
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Nursing: The Profession of Compassion and Selflessness. (2018, Aug 27). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/nursing-the-profession-of-compassion-and-selflessness/
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