Few professions benefit from personal philosophies as much as nursing does. Society’s views on certain values are constantly changing, so the opinion about the profession of a nurse is also transforming. The role of such a philosophy is that it defines the personal perception of general ideas of medicine, which are pivotal not only in medical and philosophical problems but also in human life in general. Most importantly, personal philosophy has a direct impact on nursing practice. Any misconceptions may lead to mistakes in actual nursing, which may jeopardize the health of patients. My nursing philosophy has evolved from a simplistic pragmatic approach to patient care to holistic healthcare, encompassing respectful communication with patients.
Nursing is based on an ancient tradition, the purpose of which is to meet human needs to protect health and the environment. The main principle of the philosophy of nursing is respect for life, dignity, and human rights (Meehan et al., 2018). These values also form the basis of my own professional conduct. It is my firm belief that a nurse’s duty is not limited to providing timely medical attention, although it is the foundation of the profession. Preserving human dignity and ensuring that no rights are violated are also important for maintaining trust between patients and nurses, which directly affects healthcare outcomes.
The significance of human dignity and rights is a recent addition to my personal, professional code. The previous iteration of my philosophy solely revolved around the idea that the manner of patient care is not important as long as the patient recuperates. However, after realizing that many hospital readmissions could be avoided by careful communication and decent interaction with patients, I became more considerate of their opinion. It is the responsibility of nurses to act both independently and in cooperation with other healthcare professionals in order to meet the health protection needs of society and individual patients (Muhammad et al., 2022). Therefore, my current philosophy includes respect for patients and their right to dignity.
The specific factor that influenced me to change my professional worldview was the exposure to academic research. I knew that initial ideas about the profession can due to experience and interaction with colleagues in this field. It is essential to maintain academic interest to meet society’s modern needs constantly (Bender et al., 2021). Thus, the primary source of change is the professional environment, where unique situations always arise that allow evaluating my own beliefs. The turning point for me transpired when several patients I had attended to got readmitted, I decided to research the reasons for readmissions. As the reality of the situation became clear, I realized two important necessities, the first of which was the importance of reading research, while the second one was the necessity to change my philosophy.
Overall, my nursing philosophy has seen a fundamental change influenced by practice and contemporary research. Respect for life, dignity, and human rights became a defining aspect of my professional worldview. I understood that healthcare is more complex and nuanced than I had initially imagined. Although such details may seem innocuous, ensuring the proper manner of communication with patients has the capacity to save their lives and improve healthcare outcomes. Not only did this realization change my professional philosophy, but it also improved my nursing practice and made me a better person overall.
References
Bender, M., Grace, P. J., Green, C., Hopkins‐Walsh, J., Kirkevold, M., Petrovskaya, O., Paljevic, E. D., & Sellman, D. (2021). The role of philosophy in the development and practice of nursing: Past, present and future. Nursing Philosophy, 22(4).
Meehan, T. C., Timmins, F., & Burke, J. (2018). Fundamental care is guided by the careful nursing philosophy and professional practice model. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 27(11–12), 2260–2273.
Muhammad, S., Muhammad, S., Maryam, S., & Ubaid U. R. (2022). A proposed philosophy of nursing in the light of nursing metatheory. Journal of Saidu Medical College, Swat, 12(2), 106–109.