Nursing Philosophy Of Humanism

The philosophy of humanism can be traced back to several hundred years before the birth of Christ. One of the earliest humanist philosophers, Aristotle, believed that human wellbeing and happiness was based on virtuous action and that “in our travels we can see how every human being is akin to [another] human being” (Kristjánsson, 2014). Desiderius Erasmus, a 16th century Dutch philosopher, spoke out in defense of free-will as it pertains to humanism (Tracy, 2017). Modern humanists such as Corliss Lamont wrote “to define twentieth-century humanism briefly, I would say that it is a philosophy of joyous service for the greater good of all humanity in this natural world” (Berger, 2017). The simplest conclusion is that humanism is a philosophy

This is not to be confused with the standardized nursing process of ADPIE, rather, it is a relationship-based approach to nursing care. First, the nurse must prepare to meet their patient. This takes an open-minded approach, and the willingness of the nurse to “approach the unknown openly” (Patterson & Zderad, 2017). Second, the nurse works to understand and form a relationship with the patient with the nurse not superimposing themselves onto the patient. Third, the nurse uses analysis to understand their patient scientifically. Again, this process should not be confused with ADPIE; it is a process of connecting, understanding, and comparing with an external approach. Fourth, the nurse must have the ability to understand that they are a source of knowledge, and that they have an obligation to continually advance themselves through education and practices. Finally, the nurse can take what they have learned about themselves, others, and the community and apply it to their patient (Patterson & Zderad,

Often, we see and believe nurses to be ones that promote and restore health, participate in health teaching, and work to maintain one’s current health. When an individual has a disease, they are labeled as terminal or chronic, thus the narrowest definition of "health" is the absence of disease. However, when a person is reaching the end of their life, it is the greatest time for a nurse to provide expert, complete, caring, and valuable nursing care. The focus is not just on the patient's well-being, but their "more-being" as Paterson and Zderad emphasized. Nurses have the loving opportunity to help the patient become more as they near the end of life. During this time, the nurse and patient undergo a meaningful, valuable relationship with the nurse being acutely aware of the feelings, thoughts, and senses of the patient. Nurses are not merely "being there" for their patient, but are "being with" their patient. Therefore, "health" as applied to a dying patient is not only helping them transition to death with dignity and peace, but helping them to live until they