Personal Nursing Philosophy Essay

In the words of the late Virginia Henderson: “nurses help people, sick or well, to do those things needed for health or a peaceful death that people would do on their own if they had the strength, will, or knowledge.” Truer words were never spoken-- my personal nursing philosophy is much like Henderson’s in that I believe nurses do not simply follow physician’s orders, but utilize their knowledge, skills, and ability to think critically in order to help patients achieve a better quality of life.
A nurse is no longer categorized as the submissive doer of the physician and higher ups in position. Today, a nurse is a powerful, respectable force and source of knowledge, protection, advocacy, promotion, skill, and dedication. They take the necessary

measures to prevent illness and injury, alleviate suffering, and provide support to not just the patient, but all components of the patient: family, friends, loved ones, and his community. Nursing is an integrate part of Family Centered Care. It is with a holistic approach to health that today’s nurse fulfills the many responsibilities that they accountable for.
In order to be in a state of “good health,” a person must achieve a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.

A nurse is able to achieve this great balance, with the patient and self, by being conscious of the environment that surrounds them and through self awareness. For example, in the scene of an emergency, first and foremost, a nurse must check the environment before started emergent care. Both the patient and nurse must be safe for treatment to be effective. The environment is what surrounds us; our workplace, home, communities, issues we think about, the people we interact with, and the emotions associated with these interactions. The nurse knows that all of these components play an integral role in maintaining stability in a person’s life and health. The nurse assumes care of not just a disease process but of a human being as a whole; a family, a livelihood, a spirit, a person. A nurse knows that in order for holistic care to be effective, the care taker themselves should be at a point of stability as well. A true nurse knows that in order to excel you must know your limits and understand that while your main goal is to help the patient regain their strength, identity, and independence, that goal does not have to be achieved by compromising your own self, identity, and

independence.
Being a nurse today allows for one to be a leader, a follower, a student, a teacher, a voice, the true embodiment of patient care and the health care field.