Professional Nursing Values

Exploring the definition of a professional moral compass, leads one in many different directions. One must first define the meaning of morality. For the purpose of this paper, morality will be defined as the guidelines for behavior that describe, “the way things ought to be and what type of things we should value” (Purtilo & Doherty, 2011, p. 6). Values are described as those things one holds dear and moral values are those things that are “needed for morality to survive and thrive” (Purtilo & Doherty, 2011, p. 6). Morality is built on relationships, and designed for people to live in peace with each other. One acquires morality from their family, their friends, education, and life experiences. It is deeply rooted, and often referred to as

3). According to James Sire, one must answer seven questions in order to define their beliefs, or worldview (Shelly & Miller, 2006). By answering those seven questions, one can have a better understanding of self. Understanding one’s self, and what values are important to them, can help the nurse develop and process the professional nursing values that are crucial to patient centered care. Like personal values, which are learned early in life, professional values start to develop during the nurse’s education and early in their career (Bryan, Mason-Whitehead, & McIntosh,

She pursued a certificate to be a Lifeguard and a Water Safety Instructor within days of the required age limit. She graduated high school near the top of her class and then joined the Air Force and graduated from security police tech school at the top of her class. As a Security Police Investigator, she was awarded the Air Force Achievement Medal and the Air Force Commendation Medal. After an honorable discharge, she graduated nursing school with a 4.0 GPA and has held that as her standard in her RN to BSN program. Her inspiration comes from within and has been challenged by life events such as divorce, challenging personal relationships, and breast cancer. These life challenges led her to seek a closer relationship with God, and she continues to seek knowledge and understanding of His loyalty to mankind, and her loyalty to Him.

This loyalty to God carries over into her professional nursing ethic, or philosophy. The author of this paper serves God, and is loyal to Jesus Christ. Furthermore, she believes we should, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” John 13:34 (NIV). She believes in treating people fairly and with compassion, respect, integrity, and excellence. She believes she is here, and a nurse, because it is her purpose. As written in Romans 8:28 (NIV), “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,