Shaping My Nursing Philosophy

Shaping My Nursing Philosophy: Compassion, Advocacy, and Holistic Care.

Anmol Kaur School of Nursing, York University HH/NURS 1511: Nursing Theory and Knowledge Development Professor Ruth Robbio March 18, 2024

In my first year of nursing school, I've noticed that my views and understanding of nursing have been changing as I delve deeper into this program. At the beginning, I picked nursing because of my desire to assist others and my firm conviction in the significance of providing holistic care. My values and beliefs in nursing revolve around empathy, compassion and advocacy for patients’ wellbeing and rights. I advocate for treating each person with dignity and respect, regardless of their background or circumstances. I

These theories aren't just ideas, for me; I view them as frameworks that I can directly apply in real life situations, both in clinical settings and as a working nurse. By immersing myself in these theories, I expect to gain insights that will not just enhance my academic knowledge but also enable me to make well informed decisions and deliver high quality care to patients. I look forward to the opportunity to bridge theory with practice, turning knowledge into actions that have a positive impact on patient outcomes. My philosophy in nursing is centered on the values of compassion, holistic care, advocacy and lifelong learning to address the phenomena of patient needs comprehensively and ethically. I see nursing as a blend of art and science involving not applying evidence-based methods but also fostering connections with patients and their loved ones. At the core of my philosophy is the understanding that every person is unique with their own values, beliefs and life experiences that impact their health and healing journey. As a nurse, my goal is to deliver care that addresses the emotional, social and spiritual needs of each individual in my care. I perceive nurses as allies and advocates for patients, empowering

Nurses engage in health promotion activities like educating patients, preventing diseases and providing guidance on lifestyle modifications. For example, a community nurse aligned with my philosophy partners with local organizations to combat food insecurity in underserved neighborhoods. Through organizing community gatherings centered around nutrition education and facilitating access to food, the nurse promotes equity in health while empowering people to make healthy choices for their lifestyle. Jean Watson's Human Caring theory resonates well with my approach to nursing. Vandenhouten et al. (2012) concludes that familiarity with Watson's theory is associated with a greater perception of professional caring behaviors among nurses like the value of holistic care, showing compassion and nurturing the nurse patient relationship. Firstly, in my approach to nursing I place a focus on compassion as a principle, likewise Gunawan et al. (2022) emphases that Watson's theory highlights the importance of caring as the essence of nursing. For instance, when tending to a patient in pain, both my philosophy and Watson's theory would suggest methods