Running head: PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING

 
Philosophy of Nursing
Catherine Morris
Lakeview College of Nursing
N200-Theories & Issues in Nursing
February 20, 2011

PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING
Philosophy of Nursing
The purpose of this paper is to discuss my personal views of Nursing and to incorporate the three basic concepts of the Nursing profession: person, environment, and health. I will also discuss how Lakeview College of Nursing’s philosophy is similar to mine. While incorporating all three concepts I will explain what Nursing as a profession means to me.
	When it comes to the Nursing profession some people may find it hard to actually describe their own philosophy. I think that the three major concepts serve as a basis for just about everything that occurs throughout the profession. My personal philosophy of Nursing is also based on these three main concepts. I believe that everything that takes places in the Nursing profession is somehow related to one of these concepts. There is not one thing that a nurse can do without focusing on one of these concepts, if not all. I personally believe that they are all related to each other. In order for a person to be considered whole, they need to have health, and in order to have health they must live in a good environment. When thinking of Nursing I always try to keep in mind that it doesn’t just revolve around the patient itself. In order to be an effective nurse you need to be therapeutic and able to communicate with a variety of people. I think that Nursing is an important career and it offers endless rewards. However, these rewards don’t come without years of training and clinical experiences. Not just anybody can be a nurse; it takes a passionate and committed person to dedicate endless hours of caring for other people. Some skills can be learned, but I strongly believe that Nursing is built into a person. You can always learn how to be therapeutic, but you can’t just learn how to be kind and passionate, I believe its part of you nature and what makes you your own person.
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	The term person is used to describe a man, women, or child. A person has several subsystems that make them whole. Every person is unique and different than all other persons. (Chitty & Black, 2010, p. 294) These unique characteristics each person has can come from their genes or can be based on their environment. Sometimes certain characteristics are determined from their parent’s genes even before a person is born. Such characteristics might include eye color, skin color, and gender. On the other hand some characteristics are determined by the environment. (Chitty & Black, 2010, p. 294)  Sometimes the way a person will turn out can be based on their educational opportunities or where the individual currently resides. When looking at environmental characteristics I think this requires a more personal approach. Sometime we need to take into consideration that amount of parental supervision, their nutritional intake, their housing lifestyle. When looking at what makes an individual unique, environment can have a sufficient role. If a person is born with no genetic abnormalities, but is born into a poor family they are likely to struggle. Maybe they live in a poor neighborhood and their education system is not as good as it should be. 
	In addition to being unique, a person has basic human needs. The basic human needs discussed in Chitty & Black (2010) correlate a lot with my personal philosophy. A lot of the needs discussed my Maslow are related to the environment. The first basic need has to do with basic physiological needs, things such as: air, food, water, shelter. The second level is based on safety needs, and the third is based on love and belonging. Things that would fit into this category are intimacy and relationships. As we climb higher up esteem needs become important. The highest need however, is self actualization. This is considered the highest basic need and is 
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something that does not come easy; usually a person will have to strive to reach self actualization. (Chitty & Black, 2010, 302)
	The next concept to be aware of is the environment. A person’s environment can be something small and controlled or something enormous. The environment can either help or disrupt a person’s healthy lifestyle. Chitty & Black (2010) say that “an environment includes all circumstances, influences, and conditions that surround and affect individuals, families, or groups (p.296). When discussing the basic needs of each person, environment plays a major role. The satisfaction to which a person meets those needs is more times than not based on environmental factors. 
	When talking about a person’s environment, I also agree with Chitty & Black (2010) in that a person’s family is their most direct influence on a person. (p 297) The type of family we grow up in plays a major role in the person we turn out to be as we grow up. Whether a person grows up in a single family or in a very large family will make a difference. Our families are the people we surround ourselves with the most, so this makes sense that they would have the biggest impact on our lives. 
	Health is the third major concept that is essential to professional Nursing. I believe that health is the third concept to grasp because it is built from the previous two concepts. An individual’s health status can differ on a daily basis, but it is dependent on a variety of different things. When thinking of the word health, it doesn’t just mean to be free of disease or illness. I think that the term health is more complex and should incorporate your entire body. In order to be considered healthy you must think about the well-being of a person, both physically and 
PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING
mentally. Just because a person is free of disease doesn’t necessarily mean that they are healthy. When looking at this concept I believe that a nurse needs to pay special attention to habits and personal beliefs that each person has. Some people use tobacco, others drink alcohol, and some cultures find it wrong to eat meat. This particular concept has a lot of aspects to take into consideration.
	Lakeview College of Nursing’s philosophy is very well stated and similar to my own beliefs. Lakeview College of Nursing (2009) states that “The professional nurse provides healthcare based on the problem-solving methodology of the Nursing process; assumes an active role for the improvement of healthcare; and facilitates individuals, families, groups, and communities to meet their healthcare needs throughout the lifespan” (philosophy section, para. 2). I believe that this sentence closely correlates with my own philosophy in that a nurse’s main goal is to meet healthcare needs. The philosophy focuses on the standards and beliefs that we as nurses strive to fulfill. Both Lakeview College of Nursing’s philosophy and my very own centers around those we are caring for and also the need for personal growth. Another common similarity is the possession of certain skills and traits in which it takes to be a nurse. I found that although our philosophies were not stated in the same words, both strive for the same goals. 
	When putting my beliefs of Nursing into words, I found that describing Nursing is difficult. There is not just one word that can be used, as the profession itself is so complex. When thinking of Nursing it is important to keep in mind that not just anybody can become a nurse. The profession requires certain skills and traits in which a person needs to posses. When it comes to understanding the profession itself, three major concepts can help: person, environment, and health. Everything a nurse does will in some way correlate to one of these three words. All three of these words are essential when it comes to patient care and need to be understood in order to be an efficient caregiver.

PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING
References
Chitty, K., & Black, B. (2010). Conceptual and philosophical bases of Nursing. In Y. Alexopoulos & L.Newton (Eds.), Professional Nursing: Concepts & challenges (291-311). Maryland Heights, MO: Saunders Elsevier.
Lakeview College of Nursing. (2009). Standards of practice.  Retrieved from http://www.lakeviewcol.edu/au_standards.asp