Philosophy of Nursing

Megan J. Stucki
September 7, 2012
Last Revision: March 29, 2016
In 2006, my uncle, who was 54-years-old at the time, was experiencing renal failure. Although dialysis
was the short-term remedy, we were desperate for a long-term solution. Each of his healthy siblings was
tested for donor compatibility. Luckily his younger sister, Nancy, was a match. Nancy, my mother, was 50
years old at the time. She was in great physical condition due to healthful eating and exercising most of
her life. As the date of kidney transplant drew near my mom expressed the desire to have someone stay
with her in the hospital. My father was unable to take time off work, so I volunteered to accompany her.
The surgery went smoothly, without any complications. The nurse asked her if she was in any pain, and
she said no. She explained how to use the pca pump to my mom, but neglected to mention that a
proactive approach would be best. She then proceeded to place the button, which controlled the pump,
out of my moms reach and site. A short while later the pain came so quickly and severely it caused my
mother to hyperventilate. She later told me, It felt like I had been run over by a mack truck! In that
moment she didnt remember the pca pump. She wasnt able to think about anything except the pain.
Even though I was in the room at the time I didnt think about the pca pump either, due to the distressing
situation. All I could do was call for the nurse and hold my moms hand. The RN arrived and began
administering the pain medication with the pca pump, while a different nurse helped my mother cope by
using breathing techniques. I was impressed with this nurses ability to adapt to the circumstance and
help my mom breathe through the severe pain.
Reflecting on what went wrong regarding the pca pump, I give the nurse the benefit of the doubt. There
are times though, when I cant help but feel she should have known better. An extra minute of patient
teaching would have done the trick. My mom was unaware of the severe pain this kind of surgery would
present or how fast the operative analgesics would wear off. After the pain was under control the nurse
apologized for not giving better instruction. I was impressed by her willingness to take responsibility for
her decisions, just as the nursing theorist Rosemarie Rizzo Parse would suggest (Human becoming
theory, 2011). While I couldnt do the technical things a nurse does, Ive since learned from my mom that
I was a great emotional support to her. In fact, she stated that the emotional support that my family and I
offered was just as important as the physical support. This familial support lowered her stress levels and
she was able to recover quickly. As I become an expert nurse, I aspire to provide this same comfort to
future patients.
My mothers sacrifice of her health, time, comfort and kidney were small things in order to save the life of
her brother. In my life I can relate my moms sacrifice in a small way to the life of Jesus Christ. In this act
she showed unconditional love and thought only of the life of her brother, as well as the people who
counted on him. She was able to see life through their eyes and facilitate a better outcome (Human
becoming theory, 2011), another of Parses principles. As I live my life, I strive each day to shape it after
the life of Christ. I do this because his life was one of giving, teaching and of loving. He was able to love
everyone equally, no matter their station, past or current situation. I wish to emulate the many nurses who

demonstrate this quality of treating their patients equally and with great care in spite of the patients
lifestyle choices.
My nursing philosophy is developing from these concepts of wholeness and lifestyle changes or
prevention. I believe in treating the whole person, not just the body or the symptoms. Parse, in her
nursing theory also states that man is not merely a body, but a combination of biological, psychological,
sociological, and spiritual factors (Human becoming theory, 2011). In addition to this concept of
wholeness, I believe we must put a greater emphasis on teaching, just as the pca pump experience with
my mom and the nurse demonstrated. This would help preclude avoidable sickness and suffering. Many
of our daily choices lead us down the path of disease and disorder, but if we make better lifestyles
choices and set goals for ourselves we would see a dramatic increase in better outcomes and far less
illness.
In the Chinese culture and in traditional Chinese nursing, nurses are told to care for their patients as if
they were related by blood (Hao, 2011). Adding to this, in my future nursing practice I will take from my
mothers example and the teachings of Jesus Christ, the need to care for and treat my fellow man as I
would my own family. My mothers experience has instilled in me a desire to give and serve, and I find
that nursing presents a perfect opportunity to do so. As Parse directed, we must reach beyond the limits
we set for ourselves, we must strive to be and do more.