Running head: PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING 1

Philosophy of Nursing
Mary Davidson
UIN #00934875







NUR 401
Old Dominion University
Spring 2012
PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING 2

Philosophy of Nursing
As a somewhat new member of the nursing profession, my personal philosophy of
nursing is still developing. Much like any new career, my practice in nursing will undoubtedly
take time to grow, and eventually Ill become the nurse I aspire to be. Experience will continue
to nurture my skills and instincts necessary to attain my goals in the nursing profession. As I
evolve into an experienced nurse, I expect to meet obstacles and challenges along the way that
may test my philosophy of nursing. These will present opportunities for me to explore creative
ways to problem solve and perhaps change my perspective. However, at the core of my practice,
I know theres a foundation Im building everyday that shapes my beliefs as a nurse. One thing
is for certain; I have the passion and commitment to providing the best care possible for my
patients.
Definition and Purpose of Nursing
According to the American Nurses Association, Nursing is the protection, promotion,
and optimization of health and abilities, preventions of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering
through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals,
families, communities, and populations.(ANA). This broad definition is a compass, which I use
as the basis of my practice as a nurse. Much of nursing is described in scientific terms,
however, I believe the art of nursing (i.e., instincts, intuition) is an aspect of nursing thats
difficult to explain or describe to those outside of our occupation. Perhaps the science of nursing
is the doing and the art of nursing is the feeling part of our jobs. The art and science of
nursing are dependent on one another in order to optimize care for our patients.
The purpose of nursing is to care for patients and work along side the other medical
professionals to optimize well-being and health. Quite often Im carrying out orders and tasks
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that have been prescribed from the patients physician. Although the physician will diagnose an
illness and create a treatment plan, its the nurse who will execute and deliver the modalities in
order to promote healing. As a nurse, my responsibility is not only to assist in the treatment
process, but to also recognize how illness has impacted the patient globally. It places the focus
on patient and family centered care. Family, work and communities play a role in how a patient
recovers from illness. Its very important that we take in consideration the whole person when
caring for our patients.
Values and Beliefs
Many of my values and beliefs about nursing were first developed by observing nurses
who cared for my elderly parents years ago. I spent countless weeks watching nurses interact
with my mother and father when they were hospitalized. The compassion, dedication and humor
they provided during those bleak times was inspiring, and they inadvertently became my role
models years later. Providing compassionate care is of utmost importance to me. Caring for
patients in the manner with which my parents were cared for is what inspires me. Human
suffering is something I witness as a nurse, and it motivates me to do my very best to provide
comfort to my patients.
Either naturally or by training, nurses are accustomed to being mindful of others. We are
in a unique position to care for, educate and advocate for our patients. Our jobs require us to be
flexible, altruistic and self-motivated along with being honest with, and loyal to our patients. I
believe patients are entitled to our full attention while were interacting with them. Patients can
be apprehensive and vulnerable while dealing with illness, and nurses often spend more time
with them than other medical professionals. We have great opportunities to listen to their
concerns and fears, and help ease their anxiety. These are also important times to teach self-care
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and coping skills to encourage independence. I believe the greater control a patient has in
dealing with disease and illness, the better the outcome.
Professional Practice
In my area of nursing (O.R.), I practice under the guidelines and principles established by
AORN. In addition to this framework, patient advocacy and safety are paramount
responsibilities. My nursing practice is guided by these two principles with every patient.
Because the patient is anesthetized, I must be their voice and ensure that their needs are met. For
example, if my patient has an allergy to iodine and the surgeon requests the surgical site be
prepped with Betadine, I must remind him of the patients allergy and suggest a different prep
solution. Generally physicians are agreeable and the case proceeds with the patient prepped with
a safe solution. Patient positioning is another area in which I must advocate for the patient;
especially during surgeries lasting more than two hours. Im vigilant in checking for pressure
areas and skin breakdown during the case. Patients should be re-positioned after two hours and
many times I ask the surgeon to pause while I check under the drapes to make adjustments. I
also monitor for proper body alignment in order to prevent joint and nerve damage to any part of
the patients body. There are risks associated with any surgical procedure, however, its my
responsibility to ensure that we as a perioperative team, are mindful of the preventable negative
outcomes.
One of the most important safety aspects of my job is to maintain accurate sponge,
sharps, and instrument counts for the surgery. I conduct an initial count with the scrub
technician before the surgery, and perform a closing count near the end of the surgery. Its my
responsibility to account for all the items we began with to prevent a retained surgical item (RSI)
in the patient. In fact, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has referred to an RSI as a
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never event, and RSI is on the list of hospital-acquired conditions that could reasonably have
been prevented (Hospital Acq. Condit.) The surgical team, lead by the circulator nurse, must be
cognizant in avoiding this type of event. This can have serious consequences for the patient
should it occur.
The greatest challenge in my area of nursing is staffing shortages, which I believe
impacts patient safety. This has been an issue for several years and continues to be problematic
for O.R.s nation wide. OR nursing leaders continue to grapple with the nursing shortage. Only
one-third report that they do not have a shortage of OR nurses, a change from two years ago,
when nearly half did not. (O.R. Manager, 2006.). Mistakes happen due to not having enough
nurses to adequately handle the challenges in the surgical environment. Nurses are constantly
rushed to turn over the rooms between surgeries. In between surgical procedures, 160
activities performed during change time were identified. (Brennefors, 2004) Optimal turn over
time is 30 minutes, which requires the entire perioperative team to work in collaboration to
safely prepare for the next patient. Ive personally experienced incorrect counts due to being
rushed to get the next case going. Additional nursing staff would alleviate the demands that
ultimately compromise patient safety by rushing. The positive aspect of these challenges is its
motivating me to seek more efficient methods and solutions to performing my daily tasks at
work.
Conclusion
I consider nursing to be a service-oriented profession, where patients are our customers.
Nursing philosophy is like a blueprint that directs our thoughts, actions, and attitudes while
taking care of our customers. Although Im a relatively new nurse, my nursing philosophy is
beginning to take shape. Experience and challenges are providing rich opportunities to explore
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and develop my nursing beliefs and values. I believe patient advocacy and safety will remain at
the core of my nursing practice in the future. Until staffing shortages resolve in my area of
nursing, Ill continue to provide safe and comprehensive patient care with fewer resources.
These challenges are inspiring me to think critically and creatively solve problems in my work
environment.
Whether instinctively or by training, I believe people are called to this profession to serve
others in their most vulnerable state. I became a nurse because I have a passion for helping
people. Im humbled by and honored to do what I do every day. My goal is to provide
compassionate care for patients, and advocate for their needs.



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References
American Nurses Association. What is nursing?
http://www.nursingworld.org/EspeciallyForYou/What-is-Nursing. Retrieved March 28, 2012.

Brennerfors, E., & Lundberg, C. (2004). What do we do in the operating room during turn over
time?. Nordic Journal of Nursing Research & Clinical Studies/Vard I Norden, 24(2), 44-47.

Hospital Acquired Conditions. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
http://www.cms.gov/HospitalAcqCond/06_Hospital_Acquired_Conditions.asp. Retrieved March
29, 2012.

O.R. Manager. 2006 September: 22(9): 1, 9-13.