Running Head: Nursing Care Philosophy and Goals for Professional Nursing and Skills 1

Development

Nicole Kretkowski

Grand Canyon University: NSG-310

August 12th, 2018

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The act of nursing is both an art and a science. The art of nursing occurs when the

overall well-being in both the patients and the nurse themselves is enhanced. Nursing as an art is

ultimately the creative use of oneself based on one’s expertise. The science of nursing is based

on establishing new evidence through the research process (Evidence-based practice). The art

and science come together to form the soul of the nurse. As nurses, we embrace the art and

science of nursing to become our own soul (Fowler, 2016). An excellent nurse understands the

various aspects of nursing and strives to become a unique professional nurse. The purpose of this

paper is to describe my own personal approach to nursing care, discuss my clinical experience in

relation to my philosophy, and emphasize the important goals I would like to achieve by the end

of the Grand Canyon University nursing program.

Personal Approach and Philosophy Towards Nursing Care

In practice, theories and frameworks help nurses describe everyday experiences as well

as using the nursing process when caring for a patient. A nursing theory is composed of claims

that account for person, health/illness, environment, and nursing. When it comes to my personal

approach and philosophy of nursing care, it is important to help those in need of self-care and

provide a caring attitude towards every patient I encounter. Nursing is more than just the nursing

process but rather being able to provide care in a compassionate and loving way (Andersson,

Sjostrom-Strand, & Borglin, 2015). Nurses should naturally want to be an advocate, friend, and

interpreter to the individual they provide care for.

Of all the theories discussed in Conceptual Foundations: The Bridge to Professional

Nursing Practices, the philosophies that relate to my personal nursing care are both Orem’s self-

care deficit theory and Watson’s philosophy and science of caring. In Orem’s self-care deficit

theory, Orem focuses on nursing as deliberate human action where patients can benefit from
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nursing care when they have a health-related limitation for engaging in self-care. Orem states

that a nurse should assist the individual with different self-care practices to sustain life and health

or recover from a disease or injury (Friberg & Creasia, 2016).

Another theory that coincides with my philosophy is known as Watson’s philosophy and

science of caring. Watson sees caring as a moral ideal rather than a task-oriented behavior. In

this theory, the nurse forms a caring relationship where he or she is concerned with the

preservation of humanity and embraces altruistic values and practices that associate loving and

kindness with the self and others. Learning the patient’s name and using it consistently, making

good, strong eye contact, asking how a patient is feeling, smiling and laughing when appropriate,

and using therapeutic touch are all ways that a nurse can improve relationships with patients and

promote a healthy environment. When a nurse shows empathy, they create relationships with

their parents which will eventually result in shorter hospital duration, alleviation of pain,

decreased anxiety, and a more optimistic outlook about recovery.

How Clinical Experiences Have Impacted the Development of my Philosophy

After being in the clinical environment, I am more confident. On the very first day of

clinical, most of the students were nervous to get out and perform our skills. I noticed that a lot

of the students would stand in the halls waiting for someone to approach them and guide them on

how to perform a task. Even though we learned skills in the lab, we had little to no real life

patient interaction. What really shaped my viewpoint on nursing care was being able to

confidently walk into each patient’s room and engage in a genuine conversation. I wanted to

push myself outside of my comfort zone so that I would feel more confident each time I had an

interaction.
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Level one clinical was located at the Banner Boswell Rehabilitation Center. Most of the

elderly patients were placed at the rehab center so that they could regain strength and recover

from a surgery or a fall. Many of the older adults at Banner Rehab were not able to perform daily

living activities such as bathing themselves, going to the bathroom, or getting up out of bed. My

role as a nursing student and future nurse is to assist the rehab clients with self-care while they

are experiencing a deficit.

Goals for Professional Nursing Skills and Development

Setting goals in any profession is crucial to achieve various accomplishments. By

the end of the nursing program, I look forward to gaining the appropriate skills needed to focus

on the complete holistic care of an individual and their families, identify future career goals, and

gain more confidence in patient education. In this exact moment, I have some ideas on the field I

want to excel in, but I still have about three more semesters until graduation. My passion

currently consists of caring for the geriatric population. In my clinical experience, the hands-on

experience with the older adults guided my education towards using the appropriate assessment

skills and therapeutic responses needed for these patients. Talking to the patient is obviously

necessary, however, communicating with the family as patient or context is also an important

nursing strategy so that care is provided in a complete holistic manner. When a nurse focuses on

the mind, body, and soul of a specific patient, he or she is incorporating holistic care. The

assessments in the level one clinical setting were more focused to an individual body system but

will progress throughout the nursing program.

Conclusion

As I continue to advance through this nursing program, I will continue to recall

my personal philosophy, clinical experiences, and goal achievements in order to identify the
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areas needing improvement. The theories discussed are important to my philosophy of nursing

and leads to the ability to demonstrate the most affective care to a specific patient. Gaining

experience and accomplishing goals will lead to professional nursing development that will be

expected by the end of the nursing program.

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References

Andersson, E.K., Willman, A., Sjostrom-Strand, A. & Borglin, G. (2015) Registeres Nurses’

Descriptions of Caring: A Phenomenographic Interview Study. BMC Nursing, 14(1), 1-

10. Doi:10.1186/s12912-015-0067-9

Fowler S. B. (2016). The Art, Science, and Soul of Healthcare Professionals. Insight: The

Journal of the American Society of Ophthalmic Registered Nurses, 41(2), 4-35

Friberg, E. E. & Creasia, J. L. (2016). Conceptual Foundations: The Bridge to Professional

Nursing Practices (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders.