Personal Philosophy

Professional Philosophy: Journey from Nurse to Provider 

My nursing practice philosophy is based on compassion, positivity, attention to detail, and evidence-based practice. This philosophy entails providing quality care as I know it will make a difference to my patients and impact their lives. While providing care to my patients, I believe in ensuring that the patient's attitude is positive, as this has a significant impact on their health status. I can do this by maintaining my emotional composure and a positive attitude while communicating with the patient. As a nursing practitioner, communication with my patients is vital in conveying accurate information to avoid issues where patients feel misinformed, under-informed, or neglected. I believe that communication is essential in providing safe care to patients. 

With my career involving interacting with thousands of patients, I think that being compassionate is necessary for patient-centered care. Being compassionate consists of putting myself in my patient’s shoes and understanding the challenges they may be going through, which makes the care experience for the patient much better. The attention to detail element of my philosophy as a nurse practitioner is based on the understanding that the work we do can be a matter of life and death, and as such, there should be no room for error.
Lastly, my philosophy entails evidence-based practice, defined as "the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of the best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients" (Al-Ghimlas, 2013). This philosophy involves using the most current research available to improve the health and safety of my patients while reducing the variations in health outcomes and overall costs. My philosophy entails working on using the best practices and latest medical literature, which I look forward to using as I provide care to my patients in the future.

 Professional Philosophy: Nurse Practitioner Student

          Throughout my master’s program, my nursing philosophy has evolved significantly, shaped by diverse experiences, courses, and artifacts. My philosophy, as articulated in NUR 704, initially emphasized compassion, positivity, attention to detail, and evidence-based practice. However, this philosophy has deepened and expanded as I progressed through my courses and gained practical insights. Reflecting on this evolution allows me to appreciate the relevance of my philosophy to my specialty in the MS program, understand the essence of the MS-prepared nurse's role, and envision my future as a leader and change agent in nursing practice. I came to see that fostering cultural awareness and offering care that is sensitive to cultural differences requires constant education and communication. I plan to expand my knowledge as I become more conscious of my own and my patients' cultural backgrounds so that I may better comprehend and work with any cultural differences that might have an immediate influence on care.

Reference

Al-Ghimlas, F. (2013). The philosophy of evidence-based clinical practice: Is evidence enough? Annals of Thoracic Medicine, 8(3), 131. https://doi.org/10.4103/1817- 1737.114282