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"Values are like fingerprints. Nobody's are the same, but you leave them all over everything you do"
- Elvis Presley
(Nursing Ethics Quotes, n.d)
I have spent my whole life building my values, and every single day they continue to grow, develop and evolve. Despite them being ever-evolving and developing, core values have been instilled in me throughout my whole life and will always be at the forefront of everything I do. The values I chose as most important to me as a nurse are mentioned below, along with how they apply to clinical settings and benefit many aspects of healthcare.
These values have been largely influenced by my family, as they are the people I have spent the most time of my life with and have therefore had the greatest influence on me as a person. My professional values have often come from leadership roles, involvement, and work experiences, and a lot of values that I have been brought up with are applicable to these professional settings.
I believe strong values are essential to being a good nurse. There are plenty of tough decisions, discussions, and moments in a nurse's career that requires strong morals and values to apply to situations and navigate ever-present challenges in the healthcare workplace. I believe that the quality of a nurse's care is directly reflective of them as an individual, and their values and morals. This is why I take these values so seriously and apply them to everything I do every day.
Value #1:
Empathy
Empathy
To me, the number one most important value in the nursing profession is the ability to empathize with patients. Those receiving healthcare may be experiencing the most traumatic, frightening, and sad moments of their life; it is a nurse's responsibility to empathize with every feeling that comes along with this and holistically heal the patient. To do this, a nurse must be able to know exactly how this patient feels to help advocate for their patient and come up with a multi-faceted plan for their recovery, catered specifically for each individual based on personal circumstance. Nurses have a unique opportunity to truly build a connection with their patients through a hands-on experience, so a nurse must take full advantage of this relationship and use it to provide an optimal level of care. Personally, I've had the most success helping someone emotionally when I listen more than I talk, and try to strive to understand exactly what they're feeling. Rather than instantly trying to fix the first problem that arises, it's always better to take a step back and truly try to put yourself in someone else's shoes to get an in-depth understanding of the root of any issue.
Value #2
Honesty
Honesty
Honestly is absolutely essential in healthcare, not only for legal reasons but for moral-ethical and relationship-based reasons. If a healthcare practitioner fails to be honest with his/her patient or family, this results in a lack of trust which is detrimental when someone's life or wellbeing is in their hands. Lack of trust in one healthcare practitioner can follow a lack of trust in the healthcare system as a whole, which is a problem that could evolve into a major societal issue. In my experience, trust is everything. Without trust, it is impossible to evolve a relationship past a surface level, and getting past that surface level is often required for a patient to achieve true comfort in a healthcare setting. Trust is an essential but fragile thing, which is why a nurse must take advantage of the opportunity to bond with a patient and gain an open, honest and communicative relationship with them.
Value #3
Communication
Communication
Effective communication in all aspects of healthcare is an asset that will bring more positivity to workplaces, build trust between patient and nurse and create an overall environment of common understanding, strong reliability, and clarity. Just as a nurse must be a good communicator and educator to her/his patient, healthcare workers must be effective communicators to one another, and the patient must be an honest and thorough communicator to his/her nurse. A lack of communication is like a weak link in a chain and can cause detrimental effects among many aspects of both a workplace and an individual's health. Personally, communication is vital to me and to every person, because I cannot effectively do a task without roles, policies, and expectations being communicated thoroughly. Whether in school, doing extracurriculars, during a shirt, or simply talking to someone, I am constantly seeking clarification when any confusion arises and ensuring that I am correctly doing what is asked of me -- therefore encouraging further communication. I've always been a strong believer that you can never ask too many questions, and it's better to approach something new with gradual curiosity rather than overconfidence.
Value #4
Work ethic
Work ethic
Nurses endure some of the most grueling career work that can be offered. Emotional events, stressful situations, and repetitive long hours are major contributors to burnout and sleep deprivation. Not only must a nurse have incredible all-around endurance, but passion and work ethic are the key components that make this work doable and sustainable for healthcare professionals. Personally, work ethic is extremely valuable to me because it allows me to accomplish my goals, and do things that excite me. For example, my work ethic allowed me to get into a competitive major, take on many leadership roles, join TUEFRT, win awards and scholarships and become an overall accomplished individual. I believe this work ethic will follow me through my nursing career and serve my ability to withstand all of the tough situations I'll be faced with. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when hospitals were overflowing, nurses worked around the clock, tirelessly putting their hearts out for countless sick strangers every day. Without an extreme sense of work ethic, the millions of patients fighting for their lives every day wouldn't have the support, comfort, safety, and reliability nurses provide to their patients every single day.
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