Philisophy of Nursing

Future Insights

Having a philosophy is important to hold on to because life takes you in many directions. It can be stressful, unexpected, overloaded and may seem dark, so at times we need a reminder of why we do it. Some days may feel routine and these values may seem harder to show, but being reminded of the overall picture is a good way to reset and check in where you stand. My philosophy is stemmed in the idea of treat others how you'd want to be treated. Even on an off day, I am still kind to those who sometimes may not deserve it because I am empathetic and compassionate and hold these values closely. 

My philosophy has already helped me in some situations during care. One that stuck out for me till this day was a lady who I had called prior to her visit asking if she felt up for a shower that day. She sounded off and said she was too weak to shower, so she said she didn't need me. I could've emailed my call ahead and got paid but I decided to go anyway, telling her I just wanted to check in. When I had arrived, I noticed blood, vomit and feces all over the bedroom. She was laying on her mattress naked, dazed and confused. I gently asked her what happened, helped clean up and asked if we could call a friend. She needed to go to the hospital but she insisted she was okay. I knew before hand that she had a fear of hospitals from listening to her concerns about her last visit, so I tried a different approach. I put myself in her shoes and thought to myself what would I want someone to say to me. Understanding the situtation is also important because she had lost a lot of blood and fluids, she is not fully coherent. I sat down and talked to her for about fifteen minutes reassuring her that she needed to get checked just in case to make sur everything was okay and after convincing her it was the best decisionk, she decided to go. I had her friend give me updates on what was going on. She ended up having a perforated bowl and if she hadn't arrived at the hospital any sooner, she would've become septic. It's these situations where someone is in a critical condition, that they need you the most. I had established a trust with her before which makes it easier for her to listen to me. I had been compassionate and empathetic when I knew she didn't want to go to the hospital. These values come first when in a situation like this. Nothing can happen medically to save her unless she chooses to make that decision herself. She needed someone to advocate and support her when she couldn't and this is just one of the many people I hope to save by being there for someone as a person first, rather than just a patient.