Running head: NURSING PHILOSOPHY AND PROFESSIONAL GOALS STATEMENT 1

Nursing Philosophy and Professional Goals Statement

Kiana Woods

Grand Canyon University: NSG-310

November 21, 2018

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When becoming a nurse, you are making a commitment to care for those in need while

taking accountability, providing patients with respect and dignity, and maintaining

professionalism and a compassionate demeanor. While reflecting on these key characteristics of

nursing, it is important for the nurse to have an understanding of their own nursing philosophy. A

nursing philosophy includes a person’s personal values, ethics, and beliefs about what nursing is

and what it means to them (ECPI University, n.d.). Your personal philosophy will form

organically and may continue to change as you grow and experience more as a nurse. During this

essay, my own nursing philosophy, how my clinical experiences affected my philosophy, and my

professional goals will be discussed.

My Personal Approach and Philosophy of Nursing Care

To explain my personal nursing philosophy, I will discuss a nurse theorist whose beliefs

about nursing, align very closely with my own. Theorist Jean Watson, who believes that caring is

the core of nursing, supports the following concepts: instilling faith, tending to the patient’s

spiritual needs, being sensitive and authentically present, and creating a healing environment for

the patient (Friberg & Creasia, 2016). To further elaborate on one of Watson’s concepts, I

believe that it is extremely important to care for the patient holistically. This includes their

physical, mental, spiritual, and religious wellbeing. I believe that developing a strong and

genuine relationship with the patient is imperative to gain the rapport and trust that is needed to

provide meaningful care. Equally important, is the involvement of both the client and their

family when planning and providing care. Teaching the patient and their family and providing

them with simple, clear information that they can utilize in and out of the healthcare setting is a

part of that responsibility as well. Advocating for the patient’s safety and right to the best

possible care is another important aspect of nursing. More significant pieces of my nursing
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philosophy include: taking responsibility as the nurse, providing respect and dignity to all

patients, creating authentic yet professional nurse-patient relationships, providing culturally

competent care, and displaying compassion, care, and honesty. Each of these key points are

included in my approach to nursing and make up my personal nursing philosophy.

How My Clinical Experiences and Classes Have Impacted My Philosophy

During my level one clinical experience, I had the opportunity to work at a day center

with clients that suffered from Alzheimer’s, and/or other mental, physical, and learning

disabilities. Working very closely with these patients gave me the chance to shape and further

develop my understanding of my nursing philosophy. Through my clinical experience and

knowledge that I gained in the classroom setting, I was able to solidify my belief that caring is a

fundamental and imperative aspect of nursing. As I worked to meet my goal of providing my

patients with the best care possible, following my previously mentioned approach and nursing

philosophy became second nature. I participated in teaching my patients, I considered their

families and holistic needs, and I advocated for their safety. Without even realizing it, my

passion of caring for others was at the root of why I was able to and genuinely wanted to provide

my patients with such great care. Through both my classroom and clinical experiences, I was

able to learn the important role that caring plays in providing proficient care. I was also able to

understand the importance of being a culturally competent nurse that is able to communicate

effectively and create individualized care plans. Considering the impact that my level one

clinicals had on my approach to nursing, I am looking forward to seeing how my future clinical

experiences will influence my nursing philosophy and help me grow as a soon-to-be nurse.
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My Nursing and Personal Goals

Through this continuous learning experience, I have had the opportunity to create goals

that address my professional nursing skills and personal strengths. One of my goals include

gaining the necessary confidence to provide my patients with the best possible care. This added

confidence will allow me to feel more comfortable when working with other healthcare

professionals, to gain the trust of my patients and their families, and to be undoubtful when

teaching, planning, and providing patient care. Becoming a more efficient communicator is

another goal I wish to accomplish. Although I believe I have been able to gain a lot of experience

with communication during my level one clinical, there is room for improvement. By the end of

the program, I would like to be able to communicate seamlessly and confidently during difficult

conversations with patients, families, or other members of the healthcare staff. My third and final

goal, is to become a more culturally competent nurse. It is very important to me to understand

the individual needs of each patient and how their culture affects how they prefer to be treated

and cared for. Each of these goals are important to me and will be points of focus during my

completion of the nursing program.

Through the reflection of my experiences during my first year of nursing school, I was

able to better understand: my personal approach to nursing, my nursing philosophy, how both of

these were influenced by my clinical experiences, and some goals I’d like to meet before the

completion of my program. Recognizing and understanding each of these things is important and

creates a set of values and goals that I can meet, follow, and expand upon during my nursing

career. As I continue with the program and my career as a nurse, my professional goals and

nursing philosophy will continue to evolve as I become the best nurse I can possibly be.
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References

ECPI University. (n.d.). What is a philosophy of nursing Retrieved from

https://www.ecpi.edu/blog/what-is-a-philosophy-of-nursing

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

Nursing Practice (6th ed.). [VitalSource]. Retrieved from

https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780323299930/