Personal Nursing Philosophy

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Personal Philosophy of Nursing
Candace Mixon-Ellis
Langston University

Personal Philosophy of Nursing To understand my personal philosophy of nursing the word philosophy must be defined. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary “philosophy” is defined as “the most basic beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of an individual or group” (“Philosophy,” n.d.). A philosophy is neither correct nor incorrect, but a view into what a person thinks about a specific subject. A nurse should attempt to implement their personal philosophy of nursing each time they give care to an individual. Many nursing theories are based upon different philosophies of nursing in an attempt to provide the best care possible. Some of the best known nursing theories include Dorothea Orem’s self care nursing theory, Florence Nightingale’s theory of nursing, and Imogene King’s theory of goal attainment (Craven & Hirnle, 2009). My personal favorite nursing theory is Madeline Leininger’s theory of Cultural Care Diversity and Universality. Culture is defined as “a belief system that the members of the culture hold to varying degrees as absolute truth. That belief system guides everyday behavior and makes it routine” (Craven & Hirnle, 2009, p. 310). Madeline Leininger attempted to promote an understanding of culturally specific care behaviors. My personal philosophy of nursing encompasses cultural care behaviors that directly incorporate compassion, respect, and integrity. I believe that a nurse should make every attempt in every situation to care for a patient with compassion, respect, and integrity regardless of their race, economic status, disease, or attitude in which they choose to deal with their situation. Madeline Leininger believed that “Care is essential to curing and healing” (Butts & Rich, 2011, p. 532). I believe caring is the most essential part of nursing

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