The philosophy of nursing is a statement that states the nursing values or ethics through which nurses provide care to their patient. The core nursing value takes into account many factors like humanity, integrity, dignity and social justice. These values are integrated in nurses when they take care for their patients. In nursing caring is an important aspect of providing treatment to the people caring can be best demonstrate by the nursing philosophy and values (Adams, 2016). Carefully integrated values are helpful in forming a nursing framework and efficient clinical practice. Nurses are required to be caring and the principle of the philosophies further strengthen nursing work force. A personal philosophy must reflect on personal beliefs and thoughts that would make difference in nursing activity. It is important to follow a principle as they help in guiding through the nursing practice.
There are many philosophies of nursing like Nightingale philosophy of nursing. This philosophy reflects on the safe environment for better treatment to the patients. She claimed that the essence of nursing lied in the capacity of nurse by providing care. This influence of humanism in nursing is essential in today’s complex life and strongly holds the value of nursing and caring (Alligood, 2017). According to Florence Nightingale, a nurse should provide care for a patient with sensitive and humane care. The clients treatment must be ensured by resolving their problem in natural process. In this nursing philosophy, ethical and moral values are given importance and does not allow imposing values on others. I also believe that while caring for a patient nurses must provide care based on the sensitivity of the patient. Nurses encounters different patient with different ailments and different mind-set (Holmes, 2016). There is a need of more compassionate care in some situation. The essence of nursing rests in this ability to provide care based on the needs. This philosophy allows fluidity in nursing believes. Scientific and technological advances is also considered in this philosophy and learnings.
Nursing philosophy is important in nursing activity to critically think and reflect those ideas in the practice of wellbeing. My personal feeling of nursing gives importance to commitment to public service and nursing care. Nursing philosophies help in pursuing the desire to help the needy. Patient care must be individualised and depend on patients need of care. I discovered my nursing philosophy in my initial posting as nurse. Nursing philosophies are taught during training but it is during the time of nursing that we understand the need of personal philosophies. My nursing philosophy is based on more humane care to the patient and provide holistic approach to the treatment (Grove, 2019). My current philosophy is different from the time I first joined. My nursing philosophy evolved with passing time and experience. Humanism philosophy helped me to build a nursing framework and strong foundation to my prospective. Nursing responsibility broadens with responsibility of patient care and the value of interconnectedness becomes crucial. From my personal experience, I encourage other nurses also to build a personal philosophy, which would guide them in nursing activities. There is a need to have personal reflection while choosing a framework to ensure efficacy in nursing practice and care to patient.
Jeans Watson theory defines the nursing principle that embrace positive mind and is rewarding for the patient. This theory mainly focuses on how care progression can make better care plan and restore health. The structure of this theory is based on caring factors. This theory also focusses on care for the family members of the patient and help in expanding nurses’ own actualization (Clark, 2016). This philosophy of nursing perfectly fits into the framework that I follow in nursing. Similar to the thoughts of the theory I also feel that nursing must also give mental stability to the patients family members. My personal philosophy also reflects on the learnings of this philosophy. I also believe that while caring for a patient nurses must provide care based on the sensitivity of the patient. Caring is the key to patients healing capacity and can speed up the healing process. This theory uses the context of healing of community, family and culture. This theory has influenced many theorist and in academicians in building a trust and relationship between the patient and nurses. Psychological needs are very important from holistic point of view and gives them mental strength. This theory has influenced me in adding compassion and empathy in the nursing care (Elhami et al, 2017). This kind of care is important in healing and can be interpreted personally. Effective caring promotes healing and family growth. The main focus of this theory is placed on spiritual needs and mental health that meets the higher level of a person’s wellbeing and human needs. According to me the utilization of this theory would enhance nursing practice.
However, this theory may be poor fit for some situations as this theory gives more emphasis on mental healing and less importance to biophysical needs of the patient. It is important to support a patient and provide counselling but at the same time nurses should take care of his needs due to the illness like wound management. Caring is innate but the training and experience in nursing follows other principle also which is management of illness. A person suffering from disease like pneumonia may not get benefit from this theory (Norman, Rossillo & Skelton, 2016). In such illness for instance nurse needs to take care that he limits his chance of infection and healing process would depend on how nurse take intervention for his physiological needs. Health largely needs a physical attention and this theory puts more emphasis on psychological issues. The psychosocial practice of this theory may lead to hard implementation in nursing practice and would have fewer implications in nursing. Watson’s theory is more generalised and applicable in mental health care while may be ineffective in areas like oncology and critical care environments. This theory is useful in academic settings and help promote mental wellness by using caring science theory.
It is important to match a theory to get a framework and provide nursing care. However, this theory may be disadvantageous for some health care settings (Khademi, Mohammadi & Vanaki, 2017). Therefore, for an ideal nursing care we must follow a framework based on situations. Based on nursing experience and scientific evidence we must make necessary changes in such framework. This theory is especially helpful for caring for ageing patients. The theory would help establish a caring relationship with the patient. There is another disadvantage of this theory and that limits the nursing practice. Based on the illness a patient is admitted and the short stay in the hospital, it would be near impossible to provide such detailed caring to every patient.
Therefore it can be concluded that nursing philosophies help in guiding the nurses in their interventions and care plan. In my personal feeling the James Watson theory of nursing has played a key role in building a caring and compassionate nurse in me. However, a theory may not fit for some situations and may be disadvantageous for care plan. James Watson theory puts more focus on psychological and social wellbeing (Kaakinen et al, 2018). In settings like oncology care or someone suffering from pneumonia, this theory may not work. The theory does not keep some points into account like bio physical prospective of the patient. It is beneficial to follow a framework in nursing, however there may be limitations. Based on nursing experience and evidence-based practice changes may be followed in nursing criteria.
References
Adams, L. Y. (2016). The conundrum of caring in nursing. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 9(1), 1.
Alligood, M. R. (2017). Nursing Theorists and Their Work-E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Clark, C. (2016). Watson’s human caring theory: Pertinent transpersonal and humanities concepts for educators. Humanities, 5(2), 21.
Elhami, S., Khah, H. Z. H., Moradbeigi, K., Moadab, N. H., & Cheraghian, B. (2017). 77: IMPACT OF AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM BASED ON HUMAN CARE THEORY (WATSON) ON THE NURSING STUDENTS PERCEPTION OF THE CARE. BMJ open, 7(Suppl 1), bmjopen-2016.
Grove, S. K. (2019). Introduction to Nursing Research and Its Importance in Building an Evidence-Based Practice. Understanding Nursing Research: First South Asia Edition, E-Book: Building an Evidence-Based Practice, 1.
Holmes, C. A. (2016). Some implications of postmodernism for nursing theory, research, and practice. Canadian Journal of Nursing Research Archive, 32(2).
Kaakinen, J. R., Coehlo, D. P., Steele, R., & Robinson, M. (2018). Family health care nursing: Theory, practice, and research. FA Davis.
Khademi, M., Mohammadi, E., & Vanaki, Z. (2017). A grounded theory of humanistic nursing in acute care work environments. Nursing ethics, 24(8), 908-921.
Norman, V., Rossillo, K., & Skelton, K. (2016). Creating healing environments through the theory of caring. AORN journal, 104(5), 401-409.
Sitzman, K. (2017). Theory-Guided Self-Care for Mitigating Emotional Strain in Nursing: Watson’s Caring Science. International Journal for Human Caring, 21(2).
