Philosophy of Nursing

Growing up I was your typical all American girl with big dreams a huge imagination. I used to want to be a princess and live in a castle and eat cookies all day. Then I wanted to be a ballerina and travel all through the world dancing for kings and queens. As I got a little older I wanted to be a fairy and wave my magic wand all day. When I reached middle school I wanted to become a Veterinarian because I love animals and I wanted to take care of them. Growing up with two cats and one dog, I always played doctor with them. It was not until I started to mature and my brother becoming a Physician Assistant that I decided I want to be a nurse. My brother always talked to me about the demand for medical personnel in the medical field. Ultimately my brother was a big influence on my decision to become a nurse. I have admired and looked up to him ever since, and every time I have a nursing related question I ask him.

When I started school it was a lot of hard work. I had just given birth to my daughter Hailey, so finding a babysitter was hard. Being in between jobs and juggling the birth of a new baby I had to develop a schedule. It was very difficult at times, but with some help from my family and the baby’s father I was back on top and passing all my classes. One morning when I was getting ready to drop my daughter off at school I realized the woman in me had emerged. I was raising my baby girl, I was getting an education and holding a relationship together, I was unstoppable. That day I realized that I could do anything that I ever thought was not possible. Failure at this point was not an option. As I learned more about nursing and I educated myself on the field. I found

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myself liking it more and more. I was born to nurture and take care of people. This is what I was born to do. Nursing had now taken a whole new meaning in my life because it also taught me parenting skills, and responsibility. Nursing taught me to be a better person and a better mother.

When I think about the philosophy of life I always think about the relationship of nursing and being a mother. Nursing is a discipline and a profession. As a discipline, nursing supports the belief that there is a dynamic interrelationship between the individual and the environment, much like teaching a child discipline. As a profession, nursing is committed to assisting individuals in the performance of activities that contribute to their health. Nursing should be practiced recognizing the physiological, psychological, development and spiritual variables of the patient. Patients exist as individuals, families, groups, and communities. Each person is unique and possesses inherent dignity, worth, and the right to self-determination.

While human responses are individualized, many can be generalized and predicted. Throughout the life span, people have potential for growth and development. A person dynamically