Nursing Philosophy

Anecdote

Currently, I am a medical-surgical nurse; a profession that I love to perform. A medical-surgical nurse gets an opportunity to experience something new every day. I interact with different patients and their families and it is through the interactions that I am able to acquire knowledge, experience and expertise (Buresh, & Gordon, 2013). Traditionally, the role of the nurse focused mainly on the provision of patient care. However, the role of nurses has expanded to a significant position in the delivery of quality health care services. Today, the society appreciates that doctors cannot perform their duties without nurses. Nurses provide doctors with the support needed to ensure patient receive quality care. The medical-surgical nursing is a specialty of nursing that requires nurses to have specific skills and knowledge. Flexibility is also critical for medical-surgical nurses. Personally, my day entails performing a diversity of tasks including the assessment of patients, administration of medication, pain management, and engaging patient in physical activities. I also change wound dressing, insert and remove IVs and enlighten patient on the management of their conditions.

Medical-surgical nurses must also demonstrate empathy and thus engage patients and families in cases of serious health complications. I counsel dying patients e.g. patients with terminal diseases, as well as their families as they prepare for imminent death. I strive to encourage and give them strength rather than show pity and feelings of hopelessness. Healthcare professionals strive to save the lives of patients; however, there are instances where medication cannot work. I recall a case of a female patient who received a stage 4 diagnosis of a brain tumor. The young lady and her fiancé were distraught over the news, but I counseled them and helped them accept the situation. I also ensured that the patient took her medication and thus managed to live through the pain. The lady had six months to live and the coupled chose to enjoy the last months of her rather than mourn. The couple got married and went for a short vacation. Six months later, her condition deteriorated and she passed away. The family managed to say their farewell before her passing. The family was in mourning, but they appreciated that they managed to enjoy their final days with her.

Philosophy of Nursing

My philosophy of nursing emphasizes in providing patients with holistic care thus catering for the physical, emotional and psychological needs (Brencick, & Webster, 2000). My experience as a medical-surgical nurse enables me to articulate my philosophy in my endeavor. I ensure that a recuperating patient is comfortable in his bed and room I take the time to listen to their immediate needs and work towards satisfying these needs. I believe a comfortable patient is a restful patient; thus the patient can recuperate as expected. I also ensure that the patient has clean wound dressing to ensure a quick recovery. I also ensure patient take their medication.

Lastly, I engage in regular talks with my patients so as to counsel them and encourage them to remain strong. I believe the best way for a patient to achieve overall wellness and healthy is by focusing on physical, emotional and psychological healing. I believe that a sick patient will not recover if he is emotionally or psychologically troubled. The medication will not work if the patient lacks the desire to live. My philosophy; therefore, focuses on ensuring that I provide patients with their medication and counseling to ensure their mental fitness. My activities at the medical-surgical department allow me to live by my philosophy. I also live by the philosophy of teamwork as a strategy of enhancing a patient’s health outcomes. Collaboration in the delivery of healthcare services is fundamental to the delivery of healthcare services. Nurses collaborate with physicians, to provide patients with quality services (Cowen, & Moorhead, 2014). The medical-surgical department comprises of physicians, surgeons and nurses who work as a team. I engage in constant consultation with the doctors and other nurses when handling patients. The teamwork spirit minimizes mortality rates at the medical-surgical department. Personally, I ensure that I consult with my colleague in case I am uncertain about a procedure. I also provide suggestions and opinions to my colleagues. I also make decisions based on the consideration of suggestions made by my colleagues.

Expansion of Expertise

Ten years from now I aspire to become a chief nursing officer (CNO). The position of a chief nursing officer is a managerial position that focuses on supervising the functions of nurses and nurse managers. A chief nursing officer also participates in designing and implementing measures for enhancing patient care. Additionally, a chief nursing officer ensures that nurses embrace strategize aimed at improving service delivery. The CNO also participates in the development of policies, objectives and procedures that relate to nurse functions.

Currently, I am a medical-surgical nurse and I know I have a long way to go. However, I believe with proper planning and zeal, I shall be a CNO in the next ten years. I intend to work as a medical-surgical nurse for approximately four years before applying to be a director of medical-surgical nursing. I intend to specialize in the medical-surgical department because I believe it provides nurses with the ideal platform to learn about different spheres of nursing. The nursing-surgical department is not as limiting as other departments e.g. pediatrics or oncology. For instance, a nurse working in oncology will specialize in handling cancer patient. A nurse working in burns department will gain experience in handling burn patients (Cowen, & Moorhead, 2014). The medical-surgical unit will expose me a diversity of medical situations i.e. from general patient care to handling surgical situations. The medical-surgical department will thus provide me with a vast amount of experience. The medical-surgical department will provide me with adequate experience on organizational skills as well as the ability to make quick and potential life-saving decisions. I have been working as a medical-surgical nurse for over two years and I believe in the next three years I will be qualified to become a nurse director.

When I take the position of the director of medical-surgical nursing, I will oversee nursing practices and delivery of patient care in the nursing-surgical department. I will also be charged with overseeing the effective management of human, fiscal resources that the medical-surgical department will need. I will participate in the development and monitoring of labor, supply, and capital budgets and ensuring adequate nurse staffing to enhance service delivery. My overall role will involve ascertaining the implementation of the hospital's strategic plan through the engagement of performance improvement initiatives. The position of the director of nursing requires that an individual has Bachelors of Science degree in nursing or masters in nursing. I am currently undertaking my bachelor’s degree and I intend to enroll for a master’s in nursing as soon as I complete my bachelor’s degree. I also intend to undertake short courses in strategic management and business administration so as to acquire the management aspect of healthcare management. I will also acquire a medical-surgical certification that approves my qualification as a medical-surgical nurse. The position of the director of nursing will be the stepping stone to becoming a chief nursing officer. The director position will elevate me to leadership and management role; a prerequisite for becoming a CNO (Cowen, & Moorhead, 2014). I will have experience in strategic planning and development, as well as supervising and budgeting experience. The rise from a medical-surgical nurse to a CNO will be a gradual process that will entail continued formal and informal learning. I will also continue executing nursing roles while alternating the roles with management roles. Nursing is a calling; thus I do not intend to stop providing the defining role of nursing i.e. provision of patient care.

Conclusion

Nursing is a profession that requires determination and strong will. Unlike other professions, nurses must show their willingness to sacrifice their time to assist their patients. Nursing also entails providing counseling and therapy to patients and their families. Overall, I believe nursing must adopt a holistic approach that ascertains a patient’s optimal recovery. I desire to become a chief nursing officer and work towards giving the nursing profession a new outlook in terms of expanding the role of nurses in a healthcare environment.

References

Brencick, J. & Webster, G. (2000). Philosophy of nursing: a new vision for healthcare. SUNY Press

Buresh, B. & Gordon, S. (2013). From silence to voice: what nurses know and must communicate to the public. Cornell university press

Cowen, P. & Moorhead, S. (2014). Current issues in Nursing. Elsevier health sciences

Carolyn Morgan is the author of this paper. A senior editor at MeldaResearch.Com in write my nursing research paper services. If you need a similar paper you can place your order from essay already written services.

"Janet Peter is the Managing Director of a globally competitive essay writing company.