Question

  Why is it important to articulate your Personal Philosophy of Nursing?

·         What is the relationship between your Personal Philosophy of Nursing and your professional practice?

·         What theories of nursing have you studied?

·         Does your nursing practice follow any particular theorist(s)? Explain.

Answer 1

Answer 1. Personal philosophy relates to personal beliefs and personal thinking over some issues. In nursing, the personal beliefs towards the decisions, actions, and reactions are considered to be very important aspects. The nurses who have strong beliefs in their work and also towards their organisation, can lead in their profession.

When you have strong and positive beliefs for yourself and towards your work, then you can handle the pressure of job as a practicing nurse, that includes long hours, high-pressure situations, and constant flow of physically challenging work. So,clear and strong personal philosophy should be always in mind to focus on what comes to you as it also helps in strengthening the knowledge, attitude, and skills.

Answer 2. The relationship between the personal philosophy and professional practise is very strong and tight. The actual personal beliefs towards the work, working place, patient, and towards the organisation are directly related to the actions. As an ideal nurse, the education and learnings that have helped to create genuine beliefs are supposed to be implemented while working. If the beliefs are positive, that as a nurse if have to provide full and authentic treatment to my patients, I will definitely practise all the possible things. So, the relationship between the two is direct and effective.

Answer 3. The three basic theories of Nursing that have been studied are:-

. Grand nursing theories - they provide a general framework and ideas about nursing, but do not give specific nursing interventions. Their works are based on their own experiences, so, they have to be further analysed or researched.

. Middle range nursing theories - they are better than grand theories but present concepts and propositions at a lower levels only. They provide a specific phenomenon in nursing. They are believed to be much better in use than the grand theories.

. Practise level nursing theories - these theories are more prevalent as they provide very narrow scope and focuses on a specific patient population at a specific time.These are interrelated with concepts from both middle-range theories or grand theories.

The other goal oriented theories that have been studied are:-.

. Descriptive theories

. Prescriptive theories

. Need based theories

. Outcome theories, etc.

Answer 4. As a practice of an ideal nurse, the theory of practise level nursing theories need to be followed. These theories are very helpful in practice because they help in providing full frameworks for nursing interventions and suggests the outcomes or the effect of those nursing practices.

One effective theorist namely, Raile Allgood has provided very efficient philosophy of nursing in which nursing phenomenons are thoroughly analysed, provided enough reasoning and logical presentations that clears the mind with great logics.