When I entered nursing school I
naively believed that nursing care was the marriage of compassion and having
the clinical skills necessary to care for the patient based on their medical
diagnosis. What I learned is patient care greatly exceeds merely tending to the
medical diagnosis. I have learned that nursing involves the whole person, from
their culture beliefs, family influence, community, to faith and beyond. Caring for them is not about my beliefs
systems but about incorporating all the things they need to be well. This has not always been easy, but by keeping
my PERSONAL NURSING PHILOSOPHY at the forefront of my mind, I am able to
deliver culturally and holistically congruent care to meet the needs of each patient.
Viewing my COAT OF ARMS gives you an
intimate look into my view of nursing. From life, to death, grieving and joy
each person brings a unique set of experiences.
Not only am I helping to better their lives by promoting their health or
supporting their choices, but each of them will become a tattoo forever etched
onto my heart. Nursing is an art. It is the ability to help each patient by
educating them, listening to them, and understanding how their values will
influence their care, all without judgment.
It is not always easy but it is always necessary.
I find that the classroom is often
similar to nursing in the value clashes that can occur. I first encountered this when I took
Christian Ethics during J-term at Pacific Lutheran University. I found it very difficult to participate in
discussions where the majority of opinions were a direct clash with my belief
systems. What I found as time went on was, it wasn’t as important to get my
point across as it was to be able to understanding where my classmates were
coming from. I didn’t have to agree but
I could listen without judgment and come to an understanding of how they got
there. I demonstrated this ability in my
POLYGAMY PAPER for this class. This
skill aids me in my practice by allowing me the ability to shut off what I
think and listen to what I am hearing and objectively assess from that
prospective.
My cultural paper WHEN EAST MEETS
WEST embodies the entire definition of dimension by looking at the whole person
rather than compartmentalizing them by their diagnosis. It looks at how culture and belief systems
influence health promotion. As a nurse I am able to take this skill and build
on it in order to integrate caring for the whole person in my practice.
My goals for the future include entering a graduate program for Acute Care Nurse Practitioner where I will continue to build upon the foundation provided in my undergraduate nursing program. This will include the incorporation of person, self, and environment into my practice while delivering care that is congruent with the value system instilled in me by the instructors at PLU, as well as my own life experience.