Kimberly Applebee

The following objective is reflected in the Pacific Lutheran University’s nursing philosophy and used in the development of the program curriculum. The SON’s philosophy reflects five areas that promote health; nursing, person, environment, health, and education. 

What did I learn?

                I have learned that nursing takes many shapes and forms. I have learned that nursing is not all about just providing care to the sick but encompasses the person, their family, the community, and the environment. These factors are what make each person different from one another. My nursing philosophy statement and shield of nursing reflect my understanding and belief on health and encompasses all aspects of a person’s health.  

                I have learned how to provide care in different settings, populations, age groups, and ethnicity.  I have learned how to promote a person’s health by creating a health promotion project, developing a plan to create change in the environment, the process of health promotion at the community level, prioritizing community diagnosis, assessing the community’s ability to change and what resources are needed, and advocate for health promotion in outside hospital settings. I have learned that the nurse's role is to look at a patient as a whole.  For instance, a nurse needs to address the person's belief system, environment, support systems, and physical and physiological health. Lastly, I have been able to take the information I have learned in the clinical and classroom setting and apply it to community service events, which has taught me that anyone, nurse or non-nurse, can have an impact on a person’s health. I have learned that health promotion can take place anywhere at any time.

How did I learn it?

                I have demonstrated my ability to incorporate the dimensions of health in the younger adolescent through my Teaching Project. A few students and I created a plan that correlated to the Health People 2010 goals related to vision and hearing. We created a tri-fold presentation aimed at grade school children that included valuable information and a game. We also created handouts for the children and their parents that contained warning signs and factoids. My understanding and incorporation of the dimensions of health at the community level is shown in my community health project and community assessment.  For my community health project I  worked with a local Indian reservation to create a lice prevention poster and pamphlet in an effort to decrease the re-occurrence of lice among the foster children. I have illustrated my understanding of incorporating the dimensions of the environment in my senior change project. My group and I created a plan to get nutritional facts posted in the University cafeteria, in an effort to allow students to be better informed and make healthier choices in food selection. Last but not least, I have learned the dimensions of health from a non-nursing role through my various community service projects; Relay For Life, American Heart Association, Phoebe House, and the Mental Health Walk.

How will I continue to use it in the future?

                I wrote a short paper on a book titled The Dream Manager that truly opened my eyes to the dimensions of health and health promotion. It shined a light on the importance of incorporating health promotion into your daily life and addressing each person as an individual, with various dimensions. The book showed me the impact of addressing a person as an individual and showing concern for their well being. I plan on taking the knowledge I have gained over the last few years and grow from it. I want to teach others the importance of addressing a person as a whole, which encompasses all dimensions of health; mind, body, and soul.