DimensionsHere I demonstrate my ability to incorporate the dimensions of Person, Nursing and Environment to promote health in a variety of nursing situations. |
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Cultural Assessment (Person)For transcultural nursing class, we interviewed someone of a different cultural background than our own to learn how diverse cultures form a sense of wellness. This review I did of a Thai person's health view demonstrates how
vast the impact of culture is on one's perspective of health.Life Review (Health)Spiritual and psychological well-being seem difficult to assess. They are very personal aspects of health. But even though the signs and symptoms aren't as obvious as other physical infirmities, the client's assessment is not complete without them. This interview with an older friend of the family discussed her values and state of spiritual and psychological well-being among the other details of her life. All the data was subjective which proved the multitude of data I could collect just by listening. The life review is an important technique to assisting a client view their life in a positive manner. I may use this interview technique with future clients in need of such assistance.
Since I have been working in my preceptorship, I have come to find that while a long interview of a client may not be possible, certainly the skills of listening and attention to the person as a whole are important skills for use in gaining repor and a good history of the client. I have worked with some patients dealing with depression who found review of their life to a nurse helpful in resolving feelings of despair or simply comforting to talk to another about the important things in life. Liberal Arts ImpactMy liberal arts education has served my nursing career by rounding out my understanding of the world. One class I fell in love with was my biomedical ethics class. I took this class before taking any nursing courses and it prepared me well. I recently re-discovered this paper, Applying Kant's Theories, that I wrote as a freshman and am fascinated by its relevance in my practice now as a senior nursing student. The philosophy I defend in this paper is a demonstration of my philosophy of nursing. In this paper I relate the philosophical concepts of Universal Law and treating rational agents as an end and never as a means. At the time I used these principles to justify a position against a particular research study but now I see that its applicability is much larger. In making day to day decisions in prioritization for my clients, I find myself questioning the ethics of my own practice, ensuring that I always give quality care to my patients. The second concept is about respecting the autonomy of my patients. In a typical day in my nursing practice, I maintain this principle by educating my patients on their conditions so they can make informed decisions, and listening closely to their wishes. They are not pawns in my busy schedule, but I the servant in theirs.Geographic Assessment (Environment)In our community health class, we assessed the health of a community to find out how to fix health problems for the individuals of that community. We assessed all aspects of the environment and interviewed community members to find the areas of most concern. then we drew up a nursing process to fix the problem. This taught me how to take my assessment skills from a single person's body to a community environment.
Interestingly, in my preceptorship, I have seen how strongly the environment affects the individual. It's in the way my client's relate to me, to their health belief system. Public health nurses and staff hospital nurses affect each other in that, the staff nurse deals with patient's preconceived notions about health and lifestyles formed by the environment, while the public health nurse attempts to teach and form positive habits out in the community. In my years in nursing school, I have come to realize that the behind-the-scenes work the public health nurses do directly affects everything from the knowledge of my patients about health to their acuity when they enter the hospital and vice versa when they return to the community. Future DevelopmentI believe that my trip to Costa Rica to work as a nurse that I discussed in the Intro page will significantly impact my understanding of dimensions in nursing. Seeing all of these factors: person, health and environment in a different cultural context will give me a greater understanding of the range of possibilities in nursing care. Once I return to the United States, the aim is that I will be an expert in the dimensions that affect this population so that I can be a more effective nurse for the diversity encountered in the U.S. |
What do I mean by Person, Environment and Health?Person: Individuals, families, and communities all having dignity and specialness given by their unique set of influences which are physical, psychological, environmental, cultural, spiritual, and much, much more. Environment: The space or the conditions in which we live. It intimately affects persons externally and internally. Health can be optimized by client's choices and manipulation of their environment. Health: When the physical, psychological, social, cultural and spiritual dimensions of a person are in harmony, the person is given balance and peace of body, mind and spirit. Nurses look for the unity of these factors to declare a person in clinical, functional, adaptive, and eudemonistic health or well-being. Nursing Definition and Philosophy
Nursing is the provision of a relationship that combines the art and science of caring, drawing on competencies, knowledge and values, with the intention of assisting the client to achieve their full potential and quality of life. In Nursing 260, we began writing our nursing philosophies. My philosophy further defines the role of a nurse through my values and beliefs. Please check it out! |
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