My Nursing Philosophy
My philosophy about nursing encompasses three themes: leadership, empathy and courage. Leadership, to me, is divided into two parts. The first part involves being able to lead oneself, and the second part involves the ability to lead others. In nursing, leadership is a crucial skill. For example, a nurse exhibiting self-leadership will champion themselves towards self development, continuous learning and skill enhancement. When a nurse is involved in activities like these, they can better provide competent care.
Being able to lead others is equally important. Many activities in nursing care involve interacting with people who could be patients, their families, fellow nurses and other health professionals, and these activities provide opportunities for leadership skills to express themselves. Leadership in nursing can also take place by getting involved in leadership roles and policymaking that can lead to the overall health improvement of people.
In their paper, Frazer & Davidson (2022) express the importance of leadership in nursing. They stated that the voices of nurses are needed to positively influence global policies and steer the world into fulfilling the United Nation’s sustainable development goals.
I decided to participate in the Impact Leadership Program at Trent University to develop my leadership skills. This program is running throughout the 2024/2025 academic year. The activities I have engaged in have taught me skills like perseverance, confidence, and advocacy, which I look forward to applying in my nursing practice.
My nursing philosophy also draws from empathy. Nursing involves caring for people, and a necessary part of caring for people is seeing through their lens, feeling what they feel and acting in the most appropriate way to help them. I believe that as I empathize with people, I can provide them with the proper care.
Courage is also a part of my nursing philosophy. It takes courage to want to be a nurse. To be responsible for another person’s life is a courageous act, and I admire all nurses for that. To build my courage in practice, I will endeavour to stay abreast of current findings in the nursing profession and engage in continuing education. Doing so will refine my skills and enable me to courageously carry out quality care.
Pajakoski et al. (2021) wrote about moral courage and its crucial role in nursing. They referred to courage as the “inner strength” of the nurse, and I agree with their use of this term. They further reinforced the idea that a nurse can build moral courage through education, support from others, and personal study to improve oneself.
Excellent leadership skills, empathy and courage are themes that I will use in my nursing practice, and I aim to refine them on my journey.
References
Frazer, K., & Davidson, P. M. (2022). Sustainable Development Goals—A clarion call for leadership in nursing and midwifery. Journal of Nursing Management, 30(8), 3888–3890. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13867
Pajakoski, E., Rannikko, S., Leino‐Kilpi, H., & Numminen, O. (2021). Moral courage in nursing – An integrative literature review. Nursing & Health Sciences, 23(3), 570–585. https://doi.org/10.1111/nhs.12805
