MY Core Values
These values; conscientiousness, agreeableness, respect, and accountability shape who I am and how I aspire to practice as a nurse. Each value connects to my upbringing, personal experiences, and cultural influences, guiding my interactions with others and my approach to patient care. Whether it’s through being thorough and organized, kind and empathetic, respectful of differences, or taking full responsibility for my actions, I strive to embody these principles in my daily life and future nursing practice. They serve as a foundation for building trust, fostering collaboration, and providing holistic, ethical, and compassionate care.
Conscientiousness
Statement: Conscientiousness means being diligent, organized, and thorough in all tasks. In nursing, this value ensures I provide ethical, accurate, and detailed care by following protocols, attending to every aspect of a patient’s needs, and maintaining the highest standards of professionalism.
Brief Exploration: Conscientiousness in my case was greatly influenced by my family and the environment created by my church. Attending church with my parents every Sunday provided me with valuable lessons on responsibility, morality, and the importance of setting goals and achieving them. Over time, viewing my parents and siblings as role models and observing how they maintained discipline in their own lives, balancing work, family, and community responsibilities helped me to develop conscientiousness.
In nursing, conscientiousness might mean consistently delivering care attentively, meeting patients’ needs responsibly, and maintaining accuracy in documentation and clinical tasks, it is foundational to responsible, ethical, and goal-oriented patient care. For example, a nurse displaying conscientiousness would meticulously follow protocols when administering medication to avoid dosage errors. In another situation, when creating a care plan, a conscientious nurse carefully considers the patient’s physical, emotional, and social needs, ensuring they receive holistic and attentive care. Possessing this value, makes me envision myself as a nurse who will not leave any stone unturned when providing care for patients.
Agreeableness
Statement: Being agreeable is about being kind, empathetic, and understanding. In nursing, this means connecting with patients and showing that I care. It’s also about working well with my team to ensure that everyone feels heard and supported.
Brief Exploration: Agreeableness including qualities like being softhearted and kind influences my relationships and outlook on life. Being softhearted and trusting has helped me form strong connections, as I tend to always offer to help others. This approach has led to meaningful friendships and relationships that i can boast of today. While I wasn’t always as openly agreeable, I now see it as a choice that enriches my life and deepens my connections. My mom’s generous nature may have also influenced this trait. She is always ready to help other people even in situations that are uncomfortable for her.
In nursing, qualities like empathy, trust, and kindness support building therapeutic relationship with patients who often feel vulnerable and need compassionate support, as mentioned in Peplau’s Interpersonal Relations Theory . For example, my softhearted approach can help calm an anxious patient, making them feel understood and supported. Additionally, trust and kindness foster cooperation within healthcare teams, leading to smoother communication and collaboration which is necessary for delivering high-quality patient care and ensuring positive health outcomes.
Respect
Statement: Respect is about valuing people for who they are, no matter their background. In nursing, I believe it’s important to respect patients’ choices and beliefs and to treat everyone with kindness and dignity. It also means respecting my colleagues, as a positive work environment leads to better care for our patients.
Brief Exploration: Respect is one of the values I uphold, and I believe it should be reciprocal, regardless of a person’s status. To me, respect goes beyond the words “sir” or “ma”, it’s an innate character that shines through in the way we relate with each other, acknowledge different perspectives, act fairly, and value others’ contributions.
My culture has deeply influenced my view on respect, as my tribe emphasizes respectful gestures, such as bowing, kneeling or prostrating to greet elders or superiors. This expectation of respect extends to everyone, from prominent figures to family elders. Growing up with these customs helped me see respect not as a forced gesture but as a meaningful and cherished value that strengthens human connection and mutual understanding.
Respect is a value that aligns naturally with nursing, and it’s a principle that I truly believe in. In nursing, respect isn’t just about showing politeness or using titles, it’s about recognizing the worth of every patient and colleague, no matter their background, status, or circumstances. Respect shapes how a nurse would communicate, listen, and respond to patients and peers, building trust and ensuring that everyone feels valued.
When caring for patients, showing respect means honoring their choices and being sensitive to their cultural beliefs and emotional needs. Respect also extends to collaborating with colleagues, by valuing each person’s input and respecting differences, I will be able to foster an atmosphere of trust, which directly impacts patient outcomes and enhances the quality of care provided.
Accountability
Statement: Accountability means owning my actions, both the good and the bad. In nursing, it’s important to me that I take responsibility for my decisions, admit when I make mistakes, and always work to fix them. I believe this builds trust with patients and colleagues and ensures the best care.
Brief Exploration: Accountability is a core value I hold deeply, shaped by witnessing the lack of it in my home country, Nigeria. Although Nigeria is rich in resources like crude oil, gold, and natural gas, many citizens still struggle with poverty due to corrupt leadership. Instances like the unaccounted funds blamed on bizarre excuses, such as “a snake swallowing money,” and COVID-19 relief palliatives left to spoil in storage reveal a government lacking responsibility toward its citizens. This dysfunction has shown me how essential accountability is and strengthened my resolve never to fall short in it myself.
Accountability is highly relevant in nursing because nurses are responsible for patients’ lives and well-being, so holding oneself accountable is critical to effective and ethical care. This means being transparent in documentation, admitting mistakes, and following through with commitments to patients, colleagues, and the healthcare system. For instance, if i realize that i have administered the wrong dose of a medication, accountability would prompt me to immediately report the error and take steps to prevent harm, rather than ignoring it. This will ensure trust and safety in patient care.