Core Beliefs & Values
As a nursing professional, my practice is anchored in fundamental principles that guide my patient care, personal growth, and commitment to healthcare excellence. These core values reflect my dedication to holistic, compassionate, and ethical nursing, emphasizing human dignity, continuous learning, and the profound responsibility of supporting individuals through their health journeys
As a student nurse, I believe that incorporating compassion and empathy, respect for human dignity, integrity and ethical practices, commitment to excellence, and collaboration and teamwork into my practice will strengthen my ethical values and improve the patient experience. I am dedicated to continuously developing these qualities throughout my career in order to offer care that is individualized and aligned with the unique needs of each patient.
Compassion and Empathy
The College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) defines compassion as identifying and meeting the needs or suffering of others out of a sincere wish to be of assistance. It includes providing patients with both practical and emotional support while exhibiting compassion, consideration, and care for their welfare. In order to demonstrate compassion, nurses must work to lessen suffering and advance the comfort, security, and dignity of the people they are caring for. Conversely, empathy is the capacity to comprehend and experience another person’s emotions. Nurses must listen intently, be physically present with the patient, and respect their feelings and experiences. Building relationships based on empathy helps nurses develop the trust and respect that are necessary for good communication and patient-centered. Compassion and empathy work together as the cornerstones of therapeutic alliances (CNO, 2019).
Empathy involves a direct identification with patients’ distress—feeling and experiencing it almost as if it were your own. Therefore, empathy—allows us to deeply understand one another’s pain and also their joy, which can be enormously supportive of the therapist-client relationship (Newport Healthcare, 2023)
Respect for Human Dignity
Every patient has a unique worth that ought to be acknowledged and appreciated, regardless of their cultural, religious, or philosophical views, since human dignity is a global notion. As a nurse, this entails valuing each patient’s individuality and making sure that their rights and values are respected while they are receiving treatment. You approach patients with an open mind and heart rather than assuming anything or passing judgment on them because of their race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or religious views. This could entail, for example, finding out your patient’s preferred means of communication, learning about their cultural or religious customs, or honoring their individual choices regarding medical care (e.g., respecting a patient’s decision to refuse a particular type of treatment due to cultural or religious reasons). Nurses can create a healthcare environment that really respects human dignity and encourages patient-centered care by engaging patients with an open mind and heart(Studio P., 2023)
Integrity and Ethical Practices
Maintaining the trust and respect of patients, families, and coworkers while delivering compassionate, high-quality care requires nurses to incorporate integrity and ethical behaviors. In their practice, nurses frequently have to make tough choices, speak up for patients, and maintain ethical standards. Nurses can make sure that their activities are in line with their professional obligations and the moral standards of care by adopting integrity and ethical practices (CNO 2020).
Commitment to Excellence
One essential component of professional practice in nursing is the importance of dedication to quality. It involves aiming to give patients the best care possible, advancing one’s knowledge and abilities constantly, and upholding professional norms. Excellence-driven nurses exhibit professionalism, responsibility, and a commitment to lifelong learning and growth. They take the initiative to look for methods to advance healthcare, improve patient care, and improve their own practice such as the CNO’s Professional Standards (CNO,2019) or Ethics Practice Standard.
Collaboration and Teamwork
Collaboration and efficient teamwork are frequently the keys to providing excellent nursing care. Collaboration is essential to nursing practice because it enables medical professionals from different specialties to work together to give patients comprehensive care. Working closely with doctors, therapists, and other healthcare team members to create and carry out care plans that take into account each person’s holistic requirements, nurses play a critical part in this cooperative endeavor. Nurses contribute their own viewpoint and experience to this collaborative process, offering insightful information and knowledge that raises the standard of patient care overall. Nurses ensures that every aspect of the patient’s health is taken into consideration as well as treated by actively participating in interdisciplinary conversations and sharing their observations and evaluations.