My Nursing Philosophy 

Growing up an only child to immigrant parents in Canada, after hearing the hardships my parents had to endure to survive in a new country, one of the first philosophies that were handed to me was the core principle of ‘仁’ , read as “Ren“. Ren is the Chinese principle of ‘humanness‘ It represents the essence of being human; showing kindness, compassion, and care for others. The character 仁 also translates to ‘benevolence‘, which I would describe as the inclination to be kind and genuine desire to mean well onto others.

Carrying this philosophy into my nursing journey, Ren inspires me to be a nurse with commitment to patient centred care. I vow to be empathetic. I vow to be respectful, and I vow to always approach every situation with high moral integrity.  This philosophy is culturally dear to me and serves as a fundamental piece that underpins the importance of compassionate holistic care in nursing practice.

Being kind, compassionate and benevolent extends beyond carrying out tasks with a smile— it involves a holistic and empathetic approach full of open mindedness and humility in order to address the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of another human being.

Benevolence fosters trust and can enhance the relationship between patient and nurses while creating a healing and accepting environment. It also aligns with the ethical principles of nursing: where we are to uphold beneficence in acting in the best interest for the patient and be an advocate, and non-maleficence to uphold the ethical duty of doing no harm to the patient.

Moreover, this personal philosophy contributes to my moral satisfaction as a human being and as a nurse, reinforcing my purpose and dedication to the field for the duration of my time on this earth.