Introduction
Philosophy is an inevitable part of a healthcare professional’s work as it consists not only of basic knowledge implemented in practice but also is related to the human well-being and education of the patient. After studying the in-depth nursing profession, I comprehend nursing in a different, more unique way. Earlier, I perceived nursing work as a number of tasks defining the importance of ethics in general. Now I look at the duties broader and through a lens of experience that significantly shaped my views. Every nursing practitioner develops his beliefs, attitudes, and concepts that will be implemented toward the patients. In this assignment, I will disclose my current philosophy in nursing, analyze two philosophical theories by Virginia Henderson and Hildegard Peplau, and explain how they impact my beliefs in the profession.
Philosophy Influences
A substantial impact on my views and beliefs made the philosophies of Virginia Henderson and Hildegard Peplau. Virginia Henderson explains that a human being is a union of spiritual and physical aspects. Henderson underlines that the nurse should consider a patient from the perspective of him having biological or psychological needs that, whilst being sick, he cannot satisfy by himself (Sitzman, 2017). It is the nurse’s major concern, according to Henderson, to help the human being support all the requests before he recovers and gets independency. This approach to the patient is very close to my philosophy as it shows the patient as a person that lacks support, help, and care. Initially, medicine was about the help and satisfaction of humans’ essential needs; however, now, healthcare has changed drastically. Medicine has become a service that should always be client-oriented and that satisfies all the potential needs of the customer. Currently, humans are too focused on providing a service instead of offering support to the patients on serious occasions.
Another nursing philosophy I find essential in forming my views is Hildegard Peplau’s theory. It states that the patient and the nurse should build a relationship between them mutually toward the aim of the patient’s well-being. The latter significantly aids the person that needs help to be a part of his care and understand its specialties. When the patient is included in the treatment, and the nurse educates him about his disease, the long-term treatment outcomes enhance. According to Hildegard Peplau, the process of such relationship-building consists of three logical phases: orientation, working, and termination (Hagerty et al., 2017). Building trustworthy relations with the patient is the base of achieving positive treatment results as the process of recovery should be initiated primarily by the patient. My nursing philosophy is based on Peplau’s theory as I believe reaching comprehension with the patient and building a close relationship with him is central in the care process.
Conceptualization of Nursing
Thus, my perspective of nursing philosophy was shaped by the theories of Virginia Henderson and Hildegard Peplau. The latter underlines the importance of helping the patient satisfy his essential needs and building a relationship to involve him in treatment. In general, I consider a human being as a person that has various systems working altogether and providing him with necessities, feelings of well-being, happiness, safety, and many others. If some of the systems work insufficiently, nurses aim to help the person return to the initial or close to the initial condition of harmony between all the systems. Health is a feeling of this balance, of the balance between the outside and inside, that allows humans to live freely and happily. Nursing is a possibility to provide help to another person that is in need using special knowledge, skills, kindness, and personal philosophy. The environment is the surrounding area of a human being which is also a part of him that creates the conditions for existence and survival.
Every nurse can have personal perceptions of these meta paradigms; however, these interpretations significantly impact the nursing experience and practice. For instance, when I was looking after a post-operative patient with appendicitis, it was especially important to communicate with him and explain the importance of the bed regime. Building a trustworthy relationship helped me reach control of his movements and the condition of his post-surgical wound.
Evolution of Philosophy
I want to admit that before, my perceptions of nursing were more task-centered, and my philosophy was oriented in the right way but still with a common understanding of the profession. Currently, I believe it is more essential to be a patient-centered professional, to focus on a human being, not only on protocols. Earlier, I had not enough experience to build relationships with patients, but now I know how to create trustworthy relations and try to implement them. The theories of Virginia Henderson and Hildegard Peplau covered within the program formed and fit my philosophy as they taught me the importance of a patient’s perception and communication with him. This reinforcement impacts my daily nursing practice through better patient education, comprehension, and treatment outcomes.
Conclusion
Therefore, my nursing philosophy has changed within years of education for the better. I believe it will lead me toward more experience, development, and realization in the profession. My current perceptions were influenced by Virginia Henderson and Hildegard Peplau, who underlines the importance of nursing attitude toward the patient and the relationship-building with him. I indulge that within some years, my philosophy will be reoriented because of the experience and knowledge I get along the way, and that is the key factor to progress and development.
References
Hagerty, T. A., Samuels, W., Norcini-Pala, A., & Gigliotti, E. (2017). Peplau’s theory of interpersonal relations: An alternate factor structure for patient experience data?Nursing Science Quarterly, 30(2), 160–167.
Sitzman, K. (2017). Understanding the work of nurse theorists: A creative beginning.Research and Theory for Nursing Practice, 31(4), 402-404.