Introduction
Clinical practice is founded on specific concepts and philosophies. Hence, nurses, throughout their careers, build unique philosophies that frequently result from combining established notions with their frequent encounters. Consequently, a nurse with specific professional knowledge should ideally have their thoughts on the medical principles, encompassing an individual or client, the environment, health, and nursing. A collection of ideas, emotions, and views about these notions constitutes a nursing philosophy (Deliktas et al., 2019). Therefore, the nursing meta paradigms are fundamental facets that every nursing practitioner should possess to make them competent in rendering ideal caregiving duties.
Personal Factors Influencing Philosophy
A nurse who has graduated from school is familiar with most conceptual frameworks and has concepts for putting them into operation. These principles are, nevertheless, impacted by inner and external influences and transformed into a distinctive nursing philosophy. As such, they may mirror common nursing ideas or particular concepts.
Additionally, it may be claimed that a nursing practitioner’s attitude, work, and career advancement are predetermined by their nursing philosophy (Pestka et al., 2017). In this way, responsibility is among the most influential aspects of the evolution of nursing philosophy. This implies that every employee is responsible for expanding their particular skill set and its implementation within the context of occupational activity. A competent nurse should recognize the need to maintain environmental management.
In the same context, compassion is the second element to consider. It is much easier for professional nurses to give high-quality care to their patients if they are empathetic and able to bear in mind the unique characteristics of each of their patients while still treating them with dignity. A compassionate nurse does not discriminate based on any societal or moral grounds. This is an essential factor that helps to foster compassionate nursing practice.
Equally, the philosophy of nursing incorporates professionalism as an essential component. It is important to stress that professionalism does not depend on having a college degree or predetermined practical abilities. In this regard, it is a willingness to assist others regardless of their diversity. As a result, this facet of one’s unique nursing philosophy focuses on the breadth of the nursing profession as well as its fundamental requirements.
Thoughts on Meta-Paradigm
Person
I think nursing ideas have a significant effect on patients. Specifically, a person is the focal point of the primary treatment. A patient should be handled with respect, care, and compassion. Therefore, nurses need to demonstrate engagement in every aspect.
Engagement aids in establishing rapport between the nurse and the patient (Chloe et al., 2020). Second, it increases customers’ confidence in favorable results. Third, consumers would have no qualms about placing their faith in nursing specialists.
Environment
The atmosphere is subtly influenced by the nursing principles used at the healthcare institution. This way, the environment comprises several elements, including society, ecological status, nature, and family (Chloe et al., 2020). If the environment is not conducive to health improvement, it must be altered to suit the patient.
A nurse must identify the good aspects of the client’s surroundings and use them to enhance the patient’s health. Typically, this occurs due to the efficacy of treatment contingent upon the personnel’s attitude toward the customers and the working environment. Thus, I believe the patient’s family is one of the most crucial environmental factors.
Health
The idea of health itself is changing, and it may be seen as a combination of wellness and sickness; nevertheless, it is influenced by environmental variables. Nursing ideologies and health outcomes are intrinsically intertwined (Domingo‐Osle & Domingo, 2020). From my perspective, this implies that adopting an appropriate philosophy will aid caregivers in understanding the extent of their profession. This clinical meta-paradigm feature will serve as a promise of good, long-term, cost-effective medical services.
Nursing
In my opinion, the purpose of nursing is to render essential care for a patient and investigate variables that have contributed to a patient’s condition. Accordingly, a patient’s negative mood may not merely be the outcome of a disease; it may be influenced by factors such as unpleasant psychological surroundings (Chloe et al., 2020). Therefore, the principal responsibility of a nurse is to reduce the patient’s exposure to dangerous forces and to provide methods of health restoration
Summary of the Interrelationship of the Concepts
Typically, a nursing paradigm should consist of four different ideas. The four components are individual, environment, health, and nursing care. I believe they are linked and affect each other’s outcome and dependability.
A person plays an essential role in the caregiving process. Their caregivers should show the patient dignity, attentiveness, and compassion. A nurse has to show a level of participation in every case. Sometimes, offering encouragement or actively listening may have more excellent outcomes than the whole therapy.
Nonetheless, the role of a nurse encompasses more than just providing care for patients. A nurse practitioner is also an instructor, and the patient must learn self-care procedures from the nurse practitioner. Further, the nurse’s onus is to provide a conducive environment ideal for a person’s recovery.
Identification and Description of Theory
One of the selected theories is the self-care deficit nursing theory since it is compatible with my nursing philosophies. Dorothea Orem established this school of thought. Her hypothesis described nursing as aiding others in the supply and administration of self-care to enhance human efficiency at home (Yip, 2021). Similarly, the notion emphasizes a human’s capacity to exercise self-care, described as the performance of actions that people start and undertake to preserve life (Yip, 2021).
Another theory that concurred with my notions is Watson’s hypothesis of transpersonal caring. In this idea, nursing is focused on fostering health, avoiding sickness, caring for the sick, and improving health. Furthermore, caring is fundamental to nursing work and improves health more effectively than medical treatment. As such, these theories demystify the four nursing care meta-paradigms.
Personal
Self-care deficit nursing theory underscores that humans are the physical subject of nurses and those who offer medical care. Thus, they are characterized as men, women, and children who tend to be separated or in social categories. However, in Watson’s idea, the human being is a valuable individual who should be cared for, appreciated, fostered, comprehended, and aided; the philosophical concept of a person is a fully functioning, integrated self.
Environment
According to Orem’s theory, the environment consists of physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. It comprises the family, society, and neighborhood. Nonetheless, under Watson’s idea, the environment offers the norms that define how an individual should act and what objectives they should pursue. She further contends that caring has prevailed in every community. Hence, in every civilization, there have been individuals who have tended to others.
Health
According to Orem’s idea, health is structurally and functionally complete or sound. Additionally, it is a condition that comprises the wellness of people and communities. Human health entails the capacity to contemplate oneself, symbolically represent encounters, and interact. However, according to Watson’s theory of transpersonal care, health is oneness and peace within the mind, body, and spirit. It is characterized as optimal bodily, cognitive, and social well-being.
Nursing
According to Orem, nursing is an art in which the clinician provides specialized support to those with impairments whose self-care requires more than usual aid. The nurse contributes wisely to the patient’s treatment under the physician’s direction. Nevertheless, Watson postulates that nursing is a human science that focuses on people and their health and experiences of sickness. Moreover, it is handled by professional, personal, scientific, aesthetic, and ethical interactions with others who provide care.
Compatibility of Personal Philosophy with Selected Theorists
My nursing philosophy incorporates concepts from prominent nursing thinkers. Thus, my belief in the love-kindness relationship corresponds to Watson’s theory, which focuses on how caregivers demonstrate concern for their patients. In addition, my desire to instill a faith-hope culture coincides with Watson’s transpersonal care since it involves being present for clients. Congruently, my beliefs on patient characteristics are related to Dorothea Orem’s self-care philosophy. I feel attached to this notion since it implies that everyone wants self-care.
Summary and Conclusion
Personal nursing philosophy is a contentious problem in general. Nonetheless, it is an essential aspect of nursing practice. The significance of integrating the appropriate paradigm into clinical practice cannot be overstated. External and internal influences, attitudes, and ideas shape it.
In reality, nursing philosophy impacts the career advancement of a nurse and affects the outcomes of nursing interventions. For example, it influences all aspects of professional nursing work and assists nurses in providing cost-effective, high-quality care. In this essay, I examined the critical aspects that drive the formation of a unique nursing philosophy, detailed two concepts that align with my perspective, and shared my ideas on the topic.
References
Chloe, O. R., Carrie A. L., Consuelo A.G., (2020). The prismatic midparadigm of nursing. Nursing Science Quarterly. Web.
Deliktas, A., Korukcu, O., Aydin, R., & Kabukcuoglu, K. (2019). Nursing students’ perceptions of nursing metaparadigms: A phenomenological study. Journal of Nursing Research, 27(5), e45. Web.
Domingo‐Osle, M., & Domingo, R. (2020). Nursing and spirituality: A discussion paper on intertwining metaparadigms. Journal of Nursing Management. Web.
Pestka, D. L., Sorge, L. A., McClurg, M. R., & Sorensen, T. D. (2017). The philosophy of practice for comprehensive medication management: Evaluating its meaning and application by practitioners. Pharmacotherapy: The Journal of Human Pharmacology and Drug Therapy, 38(1), 69–79. Web.
Yip, J. (2021). Theory-based advanced nursing practice: A practice update on the application of Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory. SAGE Open Nursing. Web.