Community Teaching Plan: Teaching Experience Paper and nursing (Due 24 hours)

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Personal Nursing Philosophy

Personal Nursing Philosophy

The purpose of this paper is to discuss my personal philosophy in nursing. I will reflect on the definitions of the four concepts of the nursing metaparadigm which include person, environment, health, and nursing. These four concepts are widely accepted as the dominant phenomena with the science of nursing, according to Wagner (1986). In addition to these four concepts, the concept of social justice introduced by Schim, Benkert, Walker and Danfird (2007) should be added to the metaparadigm. These concepts are essential to the nursing science and neither should be eliminated as part of the metaparadigm.

Four Concepts of the Metaparadigm

The first concept of the metaparadigm is person. Defined as a holistic being in the world, a being that is greater than the sum of their parts (Wagner, 1986). This definition as a concept in nursing philosophy is significant as nurses treat patients with a holistic approach. Whereas in medicine a doctor tends to focus on the one organ or system in which they specialize, a nurse takes in to account how an organ or illness affects the sum of the human being. The second concept is health. According to Wagner, health is the ability to function independently, the unity of mind body and soul. Health and helping people achieve maximum levels of health is a defining characteristic of the nursing profession. Nurses’ goal is to keep their patients in optimal states of health through use of nursing theory. Using observation, assessment, and predictive theories to define the goals of care and optimize efficacy of interventions.

The third concept in the metaparadigm is environment, the internal and external factors that affect the person, the significant others with whom the person interacts (Wagner 1986). The concept is vital to the modern paradigm of nursing which includes family centered care. Lastly, the fourth concept is nursing, the art, and the science of caring. Caring for the well and the sick and helping individuals attain their human potential (Wagner, 1986). This definition is the essence of the nursing profession. Nursing focuses on the individual, developing a relationship of communication and establishing goals of care.

Personal Philosophy

My personal philosophy would include the four concepts of the metaparadigm as they each have a critical role in defining the characteristics of the nursing worldview. The concept of “person” as a holistic being is definitive in the nursing profession. Nurses should view each patient in this way to determine the goals of care, based on what is most important to the patient. For example, when caring for a terminal patient, does the patient wish not to suffer and require optimal pain management. The concept of health and helping to achieve maximum levels of independence is an import part of my philosophy. The best nurses not only care for their patients when the patient is unable to care for themselves, but they also teach and promote activities to empower the patient to be able to care for themselves. With regards to environment, my personal observation is that patients who have a strong support system most often have the best outcomes. So, environment is a crucial concept in the metaparadigm. The fourth concept, nursing, is the defining characteristic of our profession. The act of caring as a concept is what sets nursing apart from other healthcare professions. The art of communication, the art of empathy, the art of promoting autonomy are characteristics which shape the nursing profession. I would include the concept of social justice introduced by Schim, Benkert, Walker and Danfird (2007). I believe that healthy and health promotion is a basic human right and the access to care should be independent of socioeconomic status.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I believe that all four concepts of the metaparadigm are important, and all serve to define world views of the profession of nursing. Each concept is interrelated to each other and defines how we care for our patients.

References

Gonzalo, A. (2019, September 12) Jean Watson: Theory of Human Caring. Nurseslabs. https://nurseslabs.com/jean-watsons-philosophy-theory-transpersonal-caring

Wills, M.M.E. M. (2017). Theoretical Basis for Nursing. [VitalSource Bookshelf]. Retrieved from https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781496351210/