Jyothi Siju

My philosophy of nursing

I believe that nursing is much more than a career that we train for in order to earn a living. I do not think that a truly good nurse goes into the profession because of the stability that it offers. A truly good nurse is drawn to the profession because of the skills and compassion that she can offer to it. The desire to be a caring person who strives to help the human race is not learned, but inherent. Therefore, nursing must be done by those who have the overwhelming desire to improve the world by caring for those who cannot care for themselves.

The nurse is the person on whom the patient depends. She is there when the patient wakes up, when he takes medications, when he needs assistance during the day, and when he wakes up in the middle of the night due to discomfort. She is the person that the patient must trust fully if he is to recover well. A trustworthy nurse must demonstrate competence respect, compassion and sympathy. I do not think that a nurse can be effective without these elements. How well a nurse can administer an injection is, of course, essential. But her technical skills are not the only things of importance. How she interacts with her patient, which is encompassed in the art of nursing, is critical as well. Skills without compassion create an unsuccessful nurse. As a result, only those with a true love for helping others can become effective in this field. Beyond having these qualities, a good nurse must also educate others on issues of wellness. Helping sick clients is rewarding, but educating clients to prevent sickness is more thoughtful goal, and one that all nurses should try to achieve.

My beliefs about person, health and environment are:
Persons (Individuals, families, communities): These are the people we are working to serve; these people deserve respect, dignity, and fair treatment regardless of their race, class, gender, or extent of health. These people are also the families of those we serve and our peer nurses and doctors. All of these people need to work together in order to provide the best care possible. Health: Health is what we want to maintain or improve upon. I believe that health is what we as nurses try to improve upon in the ill and try to promote maintenance of in the already healthy. Environment: Environment is very important in nursing because you need to provide an environment which is conducive to healing and developing a therapeutic relationship with the client. The environment can be a useful tool in gaining trust and a rapport with your client if it is a neutral place where the client feels safe.

How I will live out my philosophy in practice: I will live my philosophy out in practice by always trying to remain focused on the care and patient in my care. I will try to see my job not as a task that has to be checked off, but rather that each day I get to help others and contribute to their health in some way. Also I will remember that person; health and environment are all important and use all of them together to provide the best care. If I remember these things and implement them, I will feel that I am accomplishing my philosophy and being the best possible nurse I can be.