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Introduction
Nursing is a unique profession and is different from any other fields such as business,
technology, or manufacturing. Nurses have one of the greatest responsibilities on earth: caring
for humans. Nursing can be defined in many different ways. Nursing means providing care for
the patient and their families in all settings. Nurses carry many different roles such as caregiver,
server, supporter, customer service agent, and more. Caring, integrity, and respect are the core
values that contribute to providing the highest level of care. Being a nurse allows me to serve and
help those in need. According to the Maslow’s Hierarchy, physiological needs such as food,
sleep, shelter, etc. are basic survival needs (McLeod, 2023). Those needs must be satisfied before
someone can achieve the higher need. The health and illness concepts are also important in
nursing because they reflect the patient's health world. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the
value of caring, integrity, and respect in nursing and how they impact the care that I give as a
nurse.
Nursing Philosophy
Caring, integrity, and respect are the core nursing strengths, which are requirements for
the quality of patient care. Caring is the key to the nursing philosophy because it makes a
difference in patient health outcomes. An example of caring is being present and attentive to the
patient’s needs. Caring can be simply shown by staying with patients and listening to what they
need to say. We also need to care for the whole person that includes not only their physical body
but also their minds, emotion, and spirit.
During the nursing journey, nurses will encounter many situations in which patients’
beliefs do not align with ours. In those cases, respecting means allowing them to make their own
informed decisions. For instance, as a nurse, I always want to do all that I can to save a patient.
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But if a patient with end-stage liver disease would like to refuse all treatments and receive no
code, I need to respect the wishes of my patient. All patients should be able to take control of
their medical care.
Working in the healthcare industry does require integrity in many forms of practice.
Integrity in the form of being fair and honest is a vital component of a successful nursing
profession. For instance, if I know the provider is running behind, I would inform my patient and
keep them updated, instead of telling them that the provider would see them soon. Practicing
integrity ensures that all patients receive fair and consistent care quality.
At the beginning of the nursing program, nursing was viewed as mostly focusing on
treating an illness or condition. For instance, if an elderly patient, who arrives at the emergency
department following a car accident, has pain and hypovolemia, we will treat them with fluid and
pain medications. Now at the end of the nursing program, the nursing view has changed in many
different ways. Nursing is more than treating patients when they are in critical situations, but also
improve their lives through health education and wellness promotion. For instance, with the
same patient in the car accident mentioned earlier, besides helping them to stabilize, now the
patient needs to be assessed on the anxiety and stress level or the fear to drive again. In addition,
educating the patient on the importance of wearing a seatbelt, medications, and appropriate
eyeglasses are necessary to avoid future injury.
Interacting with patients during my clinical experience has made me realize the
importance of building rapport and trust in nursing- patient relationships. I have learned
communication skills to help me communicate effectively with providers and coworkers when it
comes to delivery care.
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Many several factors that contribute to an individual’s well-being such as physical,
mental, and spiritual components. Health is defined as when an individual experiences physical
and mental stability. Illness is when someone faces physical and emotional challenges. The two
are connected because health is the whole and illness is the hole. Nurses are tasked to patch that
hole without causing more harm. They also provide comfort for the ones who are dying.
Throughout nursing school, I have learned Maslow's Hierarchy of needs which is an
important nursing theory. There are five tiers in the pyramid of human needs including
physiological needs, safety and security, love and belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualization
(McLeod, 2023). As nurses, we need to identify their problems, gather relevant information, and
incorporate skills to develop a treatment plan. Maslow's Hierarchy theory provides a strong
foundation and helpful guide when making clinical decisions. When I need to care for multiple
patients, Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs helps me to prioritize which patients I should see first.
I believe anyone can be trained on any skill, but they can not be trained to care, respect,
and have integrity. With the increased population and rising issues, my own set of values is the
driving force to keep me focused on patient-centered care and motivated when I face
professional challenges. Entering the nursing world with a caring personality trait helps my
patients feel heard. By demonstrating integrity, I am able to promote a trusted relationship not
only with patients but also with healthcare providers and coworkers. By respecting our patients
regardless of their backgrounds, genders, and situations, offering equal care to all individuals,
and holding high standards of ethical conduct, I am confident to go above and beyond to provide
the best care for my patients.
Conclusion
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Understanding that the mind, body, and spirit are connected together motivates me to care
for my patients as a whole. The nursing theory such as Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs is an
important theory that reminds nurses that the basic physiological needs need to be satisfied
before achieving the higher need. It is a valuable guide when it comes to prioritizing and making
good clinical judgment. While caring for patients with respect, nurses need to follow fair and
honest acting morals. Integrity, caring, and respect are important that contribute to positive
interactions. Those qualities have shaped me to provide exceptional care to patients. The
philosophy is my unique identity that makes nursing practice different from others. My
colleagues and patients can trust me in difficult situations.
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References
Mcleod, S. (2023). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs .
https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html