Running head: NURSING PHILOSOPHY 1

Nursing Philosophy

Courtney L. Babb

ETSU College of Nursing

Nursing Philosophy

A personal philosophy of nursing may be defined as one’s view of what the purpose of

nursing is. Nursing theories can assist in the development of a nursing theory, as they allow the

nurse to incorporate the work of previous theorists into the modern nursing environment.

Additionally, leadership styles can allow the nurse to be a positive voice for change in the

workplace and develop a progressive, fruitful work environment. Nursing philosophies are

beneficial in determining the nurse’s priorities in the workplace. In the nurse’s leadership

position among peers, this is essential in ensuring that one is an inspirational role model and

force for change in the nursing field.

Leadership Styles

One inspirational leadership style is relational leadership, which focuses on the

interactions between coworkers (Cummings et al., 2018). This is important in the workplace

because building a strong rapport with one’s peers can result in more effective collaboration. For

example, it is important that a nurse has trust in her assistive personnel in order to confidently

delegate tasks and be sure that they will be completed efficiently. It is also important to have an

honest, trusting relationship with one’s superior, so inappropriate orders may be questioned. A

subcategory of this type of leadership is transformational leadership, which is utilized by those

who are striving to make a difference in the workplace; this may come to place by ensuring the

implementation of new evidence-based practices and encouraging one’s peers to perform at their

highest possible level (McCay, Lyles, & Larkey, 2018). This leadership style is important in

ensuring that nursing practices remain up-to-date and evidence-based practice is used.

Nursing Theorists
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Dorothea Orem’s theories of self-care, nursing systems, and self-care deficit are

instrumental in one’s development of a personal nursing philosophy (Younas, 2017). According

to Younas (2017), the theory of self-care emphasizes the fact that humans are capable of

completing the tasks necessary to provide one’s self with needed care. Orem’s theory of nursing

systems discusses how a good nurse-patient relationship is essential in providing effective,

holistic nursing care (Younas, 2017). Younas (2017) also explains Orem’s self-care deficit theory,

which discusses how nursing fills the gaps in care by determining what care the patient can

provide to himself or herself; also, it covers which care tasks cannot be completed. Moreover,

nurses are responsible for ensuring that the patient’s care is complete by providing care that the

patient cannot perform for himself or herself. Another theorist whose work is influential in one’s

nursing philosophy is Hildegard Peplau, who wrote Interpersonal Relationships in Nursing

(D’Antonio, Beeber, Sills, & Naegle, 2014). Her work outlines the importance of therapeutic

relationships in acting as a driving force for a positive change in society and each person’s views

of themselves and others (D’Antonio et al., 2014). Orem’s theory is essential to incorporate into

one’s nursing practice, as fulfilling those needs that the patient is unable to perform is the

essence of basic nursing care (Younas, 2017). Also, Peplau’s theory of interpersonal relationships

is crucial in developing a trusting, honest relationship between patient and nurse, which

improves patient compliance and mental health (D’Antonio et al., 2014).

Influence on Practice

Leadership Style

The leadership styles researched influence my nursing practice by causing me to more

carefully consider my interactions with peers, as well as the quality of nursing care being

provided to patients. For instance, relational leadership influences me to evaluate my

communication with fellow healthcare professionals, such as nursing assistive personnel, in

order to ensure that they are positive, in order to develop therapeutic relationships that encourage

a positive work environment in which peers are willing to help one another (Cummings et al.,

2018). Incorporating the transformational leadership style into one’s nursing philosophy will

allow the nurse to ensure that evidence-based practice is utilized in patient care by informing

coworkers of updated practices and developing ways to improve the quality and safety of nursing

care. This would involve root-cause analyses to ensure less sentinel events and adverse patient

outcomes (McCay, Lyles, & Larkey, 2018). Together, these leadership styles can help to shape a

nurse’s leadership style into one that is both caring and progressive, ensuring therapeutic

relationships that inspire positive change in the workplace (Cummings, 2018; McCay, Lyles, &

Larkey, 2018).

Philosophy

Peplau’s theory of interpersonal relationships is essential to integrate into one’s

philosophy of nursing, as it shapes the way the nurse uses therapeutic communication to

facilitate the patient’s healing process (D’Antonio et al., 2014). This shapes one’s philosophy of

nursing to provide for patients’ mental health, as well as physical. Orem’s self-care theory also

allows the student to realize that nursing comprises of determining which needs the patient can

fulfill for himself or herself and fills the gaps in care by providing the client with nursing care

(Younas, 2017). Together, these theories can facilitate the nurse to develop a philosophy of

nursing that ensures that the patient’s needs are met and is holistic, thus ensuring the patient’s

physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Relationship
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The relationship between nursing philosophies and leadership styles is a strong one, as

one’s nursing philosophy may be shaped by leadership styles and vice versa. A nurse may

develop his or her own philosophy based off of the leadership styles displayed by a leader; for

instance, if a graduate nurse were to be placed under a leader who displayed a relational

leadership style, the nurse may develop a philosophy that focuses on the relationship between the

nurse, patient, and coworkers (Cummings et al., 2018). On the other hand, a nurse’s leadership

style may be shaped by his or her philosophy of nursing. For example, a nursing philosophy

focused around positive patient outcomes may lead to a transformational leadership style, which

allows the nurse to improve the quality of care provided to patients (McCay, Lyles, & Larkey,

2018).

Conclusion

In order for the student to determine what type of nurse I wish to be, it is essential to

develop a personal philosophy of nursing. This philosophy of nursing incorporates nursing

theories, such as Peplau’s theory of interprofessional communication and Orem’s theory of self-

care, in order to provide for the patient’s emotional health and physical needs (D’Antonio et al.,

2014; Younas, 2017). It also includes various leadership styles, such as transformational

leadership and relational leadership, in order to create relationships that facilitate change and

encourage cooperation and positive communication between peers (Cummings, 2018; McCay,

Lyles, & Larkey, 2018). Together, these theories and leadership styles facilitate the nurse in

caring for patients and providing for their needs, as well as develop positive work relationships.
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References

Cummings, G. G., Tate, K., Lee, S., Wong, C. A., Paananen, T., Micaroni, S. P. M., & Chatterjee,

G. E. (2018). Leadership styles and outcome patterns for the nursing workforce and work

environment: A systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 85, 19–60.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2018.04.016

D’Antonio, P., Beeber, L., Sills, G., & Naegle, M. (2014). The future in the past: Hildegard

Peplau and interpersonal relations in nursing. Nursing Inquiry, 21(4), 311–317.

https://doi.org/10.1111/nin.12056

McCay, R., Lyles, A. A., & Larkey, L. (2018). Nurse leadership style, nurse satisfaction, and

patient satisfaction: A systematic review. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 33(4), 361–

367.

Younas, A. (2017). A foundational analysis of Dorothea Orem’s self-care theory and evaluation

of its significance for nursing practice and research. Creative Nursing, 23(1), 13–23.

https://doi.org/10.1891/1078-4535.23.1.13