1. Philosophy of Nursing<br />NURS 300 – Introduction to Theories & Concepts I<br />NURS 431 – Transition to Professional Nursing Practice<br />Purpose of Assignment<br />The purpose of this assignment is to enable the student to rediscover her personal philosophy of nursing as it exists upon the completion of the baccalaureate nursing program.<br />Student Approach to Assignment<br />My personal philosophy influences my daily behavior even if I am not fully aware of its effects. I was able to accurately determine my beliefs about my philosophy both as a sophomore and a senior. The two-year difference between these papers has made a huge difference in that my thoughts have become much more realistic. <br />Reason for Inclusion of this Assignment in the Portfolio<br />This assignment required for the portfolio shows how I have grown throughout the past three years. My understanding of nursing as a profession has changed as I determined my beliefs guiding my future career. The following program objectives are highlighted in these papers:<br />Critical Thinking<br />Uses nursing and other appropriate theories and models to guide professional practice.<br />In my first philosophy paper, I wrote about Jean Watson’s theory of caring. The senior level philosophy paper included theories about nurses and their relationship with their culturally-diverse clients, the community and other healthcare professional. These theories were Leninger’s cultural care theory, Nola Pender’s health promotion model and Jake Burns’ transformational leadership theory. I use Leninger’s cultural care theory when reaching out to the community to improve their health. The population’s views can be used to the nurse’s advantage in helping them to make healthier lifestyle choices and change their lives.<br />Leadership<br />Articulates the values of the profession and the role of the nurse as member of the interdisciplinary health team<br />In the senior paper, I discuss the importance of working with other healthcare members as a team, the importance of motivation between co-workers to create change and bettering the workplace. By working together with other specialties in a situation such as interdisciplinary rounds, nurses can ensure that their patients get holistic care. <br />Culture<br />Articulates an understanding of how human behavior is affected by culture, race, religion, gender, lifestyle, and age<br />In this paper, I discuss my beliefs that everyone has their own culture that is more than just race and ethnicity. Culture should not be avoided, ignored, or overlooked but used to the advantage of the healthcare professionals to help the patients while still protecting their values. For example, certain religions refuse certain treatments whether life-saving or not. The healthcare team must use these beliefs to develop an alternative solution to the problem. <br />