Philosophy of nursing

My initial philosophy of nursing while in nursing school was just a career that will pay my bill. However, from the moment that I started clinical to graduation and today, my views changed. Everyday encounter with patients and staff changes my views more and more. I became heartbroken by the care disparity among minorities. Today my goals in the nursing profession are to advocate for the voiceless patient, educate, empower them, and provide them with services necessary to provide the best patient health outcomes even if it takes me the extra mile.

I do admire and agree with Phil Barker’s Tidal Model of Mental Health Recovery theory. The theory proposes that in mental health nursing, “the factors having to do with a psychiatric crisis can be cumulative as well as diverse. The theory states that there are no absolutes in health care. A patient’s health is fluid, and nurses often need to adapt to an individual patient’s situation in order to help him or her get healthy” (Petiprin, 2023). This is to say that What works for one patient in his or her illness may not work for another patient in his or her illness. Barker’s Tidal Model helps nurses care for patients in the mental health field by recognizing and working with the inevitability of change in a patient’s life and environment. “Tidal Model appeals not only to mental health practice, but it also supports everyone who needs shelter where they feel safe at some point in their lives” (Kusdemir et.al., 2021)

Nursing theory is very paramount in the sense that I see it as a bible that guides the nursing profession. It is needed for better patient care. I intend to incorporate as much theory as possible, and attend seminars and workshops for knowledge aggrandizement. As is popularly said, “knowledge is power”. This is the power that will for sure benefit my patient.