Objective 1: Demonstrate the ability to incorporate the dimensions of person, nursing, and environment to promote health in a variety of nursing situations.

This objective focuses on the philosophy of nursing. I remember thinking that Dr. Maloney was being far too intellectual when she asked us to consider our personal philosophy of nursing. I thought that to become a nurse, one learned a basic skill set, practiced those skills in the lab and then in the hospital and then one became a “nurse”. As my eyes were opened to the different care theories that continue to be developed and tweaked, the philosophical underpinnings of decision making, and the multitude of avenues available to nurses to practice their profession, I began to appreciate the breadth and depth of this objective.

Community Health and OB enlarged my view of who needed healthcare and how it could be delivered. I learned that at times the patient is a family, an organization, or a whole community, not just an individual. Clinicals at schools, day cares, community health clinics, WIC clinics, in-home visits, in-patient psych wards, at airports and places of business helped me to experience nursing outside the walls of a hospital. Class lectures and readings allowed me to grapple with my definition of health, discovering that it actually exists along a continuum, and can be different for different people and can even vary within an individual’s life.

The fact that Nursing is both a science and an art energizes me and makes me realize that there is room for both intellectual excellence and for creativity. The profession is larger than I can grasp at this point but I am ready to begin the journey.

R E L E V A N T   W O R K   S A M P L E S

1) Nursing as Informed Caring for the Well-Being of Others: This is an article by Kristen M. Swanson of the University of Washington. I tried to read it for Nursing 220 because we were told that it was a major influence on PLU’s theory of nursing. I could not understand what it was trying to say. After studying for the first test in Nursing 260, I read it again and fell in love her “structure of caring”. If we can remember to step back and get the whole picture and then personalize our care for the client, our actions will lead to the intended outcome more times than not. I know that as I continue to read it throughout the next two years, I will continue to gain depth of insight into what nursing is all about.

View a PDF of the article [1.8 mb]

2) PLU SoN Undergraduate Conceptual Framework: This is a graphic representation of “The Big Picture”. All of my schooling (not just Nursing School) fits into this picture of the Nurse and Client in relation to Health and Well-Being. It shows the relationships of the three dimensions across a variety of situations.

View a PDF of the graphic

3) PLU SoN Philosophy: All good nursing philosophies include Person(s), Nursing, Environment, and Health

View a PDF of the document

4) Personal Definition and Philosophy of Nursing: I wrote this as a Soph II but as I read it through at the end of Nursing School I am amazed. I feel like I am a whole new person because of what I have learned and yet my philosophical foundations are the same. It is a satisfying feeling.

View a PDF of my statement

5) Coat of Arms: I wanted a coat of arms that was unique for me. I contrasted Compassionate Care and Education because it takes both disciplines combined to make a truly outstanding nurse. I also contrasted Hope and Realism for the same reason. Hope is essential, but it must be based on a foundation of realism. Otherwise it is in danger of becoming a dangerous platitude. I think that Nursing fits me because I am a knowledgeable and yet very creative person. The design incorporates hearts as a symbol of caring and vines and flowers to symbolize hope. The circular shape symbolizes the continuum of health from conception and birth to death.

View a PDF of my Coat of Arms

6) Therapeutic Conversation: I put this conversation here because it shows that I can come to a client right where they are and provide care that maintains health.

View a PDF of my conversation

7) Community Health final: Written as a part of my Community Health final, it shows how one class broadened my view of the possibilities within nursing and how all the entire nursing curriculum is integrated. No class stands alone.

View a PDF of my paper