How to Write a Great Nursing Personal Philosophy Paper

brandon-l

Written by Brandon L.

August 04, 2024 14 min read Share this article

Are you finding it difficult to write a brilliant nursing philosophy paper? If yes, you are in the right corner of the internet. In this post, you will discover everything you need to know to write a brilliant personal nursing philosophy. Let's jump right in!

What is a personal nursing philosophy statement?

A personal nursing philosophy statement is a statement that shows a nurse's values, ethics, and beliefs about patient care and nursing in general. In other words, it is a statement that clarifies a nurse's thoughts, ideas, and principles regarding patient care and nursing.

The statement is often between four to five sentences long. When you write it, you are supposed to put it somewhere where you can read it from time to time to remember your goals and objectives and to motivate yourself.

An extended personal nursing philosophy statement is called a personal nursing philosophy paper. The paper is usually between five to six paragraphs long. It is longer than a typical nursing philosophy statement because it is more detailed.

How does one create a personal nursing philosophy statement?

What drives you as a nurse? What makes you wake up daily to go to your nursing duty station? Is it your belief that every patient should receive holistic care? Is it your belief that patients deserve the highest level of care? Whatever drives or motivates you as a nurse is your nursing philosophy. Thus, to create a personal nursing philosophy, all you need to do is write down what motivates you as a nurse.

In a few moments, you will discover how to create a personal nursing philosophy statement in a step-by-step guide.

Personal nursing philosophy vs. personal leadership philosophy

A personal nursing philosophy is a statement that shows a nurse's beliefs, values, and ethics regarding the nursing profession. It is specific to the nursing profession because it is only written by nurses or those training to be nurses.

In contrast, a personal leadership philosophy is a statement that shows a leader's values, principles, and beliefs regarding leadership (influencing or leading people). It can be written by just about anybody in a serious leadership position.

The two definitions above reveal significant differences between the two types of personal philosophies. The first difference is in the definition. The two philosophies are two different things by definition.

The second difference is in the author. Personal nursing philosophy can only be written by a nurse. In contrast, anyone in a serious leadership position can write a personal leadership philosophy.

Who writes a nursing philosophy statement?

A nursing student or a practicing nurse can write a nursing philosophy statement.

A personal nursing philosophy statement written by a nursing student is typically written for motivation. Nursing courses and practice can be challenging, which is an accepted fact worldwide. Because of this, instructors usually encourage students to write a nursing philosophy statement that they can refer to from time to time to motivate themselves and to remind themselves why they are pursuing a nursing profession.

A personal nursing philosophy statement written by a practicing nurse is typically written for motivation and as a career guide. Nursing is a challenging profession that is both physically and mentally demanding. Therefore, practicing nurses are encouraged to write and have a personal nursing philosophy for motivation. They are also encouraged to do so to clarify their career goals.

Why it is essential to have a personal nursing philosophy statement

There are 5 key reasons why having a personal nursing philosophy as a nursing student or nurse is crucial.

  1. It helps you to set standards for your nursing practice. This is good, especially if your nursing job involves handling serious or challenging situations.
  2. It helps you to set a standard for interacting with patients and colleagues regardless of the situation.
  3. It helps you adopt a mindset that can improve your service delivery or how you work in your current posting.
  4. It helps you to stay motivated even when facing enormous challenges by showing you the bigger picture (why you are in nursing).
  5. It assists you in capturing your goals and beliefs and actualizing them in your day-to-day nursing work.

What goes into my nursing philosophy paper?

A personal nursing philosophy paper is an extended version of a personal philosophy statement. It is more detailed. To write one, you first must create an outline. You cannot write an excellent logical nursing philosophy paper without first creating a nursing philosophy paper outline.

While it is ideal for creating an outline for your nursing personal philosophy paper, it is essential to remember that a personal philosophy is personal (based on your thoughts, principles, and beliefs). Therefore, there is always a freehand element when writing a personal philosophy paper.

Even if there is a freehand element when writing a personal philosophy paper, following an outline must ensure your paper has excellent structure and organization.

Personal nursing philosophy paper outline

1. Introduction

  1. Attention-grabbing statement
  2. Background information
  3. Thesis statement

2. Body Paragraph 1

  1. Opening statement
  2. Supporting information
  3. Closing statement

3. Body Paragraph 2

  1. Opening statement
  2. Supporting information
  3. Closing statement

4. Body Paragraph 3

  1. Opening statement
  2. Supporting information
  3. Closing statement

5. Conclusion

  1. Thesis restatement
  2. Restatement of main points
  3. Show that research supports the thesis statement
  4. Closing statement

Steps for writing a brilliant personal nursing philosophy

In this section, you will discover the steps you must follow to create a brilliant personal nursing philosophy for motivation or to prepare yourself for nursing job interviews.

You must take a significant pre-writing step before you start writing your nursing philosophy. The step involves answering a set of questions related to the nursing profession. By answering the questions, you will make it easier for yourself to define your philosophy.

The questions are:

  1. What exactly is nursing?
  2. Why is nursing important to you?
  3. Why is nursing important to society?
  4. What are the attributes of a good nurse?
  5. What skills and qualities are vital for nurses?
  6. What values do you think every nurse should have?
  7. What errors should you never make as a nurse?

By thinking about these questions and answering them as honestly as you can, you will find it relatively easy to define your personal nursing philosophy.

Your answers to the questions above will help reveal your personal nursing philosophy. And it is by expanding these answers that you can write a detailed personal nursing philosophy. You can expand the answers by following the steps below.

1. Define what exactly nursing means to you

The first thing you should put in your nursing personal philosophy statement after your introduction is your personal definition of nursing. Use your answers to questions 1, 2, and 3 above to offer your own definition of nursing. This will help the reader quickly determine how you conceptualize and understand nursing and how you approach it.

2. Describe how you embody the attributes of a good nurse

After describing what nursing means to you in the first body paragraph, you should use the second body paragraph to describe how you embody a good nurse's attributes (skills, traits, & values). If you do not want to describe how you embody the attributes of a good nurse, you should share a story or an incident that shows how you embody them (or some of them). Writing this section in your nursing philosophy paper will tell the reader what nursing qualities you value the most.

3. Discuss how you want to impact your community or society through nursing

In the third body paragraph of your nursing philosophy paper, you should discuss how you intend to impact your community or society through nursing. This will help you to set your goals nicely for your nursing profession. Reading this part of your nursing philosophy will also help to motivate you, especially when you face challenges at your workplace.

4. Discuss the nursing qualities and traits that mean a lot to you

This is the fourth and last paragraph of your personal nursing philosophy. You should use it to reiterate the critical nursing skills, traits, principles, and values you believe define you the best. Ensure you have comprehensively yet briefly described your nursing experience, principles, and beliefs.

Using the steps above plus the outline shared earlier, you should be able to write a brilliant and well-structured personal philosophy of nursing paper.

Nursing Philosophy Example Paper

The nursing philosophy example below shows a detailed version of a personal nursing philosophy:

My personal nursing philosophy is all about trying to see art and beauty in the nursing profession. One of the pioneer nurses in the modern-day world, Florence Nightingale, once likened the nursing profession to art and argued that there is a need to ensure nurses, just like artists, are well-prepared and given the time and space to do their work. I agree with her, which is why I sometimes consider myself an artist.

Like every experienced artist, I know I must pay attention to every little detail in my work to ensure I deliver exemplary services. Every little detail means the patient's emotional, psychological, and physical conditions. And I know that the only way I can stay at the top of my game is through preparation and constant training and learning.

I believe the most important aspect of nursing is that we, as nurses, are at the core of patient treatment. They are given the training and the tools to help deliver treatment to patients. As a nurse who believes nursing is an art, I think of the training and tools we have been given as the tools of an artist. And I strive to use these tools effectively to help improve the patient's environment and condition. I use them to help deliver comfort and healing.

Nursing, like most science-based professions, is a constantly changing profession. New information, new studies, and new ways of doing things are constantly being published in credible publications. Therefore, I believe that I must continually improve myself to continue delivering top-notch evidence-based nursing services. And this can only be done by continually reading new research, participating in training, and getting new certifications in the field. Only then can I continue administering medication and keeping conditions sterile according to the latest industry standards.

I love the fact that ethics are an integral part of nursing education and nursing work. When dealing with patients, I always remember that while they are under my care, they need to feel that they are protected and that all their rights are observed. They need to access to the right to nutrition, oxygenation, safety, acceptance, and rest. They also need to be listened to and to have their thoughts and opinions considered.

In closing, I believe nursing is one of the best professions in the world! It might not be the highest-paying profession, but to me, it is engaging, intricate, exciting, and highly satisfying work. Of course, it has its challenges, but I believe that by approaching it as an artist, I know everything is within my hands. I can use my training and tools to keep calm and continue delivering exemplary nursing services.

Five things to keep in mind when writing a personal nursing philosophy

You now know the steps to follow to write a personal nursing philosophy. You have also seen a personal nursing philosophy example paper above. It is almost certain that you feel confident about your ability to write a brilliant nursing philosophy paper. However, you need to know a few more things before you start writing your personal philosophy of nursing. These things will help you to write a brilliant personal nursing philosophy.

  1. Keep your paper short and precise. Your personal nursing philosophy is something that can be expressed in four to five sentences. It is called a personal nursing philosophy statement when it is short. It is called a personal nursing philosophy paper when it is long and detailed. And even when it is long and detailed, it is never too long; it usually does not exceed 500 words.
  2. Show you are ready for action. It is essential to ensure your personal nursing philosophy has action verbs that show you are ready to work. You should never say anything to the effect that you are a laidback person in your philosophy. This could be interpreted negatively and cause you to miss the opportunity.
  3. Be original. When you write your own personal philosophy of nursing, you should try to be yourself. Do not try to impress anyone or to express thoughts that are not your own. You should be genuine as possible. If you are, you will find yourself drawn to your philosophy, and it will have a natural motivating effect on you. If you are not, you really will not believe in the philosophy, and it will have no motivating or inspiring effect on you.
  4. Be ready for change. The nursing profession is a constantly changing profession. Thousands of new research studies are published annually, revealing new information on how to treat patients, care for patients, administer medicine, sterilize environments, and so on. Therefore, what you believe or hold true in your philosophy might hold true in a few months or years. Thus, you must be ready for change. You must be prepared to adjust your philosophy if you feel there is a need to.
  5. Keep a copy of your philosophy close to you. This is important to ensure that you have something to remind you of why you are in nursing, especially when the going gets tough. Many practicing nurses print and stick their personal philosophies somewhere in their work station to help them to keep going, especially when they want to give up.

Final thoughts

The personal philosophy of nursing is an important thing to have as a nursing student or as a practicing nurse. It is an important thing to have as a nursing student because it will remind you why you wanted to become a nurse. This will motivate you to keep going, especially if you constantly face academic challenges. A personal nursing philosophy is important for a practicing nurse for motivation and career direction.

Related Reading:

You can write your nursing philosophy as a statement or an essay/paper. Writing a personal nursing philosophy statement is easy because it is usually just about five sentences long. In contrast, it is much harder to write a personal nursing philosophy paper because it is much longer and must be very detailed. However, using the information we have provided in this post, you should be able to write a decent nursing philosophy paper.

If you do not have the time to write one or are not confident you can write a good one, you should order it from us. We have dozens of experienced writers ready to help you quickly complete any academic assignment. You can pay the nursing writers to write your papers and assignments from scratch. All you must do is to put an order, and one of them will soon be working on your paper.

Personal Nursing Philosophy FAQs

What is a good example of a personal philosophy statement?

My personal nursing philosophy is that the e must use their training and their experience to ensure every patient gets the highest level of care regardless of their social status. I strongly believe nursing is about gaining knowledge, caring, and persistence. I use this philosophy to guide my day day-to-day decisions.

What was Florence Nightingale�s personal nursing philosophy?

Nightingale believed that the nursing profession was a spiritual calling. She also believed that every patient had a spiritual dimension that needed to be comforted and healed in the same way the physical dimension needs to be comforted and healed.

How long should my personal nursing philosophy statement be?

It should be no more than five sentences long. The shorter it is, the better. This is because a personal philosophy statement should simply be a short statement that states your motivations and helps you stay on track.

How long should my personal nursing philosophy paper be?

It should be no more than 500 words long. A personal nursing philosophy paper is a longer and more detailed version of a personal philosophy statement. It is unnecessary to be longer than 500 words unless you have been specifically instructed to make it longer than 500 words.

Do nursing organizations have nursing philosophies?

Yes, they do. However, most of them do not call them nursing philosophies. They call them a statement of purpose.

What was Florence Nightingale's nursing theory?

Florence Nightingale's nursing theory emphasizes that a nurse must use their brain, hands, and heart to create a healing environment for the patient's body, mind, and spirit. It is one of the most famous nursing theories.

How to start a nursing philosophy paper?

You should start the paper with a robust and attention-grabbing sentence. This will hook the reader and make them want to read your philosophy paper.