Essay Sample. Underpinning Philosophy in Nursing

Philosophical underpinnings are things that serve as foundation or support to something. Hence in one’s career as a nurse, one should identify an underpinning philosophy that fits his or her way to nurse. Philosophical framework in nursing involves beliefs such as teamwork coordination multi-disciplinary commitment and the framework bring concepts such as nursing and self-care. For one to identify his or her philosophy in nursing one must understand several aspects in nursing and hence answer questions that relate to the nursing career (Killam,2013). Such questions include what nursing is and why it’s important to oneself, you being a nurse how does it help in your society, qualities and factors that make one a good nurse, what qualities and skills are important when practising nursing the values that all persons practising nursing should uphold and finally what mistakes one should a never make (Killam,2013). From this perspective a person’s values, beliefs and commitment forms the underpinning philosophy and subsequently helps one to be successful during his or her career in nursing.

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My underpinning philosophy being commitment I deeply believe in helping and caring out to those people in need making nursing a calling. Nursing as a profession is honourable and therefore should not simply be seen as a means to earn money (Risjord,2011). As a nurse, I, therefore, believe my mission involves giving care regardless of race spiritual beliefs one's lifestyle economic status or disability. As a nurse, I should also not view my patients as room numbers or in terms of their medical conditions but as beings that require my attention and care individually. Also as advocates, we should encourage patients to be actively engaged in their health care. we should also maintain patient-nurse confidentiality unless when required to disclose or report as required by law (Risjord,2011). Also actively engaging with patients and their families to listen to their stories and personal experiences help one to grow career-wise. Hence my philosophy entails that all nurses are to provide safe and patient-centred care to the public or the society

There are ontological and epistemological beliefs associated with nursing practice. Ontology is the study of the structure of nature's reality while epistemology is studying the potential of human being knowledge. There various paradigms in the nursing profession. The three paradigms within this profession include empiricism a theory that entails that all knowledge acquired is obtained and based on one's experience from his or her senses. The second paradigm is the interpretive and critical social theory (Porter, 2010). All these three paradigms are unique on and all contribute to the nursing profession differently. The epistemological beliefs in nursing there's a necessity in developing an important conscience on providing healthcare, researching and teaching. Also, it is necessary to maintain high working standards and working relationships and this has a high impact on societal health. Therefore, it is essential to maintain integrality unity and spirituality in practising nursing as an individual in including or incorporation of the epistemology of caring in nursing (McGovern,2013). Ontology in nursing is concerned with the nature of its object and its general view of the practice. When using the term ontology in nursing it refers to the reality more than to the discipline of nursing (Porter, 2010). Through understanding knowledge construction, the nursing theories as nursing ontologies therefore nurses can view these concepts differently. Therefore, ontological beliefs in nursing practice serve as a description of the most characteristic and the fundamentals in this career and the very being of the practice.

There several ways of acquiring knowledge during nursing practice and hence someone must identify his or her pattern of acquiring the same. Nursing knowledge is the process by which the whole reason of caring to the patients we tend to is achieved since it underpins what we carry out in the course of our careers. Nursing is a profession and therefore identifies itself with the knowledge the acquired or seek to acquire. The four important patterns of acquiring knowledge in nursing are personal, empirical, ethical knowing and aesthetic knowing. First one is personal knowing is knowledge acquired through seeing or experiences. Empirical knowing is obtained through facts and research and its organized systematically into laws. Ethical knowing is the third way and helps a person develop his or her morals and a sense of knowing the difference between a right and a wrong, this way of knowing guides our day to day actions. This way of knowing will enable us to be accountable for our actions. Aesthetic knowing is the fourth and final way of knowing and models the nursing profession as an art, aesthetic knowing combines all ways of knowing creating a different and new understanding of a concept. These ways of knowing people in the profession to understand themselves and the practice at a deeper level and hence appreciating the practice. From my nursing story ethical knowing is more prominent since as a nurse personal ethics are Important since we must protect human life and respect it too. So, nursing is a profession for one to practice he or she must have the knowledge to do so and knowledge in nursing is acquired differently and the main patterns include ethical, personal, empirical and aesthetic knowing.

To sum up, nursing practitioners have underpinning philosophies that enable them to carry out their service in caring for their patients and they also revolve around an individual's core values. The philosophy also serves as a foundation in their careers. There several underpinning philosophies in the practice however my nursing career is based on commitment since I deeply believe it is my responsibility in providing patient-centred care and helping those in need. There are ontological and epistemological beliefs associated with all nursing philosophies. The epistemological beliefs deal with how knowledge is acquired while nursing ontology deals with scrutinizing the actual nature of the nursing practice. Also discussed are the several patterns of acquiring knowledge in the nursing practice. However, my nursing story associates with the ethical pattern of knowledge acquisition.

References

Killam, L. (2013). Research terminology simplified: Paradigms, axiology, ontology, epistemology and methodology. Laura Killam.

McGovern, B., Lapum, J., Clune, L., & Martin, L. S. (2013). The theoretical framing of high-fidelity simulation with Carper's fundamental patterns of knowing in nursing. Journal of Nursing Education, 52(1), 46-49.

Pesut, B. (2010). Ontologies of nursing in an age of spiritual pluralism: closed or open worldview?. Nursing Philosophy, 11(1), 15-23.

Porter, S. (2010). Fundamental patterns of knowing in nursing: the challenge of evidence-based practice. Advances in Nursing Science, 33(1), 3-14.

Risjord, M. (2011). Nursing knowledge: Science, practice, and philosophy. John Wiley & Sons.