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A personal philosophy of nursing is your perspective on what qualities make an effective nurse, what a nurse's role is in the health and wellness of past, current and future patients and what characteristics make you an excellent nurse. There are many settings and situations in which you can use your philosophy of nursing, including:

1. Remember why you wanted to become a nurse

Think about why you chose nursing over every other profession. Consider questions like: •What interests me about nursing? •What does being a nurse mean to me? •Why is nursing important to me? Use these answers to determine two or three reasons why you chose to become a nurse and what makes you excited about caring for patients, assisting doctors and promoting health and wellness in your community. You can combine your reason for becoming a nurse with other elements, like what your goals are as a nurse and what impact you want to have as a nurse, to write your personal philosophy of nursing.

2. Reference a moment that inspired you to pursue nursing or impacted your understanding of nursing

Consider the people or events that shaped your perspective of nursing and inspired you to pursue this career. For example, you may have interacted with a nurse as a patient or a loved one to a patient. You may even have a nurse in your family or a teacher who thought you had what it takes to become a great nurse. If you are revising your nursing philosophy, consider what made you think differently about this profession, such as a particular patient, colleague, mentor or nurse educator, a situation in nursing school or at work or a personal event. From these moments, identify the nurse qualities, characteristics or values you discovered, the impacts you understand nurses to have on their patients and communities and the problems they help solve. You can use this information to shape your nursing philosophy statement into a set of ideals, goals and characteristics you want to strive for or apply in your nursing practice.

3. Determine what you want to gain from being a nurse

Ask yourself: •What goals can a nurse achieve? •What goals do I want to achieve as a nurse? •Where do nurses work? •Where do I want to work as a nurse? •What role do nurses play on a patient care team? •What role do I want to play on a patient care team? Use your answers to these questions to develop a nursing philosophy statement focused on what you want to achieve as a nurse and where you want to be a nurse, whether it's in a hospital, a specific hospital wing or in your community in general.

Example 1

ICU nurses must be detail-oriented, patient and efficient to ensure patients receive proper care. As an ICU nurse, I will use my experience treating patients with complex injuries and collaborating with physicians to provide a clean and comfortable environment for patients recovering from surgery, terminal conditions and severe injuries. This example focuses more on the nurse's personal qualities and professional skills, and it applies these qualifications to achieve the impact they want to have as a nurse.

Example 2

Nursing is about caring for the whole patient, not just their condition, injury or illness. This involves persistence in finding the best treatment, practicing patience and kindness no matter the patient's situation and educating the patient and their loved ones on how to best care for their bodies. This example showcases this nurse's perspective on what role a nurse plays on a patient care team and the skills and traits they use to fulfill that role effectively.

Example 3

A nurse should be generous, dedicated, collaborative, committed to trying new solutions and well-versed in the best patient care techniques. I will strive to teach others how to make healthy choices and lead by example, applying my own wellness advice, to inspire change. This example highlights what makes a great nurse, including some of the most important qualities, and what impact a nurse should have on their community.