help with nursing philisophy

Trauma Columnist · Feb 11, 2010

I would start with choosing a nursing theorist to compare to.

Everyone has to do a paper on this - lol.

I too had no philosophy of nursing - just needed a job - lol!

1. Choose a nursing theorist - preferably the one your school uses.

2. Read the theory and then pattern how you would do things.

3. Make sure you accurately cite all references.

Good luck.

nurse_in_me · Feb 11, 2010

I appreciate your response traumaRUS. I will try to figure out how to start writing and will go from there. Thanks.

llg, PhD, RN · Feb 11, 2010

I disagree with you on this one, TraumaRUs. (A rare question on which we disagree.) I wouldn't use a nursing theorist work as a starting point. Most nursing theories are theoretical practice models -- they are not philosophies. Philosophies and theories are not exactly the same thing. Some theories are philosophies, but some are not.

Usually, a philosophy includes a definition of nursing and also statements of the values most central to nursing -- what the person believes is most important about nursing. It might include what nurses do, what services they perform for society, how they should approach their patient, etc.

The student probably has some resoureces she can use to get started -- such as a textbook or course syllabus that will tell her on what a nursing philosphy is and/or what should be included in her paper. If not, the student should ask the instructor to clarify the writing assignment.

The OP might also do a search of this site to find other threads in which other students have discussed their assignments that were similar. There have been a few such threads over the years. A literature search would probably also be helpful.

To start writing one ... I would start by reading about nursing ... and then by brainstorming -- simply making a list of those things that I believe are important to nursing and/or important for a nurse to know and do and be. Then I would organize those statements into a meaningful, coherent couple of paragraphs.

nurse_in_me · Feb 11, 2010

good point llg. I never even thought of that , damn me. :) Okay, I will start making my paper given the head start you suggested. Can somebody help me find a journal that discusses nursing in a postmodern perspective? I also need to write a 4 page paper for that. Sigh!