Chapter 3: Philosophy of Nursing
Where do you see yourself and your understanding of truth on the continuum of realism and idealism?
How would you define person? Look at the following attributes given to a person:
(1) the ability to think and conceptualize,
(2) the capacity to interact with others,
(3) the need for boundaries, and
(4) the use of language (Doheny, Cook, & Stopper, 1997).
Would you agree? What about Maslow’s description of humanness in terms of a hierarchy of needs with self-actualization at the top? Another possibility is that persons are the major focus of nursing. Do you see humans as good or evil?
Where do you see yourself and your understanding of truth on the continuum of realism and idealism?
What are your beliefs about the major concepts in nursing—person, environment, health, nursing?
Do you believe there is more than one right answer to situations? How do you value the whole individual? What barriers prevent us from responding to the contextual needs of our patients?
Do you believe in health care for everyone? Does health care for everyone have value to you as a person? Does it have value to you as a nurse? What value does universal health care have to my patients?
How does your personal philosophy fit with the context of nursing? Does it fit? What areas, if any, need assessing?
