As a nurse, you must be fully aware of your beliefs and values that influence your actions. When you know your “philosophy” or set of goals and beliefs towards nursing, you’ll better understand why you are in this field, what you believe about this field and how you can be the best in your field. Your philosophy of nursing will not come to you in a dream, unfortunately, but you must always be working on and self-aware of it.
Start by writing your own personal Mission Statement.This activity is common in nursing school, but your philosophy / mission statement may change over the years. This is something you should do every couple of years as your job duties and tasks change. This will help you have a more clear definition of why you are a nurse. Here are some tips to help you as you journey into writing your mission statement and finding your nursing philosophy:
1. Reflect
Don’t write down what others want to hear, write down what is true and from your heart. The best thing to do first is set aside time to ask yourself the hard questions. When you are reflecting, rid yourself of all distractions so that you can truly focus.
2. Clarification
Make sure that your goals are clearly defined so that you can have concrete answers and ideas to fill your philosophy with. Some helpful questions to ask yourself are: What is nursing? Why is it important? What values make a great nurse? What actions should nurses avoid? What values should nurses possess? If you can eventually answer all of these questions, you will feel more connected to your beliefs.
3. Don’t Forget About It
Once you’ve written down your goals, feelings and beliefs towards nursing, review it and review it often! This philosophy or code of ethics that you live and work by will eventually get lost in the hustle and bustle of daily work if you do not review it frequently.
You should be proud of being a nurse, and you should want to self reflect to become the best nurse you can be! Take a moment to reflect and write down some of your mission statement today!
