Preservation of Dignity and Compassionate Care: A Philosophy of Nursing
Rachel Bock
Rush University
Preservation of Dignity and Compassionate Care: A Philosophy of Nursing
Nursing is a helping profession that is intimately tied to human life. As such, nurses must be able to steadily navigate life’s spectrum of experience– ranging from triumph to tragedy – alongside those whom they serve. It is a journey that requires resilience, dedication, and a strong sense of purpose, all of which must be grounded in personal conviction and philosophy. This philosophy should include the belief that all people have value, and as such, deserve compassionate, holistic care that conserves their dignity and autonomy (Wueste, 2005).
A nurse must have compassion …show more content…
Erickson, et al. (1983) suggested that holism is the notion that people have many aspects, including “genetic make up and spiritual drive, body, mind, emotion, and spirit” (p. 44), all of which are interdependent. Thus, health is not simply the “absence of disease” (p. 46), but is wellbeing in all of the aforementioned areas. A person’s health is deeply tied to their environment, socioeconomic status, and access to resources, and if the root causes of health problems are not addressed, patients will return with the same recurrent issues. This can be seen, for example, with patients who have chronic heart failure and do not follow a low-sodium diet or fluid restrictions. Lifestyle choices are a factor in nearly half of the deaths in the United States, and a nurse must not only focus on the treating the problems a patient presents with, but also encouraging a healthy lifestyle (Arnold & Boggs, 2012). In collaboration with patients, nurses should work to set specific, measurable goals for positive behavioral change, such as gradual smoking cessation, exercise and healthy eating. However, the nurse must be aware that the only person capable of making the change is the patient, and this process is not easy. Bandura suggests that when patients are made aware of physical and cognitive motivators and …show more content…
U. (2011). Interpersonal relationships:
Professional communication skills for nurses. St. Louis, Mo:
Elsevier/Saunders.
Bandura, A. (1997) Self efficacy: the exercise of control. New York, NY: WH Freeman.
Corley, M. C. (2002) Nurse moral distress: a proposed theory and research agenda. Nursing Ethics 9(6), 636-650.
Dewar B., Adamson E., Smith S., Surfleet J. & King L. (2014) Clarifying misconceptions about compassionate care. Journal of Advanced Nursing 70(8), 1738–1747. doi: 10.1111/jan.12322
Erickson, H. C., Tomlin, E. M., & Swain, M.A.P. (1983) Modeling and role-modeling: A theory and paradigm for nursing. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Fowler, M. D. (2008) Guide to the code of ethics for nurses: interpretation and application. Silver Spring, MD: American Nurses Association.
McEwen, M., & Wills, E. (2011). Theoretical basis for nursing (3rd ed.).
Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Pearson A. (2006) Powerful caring, second article. Nursing Standard 20(48), 20–22.
Wueste, D. A Philosophical Yet User-friendly Framework For
Rachel Bock
Rush University
Preservation of Dignity and Compassionate Care: A Philosophy of Nursing
Nursing is a helping profession that is intimately tied to human life. As such, nurses must be able to steadily navigate life’s spectrum of experience– ranging from triumph to tragedy – alongside those whom they serve. It is a journey that requires resilience, dedication, and a strong sense of purpose, all of which must be grounded in personal conviction and philosophy. This philosophy should include the belief that all people have value, and as such, deserve compassionate, holistic care that conserves their dignity and autonomy (Wueste, 2005).
A nurse must have compassion …show more content…
Erickson, et al. (1983) suggested that holism is the notion that people have many aspects, including “genetic make up and spiritual drive, body, mind, emotion, and spirit” (p. 44), all of which are interdependent. Thus, health is not simply the “absence of disease” (p. 46), but is wellbeing in all of the aforementioned areas. A person’s health is deeply tied to their environment, socioeconomic status, and access to resources, and if the root causes of health problems are not addressed, patients will return with the same recurrent issues. This can be seen, for example, with patients who have chronic heart failure and do not follow a low-sodium diet or fluid restrictions. Lifestyle choices are a factor in nearly half of the deaths in the United States, and a nurse must not only focus on the treating the problems a patient presents with, but also encouraging a healthy lifestyle (Arnold & Boggs, 2012). In collaboration with patients, nurses should work to set specific, measurable goals for positive behavioral change, such as gradual smoking cessation, exercise and healthy eating. However, the nurse must be aware that the only person capable of making the change is the patient, and this process is not easy. Bandura suggests that when patients are made aware of physical and cognitive motivators and …show more content…
U. (2011). Interpersonal relationships:
Professional communication skills for nurses. St. Louis, Mo:
Elsevier/Saunders.
Bandura, A. (1997) Self efficacy: the exercise of control. New York, NY: WH Freeman.
Corley, M. C. (2002) Nurse moral distress: a proposed theory and research agenda. Nursing Ethics 9(6), 636-650.
Dewar B., Adamson E., Smith S., Surfleet J. & King L. (2014) Clarifying misconceptions about compassionate care. Journal of Advanced Nursing 70(8), 1738–1747. doi: 10.1111/jan.12322
Erickson, H. C., Tomlin, E. M., & Swain, M.A.P. (1983) Modeling and role-modeling: A theory and paradigm for nursing. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Fowler, M. D. (2008) Guide to the code of ethics for nurses: interpretation and application. Silver Spring, MD: American Nurses Association.
McEwen, M., & Wills, E. (2011). Theoretical basis for nursing (3rd ed.).
Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Pearson A. (2006) Powerful caring, second article. Nursing Standard 20(48), 20–22.
Wueste, D. A Philosophical Yet User-friendly Framework For