Philosophy of Nursing

It is good to recite this article from memory whenever I am wiping poo from a 400 lb. pt. and wondering why my PhD. nursing professor from the ivory tower never told me about how often this skill would be employed. As I search through the folds of blubber, hoping the Foley will find its place, a singular thought repeats itself in my mind, "Am I providing the exceptional, empathic, and optimal holistic care that my patient deserves and that I can be proud of?" To be a nurse philosopher is much better than a nurse "holistic provider of excellence incarnate/champion",

or as Confucius say "Much nicer to shovel poo, than to swim in poo!" Why don't nurse philosophers get a REAL job!

Now, THIS is an interesting discussion! From my perch, I think I can see the Promised Land. I can also see the waste. I think of the words of Joseph Campbell, who said something like, "Mystics swim in the waters where others sink." Somebody else said some fitting words, too. I wish I could remember what their name was. Anyway, the other quote goes something like, "A person gazing at the stars is still subject to the pot holes in the road."Reality is like that.But when I listen to Bach's Brandenburg Concerto on my walkman, it always makes anyplace more pleasant.See ya.

Personally, I like Chrissy Hinds: "We're all down here in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." I love this article. The words may not all be the specific ones I would choose, but I agree with the general idea. Then again, I suppose I had a Philosophy of Carpentry when I was a carpenter. Some of us just tend to be more philosophical.I'm beginning to think a philosophy of nursing is a bit like a careplan. I think we all have one, even though we may not have time to articulate one when we are up to our elbows in bodily fluids and the monitor's reading V-tach. I also think it's worth the effort to try to put it into words when circumstances permit.I think we all have moments where we walk through the hospital door wondering, "Why am I doing this?" I think it helps to have already given some thought to an answer.

Just so you all know I wrote these words with only a few days of clinicals from my first semester of nursing school under my belt. Since then I have finally gotten some real experience as a nurse tech and those words still hold true for me. Granted I haven't reached the same levels as you all have, but I plan to! Thanks!

Quote from gsmeagle2918Just so you all know I wrote these words with only a few days of clinicals from my first semester of nursing school under my belt. Since then I have finally gotten some real experience as a nurse tech and those words still hold true for me. Granted I haven't reached the same levels as you all have, but I plan to! Thanks!

Nurses have a very responsible job. They help people every day.By the way, read essays on the topic.

The article is missing how you would maintain these ideals under real world pressure. A nurse has to be a soldier these days to uphold these expectations. To literally push themselves physically. The realities of today's nursing conditions reminds me of the Amazon warehouse jobs. Where a strong healthy hungry college student without any other outside responsibilities can withstand the physical stressors of the job for a summer, a middle aged single mom is going to look like a poor performer in comparison. Should nursing jobs be something only the temporary young athletic male can endure and be prohibitive to a relatively aging nurse who finally has acquired those years of experience and wisdom?I am fortunate, I graduated at a great time for securing a job in my niche that has been doable all of these years. Having learned of the conditions other nurses are working under, it would seem to take a Herculean effort to maintain the philosophies every nurse might have started with.