American Nurse recommends that students take some time to reflect and answer the following questions before they start writing their personal philosophy. During this period of study and thought, consider the whys and whats of a nursing career:
- Why did I want to become a nurse?
- Why is nursing important to me?
- What qualities make a great nurse?
- Why do I make a great nurse?
- What are my beliefs about nursing?
- What skills should nurses have?
- What values are important to nurses?
- What beliefs are important to nurses?
After the questions have been contemplated, nurse educators should encourage student nurses to think about these considerations when writing their philosophies:
Define what nursing means on a personal level.
One of the first steps to developing a personal nursing philosophy for students is to determine what nursing means to them. Why did they choose nursing over another profession? What did they hope to get out of the career?
Consider a life event that exemplifies personal values and skills.
Nursing students should consider what events in their lives have sparked or influenced their passion for nursing.
Discuss how individual nursing practice will impact society.
Students should provide a big-picture look at how nursing can be a tool for positive societal changes and describe how to implement those changes.
Highlight individual values and skills that can add to nursing practice.
Nursing students should list the skills that are most important to them and detail how they plan to use the skills in practice.
NurseBuff, a nursing blog, said writing a philosophy should not be a one-and-done event. Instead, nurses should consider it a roadmap for the future.
“Your philosophy of nursing can serve as a guide. Whenever you need to clarify something or make an important choice, don’t forget to review your philosophy,” authors of “Are You Embodying Your Personal Philosophy of Nursing?” stated. “Be consistent with it and revisit it each time you want to stay in touch with your passion