In response to those of you that have never completed a nursing philosophy before, the original nursing philosophy required the following:

Just as in everything we do in life, nursing practice is guided by our values and beliefs. Sometimes these beliefs are hidden assumptions. For example, you may become more aware of how important truth and honesty are to you after you have been given information by someone that misleads you into making a poor decision.

Being clear about our values is very important for nurses. We are then better able to make our values known and visible in our work lives. To identify our beliefs related to nursing practice, thinking about and writing out a philosophy of nursing is needed. In this way, we can make our approach to nursing practice in purposeful, thoughtful, ethical, and compassionate ways.

Keep these thoughts in mind as you write your philosophy of nursing. That is, what do you believe about person, health, environment and nursing? Write your philosophy in a way that makes clear what you mean about the four domains or metaparadigm of nursing:

1. Define a person, any person, not just a nurse or a patient. What is the essence of a person?
2. What is a person's environment? Does it include elements both internal and external, or only external? Give examples of what these elements are.
3. What is health and how is illness related to health? Is health a continuum with absolutes at either end of the continuum, is it a dichotomy: either good or bad? Is it a state which includes illness?
4. What is the central reason for the existence of nursing?
5. Write a summary paragraph explaining how these elements work together to make your approach to nursing purposeful, competent, and conscientious.

If you are drafting your philosophy for the first time, you will not be able to reflect upon how your philosophy has changed but be sure to address your vision for the future of nursing in addition to how your values and beliefs have shaped your philosophy.

If you are an HCA/HIT student, remember you will be drafting a management philosophy addressing the questions outlined in the syllabus.

Have a good week and remember, the philosophy assignment is due on Sunday, July 29th.

NB: this question below is a discussion board.

In response to this week's reading assignments, please select 2 of the following questions to respond to. Please post your response and discuss with your peers.

1. In light of your readings, consider cultural diversity both from an organizational perspective and employee perspective, what strategies can health care leaders/managers employ to manage a diverse staff.

2. Consider various staffing issues such centralized and decentralized staffing, informal and formal networks, and the importance of forming relationships, networks and alliances within the health care delivery system. Describe the importance of these within your role as a future health care manager/leader and identify some key advantages/disadvantages associated with each.

3. Discuss your thoughts and feelings on the nursing shortage. Consider the relationship between nursing care hours, staffing mix, and quality of care. Discuss how you feel this impacts health care delivery systems positively or negatively and how. Consider the implications of the nursing shortage from a health care leader/manager perspective. What strategies can you recommend to help address concerns?