Hello

The cornerstone of my worldview is my Christian faith cemented by biblical study, prayer, and spiritual experiences. In my nursing practice, this means that I view every life as valuable to God, and therefore, individually valuable in the natural plane. Another crux in the formation of my worldview is the influence my family has had on me. The principles cemented in my family through multiple generations serve as the lens of life.  My guiding values are these truths: seek deeper understanding and knowledge in all situations; every task or interaction deserves a one hundred percent effort; you are what you do when no one is looking, have integrity; God’s joy is bestowed through service to others without expectation of return; life is precious, take nothing for granted; and humility generates real kindness. These truths help keep balance within my body, soul, and spirit because they provide physical direction that produce spiritual benefits.

 

How do these truths translate into my nursing practice?  My philosophy as a nurse is that nurses have an obligation to society to present safe, holistic, patient-centered care. I use my truths to guide me. My quest for deeper understanding means knowing that I can always learn and improve; sometimes it is just a matter of learning what my blind spots are. I pursue a better understanding of each client and their deficits, desires, and values; my stakeholders’ expectations; empirical knowledge; and potential contributions I can make to my organization. 

 

My father always inculcated that all people proclaim integrity, but the test of true integrity is what you do when no is there to see it. Nurses must embody integrity; every action should be beyond reproach, no matter who found it out. Integrity puts the patient first and commands dissipation of all fear or concern for self.  Work ethic is an often-overlooked contributor to one’s integrity. Working hard can lift morale within a team, it enhances the sense of purpose, and garnishes trust from others. 

 

The desire to live a life of selfless service brought me to nursing, and it is still my journey. The physical act of service in the natural world manifests a joy within that is truly supernatural. As a Christian, I believe this joy to be manifested by the Holy Spirit to the individual’s spirit, and experienced with one’s mind, body, and soul. The act and intention of serving selflessly produces humility. Pure kindness to others is gifted from the spiritual reward of that humility, and every life is precious to be cherished and loved. 

 

My spiritual beliefs and quest for knowledge lead me to align with a simultaneity worldview in nursing. This viewpoint is less bound by linear thought and the physical notion of health.  I believe the metaphysical aspect of existence should be a part of any Christian’s paradigm. As a nurse with a background in engineering, I find it easy to relate the four concepts of the nursing paradigm to integrated, complex systems with dynamic parts. We study the parts to understand the whole more clearly, but they cannot be separated.  We must continue to visualize the advancing system as we better understand the interactions within.