NURS-8114 week 1 discussion – Philosophies of Nursing Practice
Personal Philosophy of Nursing Practice
My personal philosophy of nursing practice is grounded in the belief that nursing is both a science and a human-centered profession that requires clinical competence, compassion, advocacy, and a commitment to improving the health and well-being of individuals and communities. As I progress toward becoming a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), I recognize that advanced nursing practice requires more than providing competent patient care. It requires nurses to critically evaluate evidence, recognize inequities, advocate for vulnerable populations, and implement changes that improve healthcare outcomes. McEwen and Wills (2022) explain that nursing philosophy provides a foundation for understanding the nature of nursing, the nurse’s role, and the values that guide nursing practice.
Professional Experiences and Areas of Expertise
My professional nursing experiences have shaped my understanding of the complexity of patient care and the importance of viewing each patient as a whole person. My experience in diverse healthcare environments, including critical care, intensive care, primary care, and school nursing, has exposed me to patients with varying clinical conditions, social circumstances, health literacy levels, and healthcare needs. These experiences have strengthened my clinical assessment, communication, patient education, care coordination, and critical-thinking skills.
My areas of professional interest include evidence-based practice, quality improvement, patient safety, chronic disease management, and the development of nursing interventions that improve patient outcomes. As a future DNP-prepared nurse, I want to translate research and evidence into practical improvements in healthcare delivery. Nursing theory provides an important foundation for this process because theories help organize nursing knowledge and guide practice, research, education, and professional development (McEwen & Wills, 2022).
Personal Beliefs About Nursing Practice
I believe effective nursing practice begins with recognizing the individuality, dignity, and worth of every patient. The four nursing metaparadigms, person, environment, health, and nursing, are central to my philosophy. I view the person as a whole individual whose physical, psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual needs influence health. Environment includes not only the physical setting but also family relationships, socioeconomic circumstances, access to healthcare, housing, education, and other factors that can influence health outcomes. Health is more than the absence of disease; it represents a dynamic state influenced by multiple biological, behavioral, environmental, and social factors. Finally, I view nursing as a profession that combines scientific knowledge with compassion, advocacy, education, clinical judgment, and evidence-based interventions.
This philosophy also emphasizes patient-centered care. Nurses must listen to patients, respect their preferences, and involve them in decisions affecting their health. I believe that nurses have a responsibility to advocate for patients when barriers interfere with safe, equitable, and effective care.
Social Change and the Social Determinants of Health
As a future DNP-prepared nurse, I recognize that improving individual patient outcomes requires attention to broader issues affecting health. Social determinants of health (SDOH), including economic stability, education, healthcare access, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context, can significantly influence health outcomes. Therefore, I plan to expand my awareness beyond my immediate clinical practice by examining how social, economic, organizational, and policy factors contribute to health disparities.
Walden University’s emphasis on positive social change aligns with my belief that advanced practice nurses should serve as advocates and change agents. I intend to use evidence-based practice, quality improvement, inter-professional collaboration, and patient advocacy to address healthcare problems at both the individual and systems levels. For example, rather than simply treating a patient’s immediate health problem, I want to consider whether transportation barriers, financial limitations, inadequate health literacy, limited access to primary care, or other SDOH factors may contribute to poor outcomes.
In summary, my philosophy of nursing practice is centered on compassionate, evidence-based, equitable, and patient-centered care. As I advance toward the DNP role, I hope to strengthen my ability to identify healthcare disparities, evaluate evidence, implement sustainable practice improvements, and advocate for changes that promote better outcomes. I view the DNP-prepared nurse as both a clinician and a leader who has an obligation to improve healthcare systems while remaining grounded in the fundamental values of nursing: caring, advocacy, respect, accountability, and service.
References
McEwen, M., & Wills, E. M. (2022). Theoretical basis for nursing (6th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
NURS-8114 week 1 discussion – Philosophies of Nursing Practice Instructions
PHILOSOPHIES OF NURSING PRACTICE
Now is the time to commit to a higher level of contribution and practice as a future DNP-prepared nurse and to reflect that commitment in your personal philosophy of nursing practice.
For this first Discussion of the course, you will share your initial thoughts about your personal philosophy of nursing practice. You will draw on your professional experiences, your area(s) of interest and expertise, as well as your personal beliefs. You will also challenge yourself to expand your awareness of issues beyond your own current practice. Finally, you will consider how you will fulfill Walden’s mission to become an agent of positive social change as a future DNP-prepared nurse.
Note: As you work your way through this course, the image above to the upper-right will appear with each Discussion or Blog to remind you that this is an opportunity to connect your thinking with that of your colleagues, to harness the knowledge in the room, and to learn with and from one another.
Resources
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
To Prepare
- Review the Learning Resources for this week. Pay special attention to Chapters 1 and 2 of the McEwen & Wills text.
- Reflect on your professional experiences, the expertise you have developed and are continuing to develop, and the personal beliefs about nursing practice that you have formed as a result.
- Consider how your experiences, expertise, and personal beliefs inform the development of your personal philosophy of nursing practice.
- Consider how your personal philosophy intersects with the four nursing domains: person, environment, health, and nursing.
- Consider your goals and plans for expanding your awareness of issues beyond your current practice in alignment with Walden’s mission for social change and the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) framework.
- Taking all of the above into account, begin formulating your personal philosophy of nursing practice.
By Day 3 Of Week 1
Post the following:
- Explain your initial thinking about your personal philosophy of nursing practice. Be specific and provide examples. Include descriptions of the following:
- Your professional experiences
- Your area(s) of interest and expertise
- Your personal beliefs about nursing practice
- Your goals and plans for expanding your awareness of issues beyond your current practice in alignment with Walden’s mission for social change and the SDOH framework
Note: Your posts should be substantial (500 words minimum), supported with scholarly evidence from your research and/or the Learning Resources, and properly cited using APA Style. Personal anecdotes are acceptable as part of a meaningful post but cannot stand alone as the entire post.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ posts.
By Day 6 of Week 1
Respond to at least two of your classmates, on different days, who shared life experiences or beliefs significantly different from your own in both of the following ways:
- Explain how your differences in experience or belief may have shaped your philosophies in different ways.
- Offer a suggestion, based on your experience, which is related to their goals and plans for expanding their awareness of issues beyond their current practice in alignment with Walden’s mission for social change and the SDOH framework.
Note: Your responses to classmates should be substantial (250 words minimum), supported with scholarly evidence from your research and/or the Learning Resources, and properly cited using APA Style. Personal anecdotes are acceptable as part of a meaningful response, but cannot stand alone as a response. Your responses should enrich the initial post by supporting and/or offering a fresh viewpoint, and be constructive, thereby enhancing the learning experience for all students.
* Additionally, you must respond to your professor if they ask a question or comment on your post.
Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights that you have gained because of your classmates’ comments.
NURS-8114 week 1 discussion – Philosophies of Nursing Practice
Philosophies of Nursing Practice
Professional Experiences
My philosophy of nursing practice is built on the understanding that nursing is a science and a humanistic profession. Through clinical learning and patient-care experiences, I have learned that I view each patient as a whole person with physical, emotional, social, cultural, and spiritual needs. Learning from patients has taught me to listen, communicate respectfully, uphold dignity and champion safe care. Through these experiences I have developed the knowledge that nurses affect outcomes through clinical judgment, compassion, education, collaboration with others, and careful attention to the unique individual patient, circumstances, and goals of each encounter.
Areas of Interest and Expertise
Growing areas of interest include evidence-based practice, health promotion, patient safety, mental health and holistic care. I’m interested in picking up on early changes in a patient’s condition and acting before complications occur. I would like to build on my skills in assessment, critical thinking, communication and evidence-appraisal as I progress in my clinical skill. These interests are related by the nursing metaparadigm, which focuses on person, health, environment and nursing. Research proposes that the environment is not just the direct health service context but encompasses the environment and technology that shape health services (Purisima et al., 2024). Consequently, I think a competent, registered nurse needs to attend to evidence and context of patients.
Personal Beliefs About Nursing Practice
I believe that nursing should be patient-centered, evidence-based, ethical, compassionate and equitable. To me, caring is to treat all people with respect, consider individual preferences, values, experiences and goals. In addition, I think that nurses have a duty to speak up when safety and equity is at risk. My philosophy includes accountability, lifelong learning, collaboration, and advocacy. I recognize the importance of evidence-based practice as it relies on current research, clinical skills, and patient preference rather than tradition in making decisions. As I deepen my doctoral-level practice, I also wish to remain curious and to question process that may not produce best outcomes. Having this mindset fosters professional development.
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The Four Nursing Domains
My nursing philosophy relates to all four nursing domains. I understand the person as an individual, whose needs and strengths inform care; health as a dynamic state shaped by dimensions; environment as the social, physical, technological and relational context within health is realized; and nursing as a knowledge and action within caring to promote well-being. These domains are inter-related as the environments can affect health, and the nursing interventions can change outcomes. The four domains continue to be the bedrock of research, even in the era of technology and interdisciplinary practice (Purisima et al., 2024). This perspective helps me to tailor and think of care on a personal level but consider other factors which relate to health.
Social Change and SDOH
As the future DNP-prepared nurse, I hope my clinical practice will go beyond symptom management and focus on factors that impact health outcomes. I plan to expand my awareness of housing, food access, transportation, education, employment, social support, and healthcare access by assessing needs and learning from patients and communities. SDOH should not be viewed as secondary concerns because they shape opportunities for health and influence disparities. Nurse-led approaches can address these determinants through interventions at individual, community, and systems levels (Guilamo-Ramos et al., 2023). Therefore, I will be working to enhance my skills with community assessment, building partnerships, quality improvement, health equity, and advocacy.
Commitment to Walden’s Mission
Walden’s focus on positive social change resonates with my conviction that nursing leadership must enhance care and the nursing system in which care is given. My wish is to be a DNP nurse practicing with a focus on evidence, data analysis, collaboration, and ethical leadership to help identify problems and develop solutions that are sustainable. This responsibility is reiterated through AACN’s Essentials which prioritize the principles of quality, safety, population-based practice, systems-based practice, and professional leadership (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2026). I will question my own thinking, look for viewpoints outside of my own, engage in evidence-based projects, and speak out for just and fair care across a variety of communities. Ultimately, my practice philosophy is based on a commitment to serving patients compassionately and promoting health, equity and sustainable social change.
References
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2026). The essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Publications/Essentials-2026.pdfLinks to an external site.
Guilamo-Ramos, V., Johnson, C., Thimm-Kaiser, M., & Benzekri, A. (2023). Nurse-led approaches to address social determinants of health and advance health equity: A new framework and its implications. Nursing Outlook, 71(6), 101996. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2023.101996Links to an external site.
Purisima, E. M., Arde, B. O., Jr, Nero, F. D., Locsin, R. C., & Montayre, J. (2024). Reframing the environment domain of the nursing metaparadigm: Exploring space, place, and technology. Belitung Nursing Journal, 10(6), 614–623. https://doi.org/10.33546/bnj.3458Links to an external site.
NURS-8114 week 1 discussion – Philosophies of Nursing Practice Sample 2
Initial Post
My Philosophy of Nursing
If I had to describe my nursing philosophy in one sentence today, it would be this: See the person, understand what surrounds them, and never confuse completing the task with improving the outcome. After approximately 12 years in nursing, I have learned that some of the most important parts of nursing cannot be found in a medication order, a diagnosis, or even a perfectly written plan of care.
My professional background has taken me through emergency nursing, behavioral health, rehabilitation, and organ and tissue donation, and more recently I completed my preparation as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. On paper, those areas may seem very different. However, they have taught me a surprisingly similar lesson: what is happening clinically is only one part of what is happening to the person NURS-8114 week 1 discussion – Philosophies of Nursing Practice.
My experience as an organ recovery coordinator probably shaped this philosophy more than I realized at the time. In organ donation, I could be managing the complex physiological needs of a donor while simultaneously working within an interdisciplinary system in which another professional was supporting a family experiencing one of the worst moments of their lives. The monitor could tell us about blood pressure, oxygenation, or cardiac function, but it could not tell us what that loss meant to the family, what they believed about donation, whether they trusted the healthcare team, or what they needed in order to make sense of what was happening. That experience taught me early that excellent clinical care and human care cannot be separated.
Emergency and behavioral health nursing reinforced that lesson in different ways. It is easy in healthcare to label someone as “noncompliant,” a “frequent flyer,” or difficult when they repeatedly return with the same problem. I have become much more interested in asking, What happened between the last plan and today that made that plan fail? Maybe the patient could not afford the medication. Maybe transportation was the issue. Maybe mental health symptoms affected follow-through. Maybe there was no safe home environment, no appointment available, or no one ever explained the plan in a way that made sense to the patient. Sometimes what looks like a patient problem is actually a system problem wearing a patient’s name.
McEwen and Wills (2022) describe philosophy as foundational to how nursing understands knowledge, values, and practice. Their discussion of nursing theory also helped me recognize that a personal philosophy should be more than a list of qualities such as compassion, advocacy, and respect. It should influence how I actually interpret what I see in practice. Similarly, Sharma et al. (2022) explain that nursing knowledge has evolved through multiple philosophical perspectives and ways of knowing. That is important to me because nursing cannot depend on empirical knowledge alone. Evidence matters tremendously, but so do lived experience, culture, values, relationships, and the social context in which health occurs. Nursing philosophy is therefore not something I expect to write once during this course and never revisit. Sharifi-Heris and Bender (2023) describe philosophical activity in nursing as a way of continually examining and advancing how nursing understands itself and its practice. I expect my philosophy to continue changing as I do.
The four nursing domains: person, environment, health, and nursing, fit naturally into how I think about practice (McEwen & Wills, 2022). Rather than viewing them as four separate categories, I see them as four questions.
Who is this person?
A person is more than the diagnosis that brought them into my care. They have a history, family, culture, strengths, fears, beliefs, priorities, and a voice that should remain part of the plan.
What surrounds this person?
Environment is much larger than a hospital room or home. It includes family relationships, finances, transportation, language, education, community resources, healthcare access, culture, policies, and even the design of the healthcare system itself.
What does health realistically mean for this person?
I no longer think health always means “fixed” or free from illness. Sometimes health means stability. Sometimes it means functioning independently, managing symptoms, feeling emotionally safe, or having dignity and quality of life during circumstances that cannot be changed.
Finally, what can nursing do that actually makes a difference?
For me, nursing is where the other three domains meet. Nursing requires clinical knowledge, but it also requires noticing what other people may overlook, asking uncomfortable questions, advocating, educating, coordinating, and sometimes challenging a process that technically works but is not working for the people it was designed to serve NURS-8114 week 1 discussion – Philosophies of Nursing Practice.
That last part is where I see my DNP education stretching my philosophy. My natural nursing instinct has always been to ask, “What does this patient need right now?” I do not want to lose that. However, I am learning to add another question: Why does this keep happening, and what needs to change so fewer patients experience it?
This is especially relevant to my interest in mental health. Identifying depression, anxiety, suicidality, or another mental health concern is important, but identification alone is not an outcome. A referral is also not the same thing as access. If the patient never reaches the provider because of cost, language, transportation, long wait times, stigma, insurance limitations, or lack of culturally responsive services, the healthcare system may have completed its task without actually completing the care. Guilamo-Ramos et al. (2023) argue for nurse-led approaches that address social determinants of health at multiple levels rather than limiting intervention to individual behavior. That distinction represents where I want my thinking to grow.
In alignment with Walden’s emphasis on positive social change, my goal is to become more intentional about looking for patterns beyond my own patient encounters. I want to better understand policy, population-level data, community resources, health disparities, and organizational processes. More importantly, I want to become comfortable asking not only who is experiencing poor outcomes, but who may be missing from our data altogether because they never successfully entered the system. Positive social change, to me, is not simply creating another program. It is questioning whether the people who need the program can actually reach it and whether we are measuring what happens after the referral, discharge, or recommendation.
My philosophy is still developing, but right now it comes down to this: nursing means caring for the person in front of me while remaining curious enough to notice the system surrounding them. As I grow into DNP practice, I want to preserve the human connection that first shaped me as a nurse while developing the leadership and systems-thinking skills to change the conditions that repeatedly bring people back to the same barriers.
References
Guilamo-Ramos, V., Johnson, C., Thimm-Kaiser, M., & Benzekri, A. (2023). Nurse-led approaches to address social determinants of health and advance health equity: A new framework and its implications. Nursing Outlook, 71(6), 101996. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2023.101996Links to an external site.
McEwen, M., & Wills, E. M. (2022). Theoretical basis for nursing (6th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
Sharma, A., Arpanantikul, M., & Asdornwised, U. (2022). Nursing knowledge development from the standpoint of philosophical and methodological perspective. International Journal of Nursing Education, 14(3), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.37506/ijone.v14i3.18343Links to an external site.
Sharifi-Heris, Z., & Bender, M. (2023). What constitutes philosophical activity in nursing? Toward a definition of nursing philosophy based on an interpretive synthesis of the recent literature. Nursing Inquiry, 30(4), e12582. https://doi.org/10.1111/nin.12582Links to an external site.
Walden University. (n.d.). Thought leadership. https://www.waldenu.edu/news-and-events/thought-leadershipLinks to an external site. NURS-8114 week 1 discussion – Philosophies of Nursing Practice