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Nursing Foundation Paper: Part I
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Nursing has been and continues to emerge as a distinct profession which stands
on the front line in providing primary health care services to millions of people on a daily
basis. In their 2011 book, The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health, the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Committee Initiative on the Future of Nursing and the
Institutes of Medicine charged nurses with taking the lead to address the deficits of what
they defined as a fragmented health care system. Therefore, today more than ever,
nurses at all levels and types of practice must define and build their nursing foundation.
A nursing foundation consists of values and beliefs, the integration of nursing theory,
and future goals. The purpose of this paper is to provide the reader with a brief
synopsis of the writer’s nursing foundation.
Values and Beliefs
A good place to look to obtain information on nursing values is to access a
professional nursing website. According to the National League of Nursing (2019), the
core values of nursing are caring, diversity, integrity and excellence.
The writer agrees with these values and will expound on them in the following
way; caring refers to showing empathy and concern for patients, staff, and all people
and other forms of life and aspects of the environment. Without concern and empathy
i.e. caring, it is impossible for nursing to take place. Nursing is a caring profession and
this value is a starting point from which the other values are derived. Diversity is a
value that is expressed in human interactions and speaks to having respect for all
humanity regardless of race, creed, color, gender, sexual preference, ethnicity, religion
and any other aspect which defines human beings. Probably the greatest sin of
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prejudice and bias is the opportunity missed to learn from each other. All of humanity
regardless of their origin, have something to contribute to humanity in the the form of
ideas, knowledge, perspectives, heritages etc. Integrity may be defined as “…
respecting the dignity and moral wholeness of every person without conditions or
limitation” (NLN, 2019). This value expresses the idea that consideration is due to
every person without prejudice and within balance. Let it be said at this point, it is
writer’s position that demonstrating integrity in action weighs the rights of others and
does not honor one person over another. Excellence or “: “… co-creating and
implementing transformative strategies with daring ingenuity” is an ongoing pursuit for
continuous improvement in how care is delivered (NLN, 2019).
“Beliefs are generally defined as convictions that things held in the mind are true”
(Psychology, n.d.). This definition is concise yet extremely descriptive when
considering that convictions are things held in the mind as true. The reason why this
description is so profound is based on the fact that just because something is believed it
doesn’t have to be true. Anyone who has aged and considers their beliefs, will have to
admit that some of their beliefs have changed due to new knowledge and experiences
acquired. Suffice to say, based on the definition of beliefs, when the writers beliefs are
declared, prior this declaration it is important to emphasize that these beliefs are subject
to change.
The writer believes that nursing is not for everyone. If you are not the type of
person who has a desire to help people who are sick, you should stay away from
nursing. However, the values of nursing can be developed. The only consideration with
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this is the fact that people who are being cared for may be harmed in the process. The
writer also believes that nursing can be a vehicle for self-development. The trials and
tribulations of the nursing profession are extremely challenging and as it is the writer’s
experience that often with challenge, comes personal growth and therefore
development. Finally, the writer believe that nursing is a rewarding career. As carers
and helpers, nurses have the privilege of witnessing human transformations which are
demonstrated in a million ways. Seeing a person walking again or smile after a ordeal
are experiences that make all of the hard work of nursing worth every minute as it helps
to internalize nursing values (Rose, Nies, & Reid, 2017). I also believe in the use of
evidence-based medicine in nursing practice because of safety issues.
Integration of Nursing Theory into Nursing Practice
As it applies to any profession, a theory is a construction of a set of ideas, beliefs,
and hypotheses, which are organized for use as a guide or to make sense of things.
Theories are useful in that they provide an vehicle for organizing one’s thoughts on how
to approach observed phenomenon and problems that arise in practice. There are a
plethora of nursing theories to choose from. However, the theory which resonates with
this writer the most is Leininger’s Culture Care Diversity and Universal theory.
According to Leininger (2002), this theory has made major contributions to the field of
transcultural nursing which may be defined as “… a comparative study of cultures to
understand similarities (culture universal) and difference (culture-specific) across human
groups” as it applies to providing nursing care (Kanchana & Sangamesh, 2016).
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Leiniger’s theory is very complex with many different terms that form a web of
interconnected concepts. A diagram of this configuration can be found in Appendix A.
However, there are some ideas that forms what Leininger calls assumptive premises
which are as follows;”1. Care is the essence of nursing and a distinct, dominant,
central, and unifying focus.
2. Culturally based care (caring) is essential for well-being, health, growth, survival, and
in facing handicaps or death. 3. Culturally based care is the most comprehensive,
holistic, and
particularistic means to know, explain, interpret, and predict beneficial congruent care
practices.
4. Culturally based caring is essential to curing and healing, as there can be no curing
without caring, although caring can occur without curing. 5. Culture care concepts,
meanings, expressions, patterns, processes, and structural forms vary transculturally,
with diversities (differences) and some universalities (commonalties)” (Leininger, 2002,
p.122).
A careful analysis of these assumptive premises reveal all of the core values of
nursing with special emphasis on the values of diversity and integrity in that providing
culturally congruent care to patients is a must. The current population in the United
States is extremely diverse with representatives of humanity from every corner of the
world. Therefore, it is very common for a nurse to encounter a patient (or co-worker)
from a culture other than their own (Jeffreys, & Zoucha, 2018). Awareness of the
importance of culturally based care and practice of such can only strengthen the skills
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and knowledge of a nurse which results in professional and personal growth. Providing
culturally congruent care to patients also helps to limit disparities (Jeffreys & Zoucha,
2018). Providing culturally based care to patient is good way to challenge what you
believe and also to maintain one’s values and focus on what nursing means.
Personal Goals and Action Plan / Conclusion
The SMART table below will conclude this brief synopsis
SMART TABLE
GOAL 1: GOAL 2 GOAL 3
S Obtain BSN Obtain MSN Obtain a certificate in midwifery
M Will receive degree Will receive degree Will receive certificate
A Already in school Will have BSN Will have RN, BSN and MSN
R Practicing RN for 10
years
RN with BSN Continues nursing career,
14+yrs.
T 1 ½ years 3 ½ years 5 ½ years
Nursing is a profession and not just a job. Therefore, having a foundation on an
individual level assists nurses in maintaining and even improving the profession of
nursing. As major contributors to society as carers, reflection on what nursing means
and how it should be carried out is essential for good nursing practice.
Reference
Jeffreys, M. R., & Zoucha, R. (2018). Cultural Congruence in the Workplace, Health
Care, and Academic Settings for Multiracial and Multiheritage Individuals. Journal of
Cultural Diversity, 25(4), 113–126. Retrieved from http://vlib.excelsior.edu/login?
url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=sih&AN=133748733&site=eds-live&scope=site
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Kanchana, M. N. & Sangamesh, N. (2016). Transcultural Nursing: Importance in
Nursing Practice. International Journal of Nursing Education, 8(1), 135–138.
https://doi- org.vlib.excelsior.edu/10.5958/0974-9357.2016.00024.6
Leininger, M. (2002). Culture Care Theory: A Major Contribution to Advance
Transcultural Nursing Knowledge and Practices. Journal of Transcultural Nursing,
13(3), 189. Retrieved from http://vlib.excelsior.edu/login?
url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=sih&AN=6943152&site=eds-live&scope=site
National League of Nursing. (2019). Core values. Retrieved from
http://www.nln.org/about/core-values
Psychology. (n.d.). Beliefs. Retrieved from https://psychology.iresearchnet.com/social-
psychology/attitudes/beliefs/
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Committee Initiative on the Future of Nursing /
Institutes of Medicine. (2011). Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing
Health. National Academies Press.
Rose, T., Nies, M. A., & Reid, J. (2017). The internalization of professional nursing
values in baccalaureate nursing students. Journal of Professional Nursing.
https://doi- org.vlib.excelsior.edu/10.1016/j.profnurs.2017.06.004
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