How To Write a Personal Philosophy of Nursing (With Examples)

Updated January 26, 2023

Being a nurse requires dedication, commitment and passion for patient care, and you may be required to discuss your unique approach to these qualities when applying for nursing school or for a job as a nurse. Having a personal philosophy of nursing can help you express what makes you passionate about the role, what you think makes a good nurse and what makes you a great nurse. In this article, we explore the importance of having a personal philosophy of nursing, explain how to write one and review a few examples to help you craft your own.Related: How To Answer Questions About Weaknesses for Nursing Interview

What is the importance of a personal philosophy of nursing?

A personal philosophy of nursing is your perspective on what qualities make an effective nurse, what a nurse's role is in the health and wellness of past, current and future patients and what characteristics make you an excellent nurse. There are many settings and situations in which you can use your philosophy of nursing, including:

When applying to nursing school

Many nursing schools require prospective students to include an essay that explains why they want to become a nurse and what they want to achieve in the profession. You can create your first personal philosophy of nursing to explain to the school what inspired you to pursue nursing, what qualities and skills you have that would make you an effective nurse and what your goals are as a nursing professional.

When applying to nursing jobs

You may revise and refine your personal philosophy of nursing while in nursing school and as you gain more experience in clinical training. When you begin applying to nursing jobs, you can use the philosophy you developed while in nursing school to write your cover letter and answer interview questions about your passion, motivation and goals as a nurse.Related: Top 20 Nursing Interview Questions (With Sample Answers)

For motivation while on the job

You can use your nursing philosophy to motivate you during professional or emotional challenges in your job. For example, you might care for a patient who passes away or who has a complex condition that you're trying to help treat.Continue to develop your nursing philosophy as you gain more experience as a nursing professional. You may encounter new challenges in the workplace, discover new professional goals in the field, learn new skills or refine your characteristics as they relate to nursing. Letting your philosophy evolve as you do can ensure that the statement still motivates you and applies to the current stage in your career.Related: A Day in the Life of a Nurse: Typical Daily Activities and Duties

To help you choose employment and education opportunities

As you gain experience, you may want to advance your education, training or career. Make sure that your nursing philosophy reflects your most current values, qualities, skills and passions for nursing, and then you can use this statement to guide you in choosing the most applicable opportunities, including advanced degrees, specialty certifications, volunteer opportunities and leadership positions in nursing.

To guide you in making decisions in the workplace

You may handle challenging situations with patients, their families or your colleagues in the workplace. Knowing what your nursing philosophy is can help you better manage these situations and make decisions that align with your ethics in nursing as well as what you see your role as a nurse to be.Related: Developing Personal Ethics: Examples and Tips

How to write a personal philosophy of nursing

Follow these steps to write your philosophy of nursing:

1. Remember why you wanted to become a nurse

Think about why you chose nursing over every other profession. Consider questions like:

What interests me about nursing?
What does being a nurse mean to me?
Why is nursing important to me?

Use these answers to determine two or three reasons why you chose to become a nurse and what makes you excited about caring for patients, assisting doctors and promoting health and wellness in your community. You can combine your reason for becoming a nurse with other elements, like what your goals are as a nurse and what impact you want to have as a nurse, to write your personal philosophy of nursing.

2. Reference a moment that inspired you to pursue nursing or impacted your understanding of nursing

Consider the people or events that shaped your perspective of nursing and inspired you to pursue this career. For example, you may have interacted with a nurse as a patient or a loved one to a patient. You may even have a nurse in your family or a teacher who thought you had what it takes to become a great nurse. If you are revising your nursing philosophy, consider what made you think differently about this profession, such as a particular patient, colleague, mentor or nurse educator, a situation in nursing school or at work or a personal event.From these moments, identify the nurse qualities, characteristics or values you discovered, the impacts you understand nurses to have on their patients and communities and the problems they help solve. You can use this information to shape your nursing philosophy statement into a set of ideals, goals and characteristics you want to strive for or apply in your nursing practice.

3. Determine what you want to gain from being a nurse

Ask yourself:

What goals can a nurse achieve?
What goals do I want to achieve as a nurse?
Where do nurses work?
Where do I want to work as a nurse?
What role do nurses play on a patient care team?
What role do I want to play on a patient care team?

Use your answers to these questions to develop a nursing philosophy statement focused on what you want to achieve as a nurse and where you want to be a nurse, whether it's in a hospital, a specific hospital wing or in your community in general.

4. Develop an idea of how nursing can change the world for the better

Use these questions to determine what positive impact nurses can have:

What does a nurse bring to their community?
What does a nurse bring to society?
How can I use nursing to improve my community?
How can I use nursing to improve society?

You can use your answers to these questions to create a nursing philosophy focused on using your skills, experience and qualities to improve your community. You can also write a personal philosophy of nursing that is goal-oriented and motivates you to be the best nurse you can be.

5. Highlight the values, personality traits and other characteristics that make a good nurse

Ask yourself questions like:

What skills should a nurse have?
What personality traits should a nurse have?
What qualifications should a nurse have?
What are the most common values for a nurse?
What mistakes should a nurse avoid making?

List your answers to these questions, and then identify which of these skills, personality traits and values you have. Consider selecting three or four that are most important to you as a nurse, and use those to build your nursing philosophy.Related: Complete Guide to the Nursing Qualifications

Personal philosophy of nursing examples

Every nursing philosophy is unique, and you can write your philosophy statement in many different ways. Use the following examples to guide you in writing your own:

Example 1

ICU nurses must be detail-oriented, patient and efficient to ensure patients receive proper care. As an ICU nurse, I will use my experience treating patients with complex injuries and collaborating with physicians to provide a clean and comfortable environment for patients recovering from surgery, terminal conditions and severe injuries.This example focuses more on the nurse's personal qualities and professional skills, and it applies these qualifications to achieve the impact they want to have as a nurse.

Example 2

Nursing is about caring for the whole patient, not just their condition, injury or illness. This involves persistence in finding the best treatment, practicing patience and kindness no matter the patient's situation and educating the patient and their loved ones on how to best care for their bodies.This example showcases this nurse's perspective on what role a nurse plays on a patient care team and the skills and traits they use to fulfill that role effectively.

Example 3

A nurse should be generous, dedicated, collaborative, committed to trying new solutions and well-versed in the best patient care techniques. I will strive to teach others how to make healthy choices and lead by example, applying my own wellness advice, to inspire change.This example highlights what makes a great nurse, including some of the most important qualities, and what impact a nurse should have on their community.