Philosophy of Christian Nursing

In the nursing profession every nurse needs to have an established philosophy that they will use during their practice. A philosophy of nursing encompasses a nurse’s beliefs, values, and ethics regarding their care and treatment of patients while he or she is in the nursing profession. This philosophy may change over time as the nurse grows in education and skills, but the foundation will ultimately be the same. If a nurse does not have a chosen philosophy to follow then they will lose their purpose as a nurse which may falter the nurse’s attitude, commitment, and drive towards their profession.

Since the beginning of my nursing career I have always believed that individuals are called to the nursing profession. We are being called from the higher power of God to provide care to His people. In giving care to my patients and their families I use the holistic approach which provides care to the needs of the body, mind, and spirit.

If you practice providing care through the holistic approach it is easy to look at the philosophy of nursing through the Christian worldview. I will be discussing my philosophy of nursing using the four paradigms of nursing; person, environment, nursing, health, and how they can be incorporated using the Christian principles in my professional practice.

“The nursing metaparadigm begins with God in the Christian worldview. God created the world (environment) and everything in it. God created human beings (person) and placed them within this created environment to live in shalom (health).

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This kind of health allows the person to live in peace in a God-centered human community with a sense of physical, psychosocial, and spiritual well-being. Nursing then works toward shalom among individuals and the community,” (Shelly & Miller, 2006).

The first concept of the four paradigms I want to define is the person. A person can be a patient or a family member who is in need of caring. I see the individual person as a physical being with a soul. Every person is psychosocially, physically, and spiritually integrated with God and they hold an intrinsic value in life (Williams). In Genesis 2:7 it states, “God did not make a body and put a soul into it like a letter into an envelope of dust; rather he formed man’s body from the dust, then, by breathing divine breath into it, he made the body of dust live, i.e. the dust did not embody a soul, but it became a soul—a whole creature” (King James Version). Since every person is created by God then they are triune. I believe that triune means that the person encompasses body, mind, and spirit. With that body, mind, and spirit a person or patient is able to make decisions regarding his or her emotions, health, life, and spirituality.

The second concept is the patient’s environment, which can be where the patient lives or where the nurse and patient interact together. The person’s environment can be either internal, external, or both. An internal environment can revert back to body, mind, and spirit; these are the things that a person cannot change, but learn to adapt too. The external environments are the outside features that a person can change. Often a nurse will discover that his or her patient lives in an unjust environment that is not allowing them to flourish (thekidnurse.wordpress.com). If the patient it to receive the exceptional care all four elements of the patients environment should be balances and in good standings. Environment can also be classified as physical, social, cultural, and spiritual. Physical environment is the setting which the person is in like their home or the hospital. The social environment can be the person’s caregivers, community, family, and friends. Cultural environment refers to the persons own religious, spiritual, and traditions that they believe in. Lastly spiritual environment is how the person’s sees his or herself connected with God and His teachings.

Health is third concept that can be defined in the philosophy of Christian nursing. Health can be defined as simply as the absence of illness. To be in a state that nothing is wrong with you physically, mentally, or spiritually is to be in good health. Health in the fullest sense is the complete physical, mental, and spiritual flourishing that allows us to fulfill our created purposes – and so give glory to our Creator and enjoy the relationships with our Creator and fellow creatures that are made possible by these purposes (thekidnurse.wordpress.com). If one of the states of health is unbalanced then it is my job as a Christian nurse to help correct the problem for my patient. One cannot be in good health until they are physically, mentally, and spiritually sound. Health or wellness in the Christian worldview is intertwined in the whole living relationship of love with self, others, and with God (Williams). As read in 3 John 2: Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul (King James Version).

The final concept in the Christian philosophy framework of nursing practice is the nurse him or herself. I feel a nurse is an individual who offers their caring services to those in need just like Christ was a servant to his people. As a Christian nurse I am not only going to try to heal the ill physical body, but to help mend the mind and spirit as well. In using holistic nursing care and following the will of God to provide the utmost exceptional care possible is the essence of Christian nursing. I have always been told since I was a little girl that you should treat others as you wish to be treated. The very act of nursing or caring is essentially spiritual in nature. A nurse should not only want to provide holistic care to the patient or family, but to be triune to his or herself. The Christian nurse needs to remain faithful to God and with that remain faithful to the profession of caring.

In conclusion this is my own philosophy of nursing and how I use it in my daily practice as an emergency room nurse. I believe that you should treat the person, their family, coworkers and the general population with a holistic approach. To not only treat the patient, but help heal their body, mind, and spirit. I believe nursing is a sacred profession that we are called to by God to do His good work. 2 Chronicles 15:7 states, “But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.” I consider myself truly blessed to care for people and treat everyone with compassion, dignity, nonjudgement, and respect that they truly deserve. I love the profession that God has lead me to do and I will strive to live up to his expectations to the best of my ability.

References

1. Holy Bible: King James Version
2. Shelly, J. A., & Miller, A. B. (2006). Called to care: A Christian worldview for nursing (Second ed.). Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, page 53. Retrieved February 6, 2019, from https://books.google.com/books?id=PImVhQFqVhUC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false. (2012, February 11).
3. A Christian Worldview and the Four Nursing Metaparadigms. Retrieved February 6, 2019, from https://thekidnurse.wordpress.com/2012/02/12/a-christian-worldview-and-the-four-nursing-metaparadigms/
4. Williams, Kimberly, Educator Follow. (2017, April 21). Caring the art of nursing with a christian worldview. Retrieved February 4, 2019, from https://www.slidesshare.net/ChalzMusee/caring-the-art-of-nursing-with-a-christian-worldview