Nursing Theorists, Essay Example

Introduction

Two nursing theorists, whose philosophies align with mine are Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) and Margaret Newman born in 1933 and still alive, physically. It would appear that where Florence nightingale left physically Newman continued to unfold as a twentieth century nursing theorists. Florence nightingale (1820-1910) lived as a nineteenth century nursing pioneer, social reformer, avid writer and lover of humanity. Newman in her simplicity as a modern American nurse applied theory to practice continuing the path at a later time in history towards ensuring that nursing evolve into the science Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) anticipated in her era.

How and why these theorists most closely exemplifies your personal philosophy of nursing

My personal philosophy of nursing is one whereby the profession is a science and there must be profound education and research for the scientific mode of nursing to be established and maintained. Therefore, the twenty first century perceptive significantly projects that nursing has successfully passed through theory and is now involved in translation of evidence based practice from research. Precisely, this is how and why my philosophy aligns with those of these theorists, Florence Nightingale (1820 -1910) and Margaret Newman (1933) (Beauchamp, Walters & Kahn, 2007).

Florence Nightingale (1820 -1910) was fondly referred to the ‘lady with the lamp’ during her Crimean War nursing debut. She demonstrated not only love for the profession and humanity, but a scientific approach towards rendering care. Nightingale (1820 -1910) recognized that caring giving involved an art, skills; expertise and wit. As a means of perpetuation these virtues must be harnessed for utilization by those who have not yet developed them. More importantly, there must be a mechanism whereby others could be taught and learn how to articulate these skills and expertise (Nightingale & McDonald, 2008).

Consequently, she began by training 38 women to effectively perform wound care and ultimately offer medical assistance to soldiers who were hospitalized. At the time there were no theories informing practice. However, form these practices emerged the first nursing school in Great Britain as well as theory. Nightingale (1820 -1910) soon discovered that, the environment affects a person’s health. Precisely, while Florence Nightingale’s (1820 -1910) work generally aligns with my nursing philosophy this environment theory has made a lasting impact in my realization that the science of holistic medicine is not new (Nightingale & McDonald, 2008).

The theory states that nursing “is an act of utilizing the environment of the patient to assist him in his recovery” (Nightingale 1860/1969).  How powerful a conceptualization of the science! In reality a person’s health cannot be fully restored or maintained outside the context of his/her environment. My philosophical, paradigm would add that the environment consists of the whole being emerced in a field of wellness (Nightingale & McDonald, 2008).

Margaret Newman’s (1933) theoretical assumptions are in agreement with this philosophy when she theorized’ Health as expanding consciousness.’ This grand theory interprets health as connectedness with one’s environment from a perspective of the universal process of expanding consciousness. The process Newman (1933) contends allows a person to become aligned to the self and environment in the expanding consciousness realm (Nursing Theories, 2013).

Conclusion

The holistic mind/ environment inclusion philosophy of these theorists has gravitated me to their work and experience as professional role models. Already my nursing philosophy aligns with their in the concept of research and scientific approaches to nursing practice.

References

Beauchamp, L, Walters, L., & Kahn, J. ( 2007).  Contemporary Issues in Bioethics (8th ed). Wadsworth Publishing

Nightingale, F., & McDonald, L. (2008). Suggestions for Thought. Collected Works of Florence Nighingale. Ontario, Canada: Wilfrid Laurier University Press

Nursing Theories (2014). Margaret Newman – Nursing Theorist. Retrieved on April 4^th from http://nursing-theory.org/nursing-theorists/Margaret-A-Newman.php