Philosophy of Nursing

Personal Philosophy of Nursing

The word philosophy is derived from the Greek and Latin word philosophia, the love of wisdom. It is defined as the “critical examination of the grounds for fundamental beliefs and an analysis of the basic concepts employed in the expression of such beliefs”. (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2002) Nursing philosophy then, would be the examination of the fundamental beliefs about nursing practice. That it were so simple! It is the time consuming, soul-searching act of composing one’s personal thoughts, feelings, and knowledge, then committing them to practice. It is the summary of beliefs regarding what nursing is, what it aspires to be, and how those aspirations can be realized. It is a guide to learning and practice, and a measure of that practice. Rew (Kikuchi, 1994) asserts that nursing philosophy is a dynamic vision of who we are, “what and how we know; and of what we do within the discipline” (p. 20).
A nursing philosophy explores se...