How Nurses Develop Their Nursing Philosophy from Their Personal Experiences

Abstract

Purpose: The research aim was to clarify how nurses develop their nursing philosophy from their nursing practices.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurses who had at least five years of practical nursing experience and who the Director of Nursing determined had an established nursing philosophy. The obtained data were analyzed using the modified grounded theory approach.

Results: Eight categories emerged from the analyzed interview data of 17 nurses. These were divided into two processes: [Formative Nursing Philosophy] and [Establishment of Nursing Philosophy]. The former process relates to when a nurse who has <experienced fluctuating nursing philosophy> attempts a <confronting his or her experienced fluctuating nursing philosophy>, <expanding his or her nursing ideas> and then <deciding his or her nursing philosophy>. The latter process relates to when a nurse <establishes nursing philosophy through nursing practical experience> by <searching for nursing care methods that suit his or her nursing philosophy>, <experimenting with nursing practices while conscious of his or her nursing philosophy>, and repeatedly obtains <recognition for nursing care>.

Conclusion: These results indicated that the nursing philosophy develops by internal reflection from experience, and by performing nursing practice that is conscious of the formed nursing philosophy.