The purpose of this paper is to develop a nursing philosophy that includes ideal about the person, the environment, health and illness, and the nurse. ANA and JCAHO standards are also included in the discussion. The nursing philosophy is applied to women's health nursing.
A combination of several existing nurse models to include Orem's, Pender's, and Newman's models, was used to develop the current nursing philosophy and model. These theories are combined to develop a holistic women's health nursing philosophy that includes a self-care development system that is based on the perceptions of the client, with a focus on the person, environment, health/illness, and the nurse. Nurses must diagnose the patient with a thorough assessment that addresses all variables to include self-care strengths and deficits, all perceptions of the client, and all other factors. For example, five person variables (physiological, psychological, sociocultural, spiritual, and developmental) must be assessed along with environmental factors, health and wellness or illness factors, and nurse factors.
Orem's theory was used to develop the self-care component of this nursing philosophy and model. For this model, as with Orem, self-care is what is required to sustain and enhance a patient's health and their life (Orem, 1971). The nurse must strive to help the patient become competent in self-care. Methods to help increase this self-care in patients include health education and other individual, family, and community self-care activities. In accordance with Orem's model, self-care is a continuous process that requires ongoing development and nurses must help patients with this quest. Thus, the nurse must help patients and their families understand information about nutrition, exercise and physical fitness, weight control, hygiene, stress management, medications, behaviors, social support systems, and environmental control. Orem pres...