As my ability to work as a nurse moves closer to reality I have spent time thinking about my personal philosophy. What is it that I believe about nursing? What are the things that are most important to me and the patients I will take care of? What do I want to be remembered for by my colleagues? What physical, mental, and emotional impact will my interactions have on my patients and their families? As I consider the above questions I would like my first personal philosophy of nursing to be intertwined with Sister M. Simone Roach¡s 5 C¡s of caring. I believe that nursing embodies these principles. I would like to embody them as well.
             ƒæ COMPASSION ¡V is the ¡§sympathetic consciousness of others¡ distress together with a desire to alleviate it.¡ As a nurse, I would like to convey compassion and empathy to my patients at all times of the day or night no matter what is going on in my life, or how weary or busy I am. My compassion might be conveyed through my words, a simple gesture, a light touch, a smile, or by giving a simple moment of my time to listen.
             ƒæ CONFIDENCE ¡V the quality or state of being certain. Confidence comes through education, repetition, and life and work experience. As I learn new skills and trudge through new experiences my confidence will grow. With confidence comes strength. I will strive to convey confidence and strength to my patients at all times.
             ƒæ CONSCIENCE ¡V the sense of the moral goodness or blameworthiness of one¡s own conduct together with a feeling of obligation to do right or be good. Life is full of contradictions and roadblocks. It is much too easy to stumble and make the wrong choice(s). It is easy to justify what I think is right as opposed to what the patient wants or believes is right for them. There are many ethical conflicts that can easily result in value judgments that I have no right to make. May I always have the strength to make th...