Professional Philosophy Statement

It is my belief that determining if there is a fit between myself and a healthcare environment; it starts with the fit between the values of the organization and my personal and professional values. I strive to contribute to an environment of patient centered care, innovative leadership, excellence in nursing practice, education, research, and customer service, in order to create a culture which differentiates from all others.

The statements which follow will illustrate my philosophical values and how they relate to the vision and mission of all healthcare organizations.  Additionally I have provided statements to affirm my own vision for following these values.

Significance – As a nurse and nurse leader it is essential to provide the framework and meaning of the essence of nursing including excellence in practice, education and research wherever nursing is practiced. Providing significance through values and understanding is motivational to staff and helps them bring forth exemplar standards and desire to do the best, which equates providing the best care one patient at a time and the highest service culture imaginable.

In my past and current roles, I have been able to inspire and bring the significance of quality and excellence to the forefront of those I have had the opportunity to lead and influence. This includes those in the nursing profession and also other disciplines.

Relationships – It is essential to build strong teams and relationships in all aspects of the healthcare enterprise. Relationships are built on emotional intelligence, the ability to seek to understand the views of others, in addition to the essential ability to build trust. Whether the relationship is with one or many, leadership requires engaging others. Actions such as listening, coaching, developing skills, providing choice, and making connections will create the highest levels of performance. One of the most important relationships in the healthcare field is the nurse-physician relationship and would be a goal from day one.  

In my past and current roles I strive to be a trusted leader. It is my experience in leading that people and staff desire to decide things for themselves and be part of shaping their own destiny. I give my best to be a leader that enables staff empowerment and autonomy in a way that is flexible, with a style that is firm on standards in an environment that values diversity.

Aspirations – Leaders must decide what is important in life, and then live that life in a manner that reflects what matters. Leadership comes from the inside and is an inner quest that comes from self-examination and meaning. It is important to strive for top decile performance and excellence in all we do. This requires looking forward and articulating a positive vision for the future. Envisioning the future takes skill and competency and the ability to explore future possibilities. It takes more than just understanding of my own aspiration, but the ability to really listen to the aspirations of others and letting them see themselves as a part of the future.

In my past and current roles I have been told I have the ability to inspire shared aspiration and vision by listening to others about their hopes, dreams and interests. I also believe in being a good follower when others have inspirational ideas and goals that drive initiative of the team. 

Courage – It takes courage to realize dreams and bring meaning to the values that are important.  This includes critical thinking, risk taking and the ability to be a change agent. I believe that everyone has moments of courage and sometimes involves making tough choices. Not only does every act of courage improve the lives of a patients, it also inspires other clinicians to increase their positive effect on patient care.

My view is that nurses and nurse leaders need to be change agents, take risks, demand answers, fight for new quality initiatives, and never forget the importance of quality, compassionate care and the difference it makes to patients and their families. It takes courage to advocate for patients, speak up if the workload is unsafe, or take a stand on important issues that support safe and effective practice which I would have the courage to do if necessary.  I am most definitely a change agent.


In closing I would like to reinforce that my personal statement and philosophy revolves around significance, relationships, aspirations and courage. I have used these values for many years and stick to them in my everyday work. Each of these values are used to meet the mission and vision of personal and professional values – in creating an environment of excellence and exemplar practice, education, research and quality customer service.

I also have a unique skill set in implementation science using the foundation of Donabedian’s Theory of the structure – process – outcomes triad. This theory is also embedded in the Magnet Model and is one I strongly believe in.
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