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Person-Centred Care in Nursing

In the course of their work nurses have to balance a wide range of interests and needs.
They have to consider their own needs, the needs of the healthcare facilities that they work for,
and patient needs. A person-centred approach encourages nurses to prioritize the needs of
patients above any other need (McCormack & McCance, 2016). Such prioritization requires that
nurses involve patients in all decisions that affect their healthcare. This approach entails
discussing with patients and collecting their views on, among other issues, their treatment and
care options (McCormack & McCance, 2016). It does not mean doing whatever the patient says,
but putting into consideration their views when making decisions affecting them because they
are equal partners in their care.
Person-centred approach has been found to significantly improve the quality of care that
patients receive (McCormack & McCance, 2016). As a nurse, it is a principle that I will
endeavor to always apply in my practice. However, it is not the only one that I will apply. I will
also apply the principles of holistic nursing and cultural humility as well as self-reflection.
Holistic nursing is a principle that encourages nurses to look beyond physical healing of
patients’ physical bodies and focus on whole person healing that involves not just their bodies
but also their souls and minds (Lindquist, Tracy & Snyder, 2018). This principle appreciates that
when patients are sick the illness does not just affect their bodies, it also affects their spirituality,
emotions, personal relationships, and mind (Lindquist, Tracy & Snyder, 2018). I plan to put this
principle into practice by talking to patients as much as possible to see how their condition
affects other aspects of their lives and what can be done to make sure that it is not just their
physical health that is restored but also their mental and spiritual health.

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In additional to holistic nursing I also plan to apply the principle of cultural humility.
This principle recognizes the important role that cultural factors play in the way patients
experience and view their illnesses and health and, therefore, the choices that they make
regarding their healthcare (Foronda et al., 2016). To practice this principle, I will strive to have
an open mind and be ready to listen and learn about my patients’ customs, beliefs, cultural
values, and religion with the goal of effectively negotiating and collaborating with the patient in
their care.
Lastly, I will also practice the principle of self-reflection. This will involve taking time to
discover and analyze personal meanings that I would have gained from my interaction with
patients and fellow nurses. This approach is important because it enables a nurse to connect their
professional practice with their inner being thus allowing them to rejuvenate passion for their
work (Johns, 2017). For nurses, such rejuvenation is important to deal with burnout which is
very common.

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References

Foronda, C., Baptiste, D. L., Reinholdt, M. M., & Ousman, K. (2016). Cultural humility: A
concept analysis. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 27(3), 210-217.
Johns, C. (Ed.). (2017). Becoming a reflective practitioner. John Wiley & Sons.
Lindquist, R., Tracy, M. F., & Snyder, M. (Eds.). (2018). Complementary & alternative
therapies in nursing. Springer Publishing Company.
McCormack, B., & McCance, T. (Eds.). (2016). Person-centred practice in nursing and health
care: theory and practice. John Wiley & Sons.