A personal philosophy of nursing is the core values and beliefs that a nurse upholds when taking care of another person, it is the reasoning why we do nursing the way that we do. I believe that each patient should be treated as an individual and given the best quality of care. It is important as a nurse that we develop trusting and therapeutic relationships with not only the patient, but their families and significant others so that we are able to provide physical and emotional safety when meeting their needs. There have been many theorists throughout the history of nursing that have explained the reasoning why nurses practice the way they do. These theorists' thoughts and ideas have been a major influence on the nursing care that is being provided today and plays an essential role in why nursing is viewed as a profession. "If nursing is to engage in research for the common good, nursing philosophies, models and theories must be used as guides to practice" (McCurry, Revell, and Roy, 2010, p.326). I feel that as nurses we need to be aware of these theorists' ideas and our own philosophy of nursing so that we can better understand the reasoning of why we provide nursing care the way that we do. Choice of Nursing I chose the nursing profession because I enjoy helping and taking care of others and I believed it would be a rewarding career. As nurses we are able to go into work every day knowing that we are able to help someone else in some sort of way. Rather it be educating a patient on their disease process, helping them feel better by giving them a bath, or simply listening to their concerns or needs about their health, I am making an impact on someone else's life every day. It is humbling to know that you are able to make a difference in peoples' lives on any given day. When you become a nurse, you are challenged with everyday situations that can allow you to grow and make you a better person. It is a wonderful feeling when your patient lets you know how much they appreciate you and everything you do for them. One of the most rewarding feelings is when your shift is over and your patient asks if you are coming back the next day, there are no words to describe how self-fulfilling that can be. There are so many ways that the nursing profession is rewarding and I am very glad that I decided to pursue nursing as my career. Essence of Nursing Knowledge and caring should be the core of nursing practice. "Knowledge is built upon theories; together their philosophical bases and disciplinary goals are the guiding frameworks for practice" (McCurry et al., 2010, p.326). I feel that it is essential for nurses to be knowledgeable so that they are able to educate patients and their families about their diseases process and know the reasoning behind the care they are providing to their patients. Nursing is continuously changing due to the prevalence of evidence-based research; this is why it is important that nurses seek new knowledge and best practice so they are able to effect changes in nursing