Introduction
My personal worldview is multidimensional, meaning that while I do believe in God, i.e., a higher power, I do not formally belong to an organized religion. I also am biocentric in that I believe all living things have an inherent value.  For that reason, I believe that as a health care provider I have a duty to support, sustain and respect life.  The cultural elements that most influence my personal philosophy stem from those that I have experienced growing up:  family values, community values, being in touch with nature, and coming from a moderately conservative/liberal background where there is no extreme positioning socially or politically to one side of the doctrinal spectrum.  Thus, I am a “live and let live” person who respects the personal choices of others.  I believe that everyone comes from their own unique cultural background and that it is important to understand this background to treat them adequately, which is why I believe firmly in developing a cultural competency, as recommended by numerous nursing researchers (Diaz, Clarke & Gatua, 2015; Young & Guo, 2016).  I believe in treating the whole person by using a holistic approach, as recommended by (Zamanzadeh, Jasemi, Valizadeh, Keogh & Taleghani, 2015), and I also advocate for the use of various alternative treatments including herbs and all-natural remedies as long as it is done with proper medical supervision, as recommended by (Shrivastava, Shrivastava & Ramasamy, 2015).

The Nursing Theory of Human Caring

The nursing theory that is most in line with my personal philosophy of practice is Jean Watson’s (2018) theory of human caring.  According to Watson’s theory of human caring, the care provider should maintain “openness to the unexpected and inexplicable life events” that shape a patient’s life, experience, and reception of care (Wagner, 2015, p. 1).  This is in line with my belief in holistic are because as far as I am concerned every patient should be treated holistically—i.e., the whole person has to be treated.  One of the keys to Watson’s theory of human caring is “creating a healing environment at all levels, whereby wholeness, beauty, comfort, dignity, and peace are potentiated” (p. 2).  This theory reinforces my approach to care because it provides me with a framework for paying attention to a patient’s needs, remembering that environment is a major factor in how well the patient receives care, and assisting me in providing holistic care in a way that recognizes the needs of the whole person.  

Some nurses neglect to treat the whole person because they do not understand how care inherently is holistic and not just patchwork or piecemeal.  Many nurses go from patient to patient, checking only to see how a certain symptom is.  Watson’s theory allows me to remember to check not just on symptom’s but rather on the whole...…patient’s needs in mind—and mindfulness is what is need most by the nurse to facilitate his or her understanding of that.  Cultural competency can assist by increasing the nurse’s ability to recognize cultural cues.  

My intention is to increase my education in cultural competency and enhance my ability to be mindful so that I can remember that every human being is in need of comfort, respect and appreciation.  Every human being is also vulnerable, suffers from fear and ignorance, and when illness strikes, every human being is in need of a comforter.  As a nurse I believe it is my duty to provide that comfort that is most needed for that patient in that moment based upon the patient’s own personal needs.  That means paying attention to the patient’s environment and not just whether the patient has received a shot or procedure.  Patients need advocates, their families need support, and they all can benefit from an increase in their health literacy.   Some of the greatest nurses have shown that when this element of care and commitment is shown, it can ease all the tension that is in the environment and bring in a fresh wave of air and energy that rejuvenates because it is calming.  I also want to increase my understanding of holistic care and how alternative treatments can be used to complement conventional approaches.