Early in my second semester of graduate school we had an assignment in Nursing Theory where we had to determine our world view. To explain my personal philosophy, I returned to this assignment as well as the assignment where we had to choose a Nursing Theory. 

     First, I determined that I needed to find a theory that encompassed organicism in order to align with my world view. "Organicism is the position that the universe is orderly and alive" (McDonough, n.d., para. 1). McDonough refers to Plato who states that God "creates a living and intelligent universe because life is better than non-life and intelligent life is better than mere life. In contrast with the Darwinian view that the emergence of life and mind are accidents of evolution, the Timaeus, one of Plato’s dialogues, holds that the universe, the world, is necessarily alive and intelligent" (McDonough, n.d., para. 1).

     Secondly, I needed the nursing theory I selected to align with organicism and encompass the four concepts of person, environment, health, and nursing. It needed to do so in a very connected way, focusing on the person’s health, promoting wellness, caring for the sick, and addressing how the environment affects their health.

     Finally, I decided that Imogene King’s Theory of Goal Attainment encompassed these four concepts and made communication a priority. There are three interacting systems in the Theory of Goal Attainment: 1) the personal system, 2) the interpersonal system, and 3) the social system (Wayne, 2014). Each of these interacting systems have concepts within. These conceptual systems are logical and dynamic, that is why I appreciate this theory so much. My personal nursing philosophy is to appreciate this beautiful, living, intelligent universe and the life I have been given, to impact the personal, interpersonal, and social systems of the patients I directly and indirectly care for in a positive, healing manner, and to know that I am not perfect, but I am appointed by God to complete this good work. I will strive to always put the patient first. Phillipians 1:6 "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."

McDonough, R. (n.d.). Plato: Organicism. Retrieved on January 22, 2015 from http://www.iep.utm.edu/platoorg/

Wayne, G. (2014). Imogene M. King. Retrieved from http://nurseslabs.com/imogene-m-king/