It is vital in all nursing situations to have a personal style of helping that is effective and leads to good patient care. When a patient receives first-rate care, they are likely to better adjust to their illness than if poor care was given. It is imperative that a variety of helping styles be available in a nursing environment because not all patients respond the same to all helping techniques. Fortunately, every nurse has a different personal style of helping, and as such, many different types of nursing theories have developed to compliment their individual style. If nurses can understand and identify with a theory, they can then better understand their personal style of nursing, and in turn, better apply this individual style when helping a patient. Therefore, this understanding translates to better patient care, better patient compliance, and higher spirits throughout the entire nursing environment.
             Before nurses can apply theory to practice, they must first explore their own set of values and beliefs which strongly influence their particular style of helping. Without this personal understanding of themselves, the nurse would have a hard time deciding which theory best describes her and secondly, a difficult time implementing this theory. A persons individual set of beliefs and values have a great effect on all of their actions and their decision making process in general. I have found that in exploring my own values and beliefs, that I am able to recognize many that are central to my life and nursing style. First of all, and perhaps most importantly, I believe respect is an essential aspect of any relationship. When respect is not a cornerstone of a relationship, one will not tolerate or appreciate the others differences in values. Without a mutual respect between individuals, a relationship between them would be impossible. Along with respect comes honesty and trust. Honesty and trust help to build respect fo...