Abstract Comfort is an important concept in nursing practice that must be used as a guide in providing holistic care to improve patient’s health status. In the history of nursing practice, the concept of comfort is vague and is often times linked to end of life situations only. Dr. Katharine Kolcaba, a teacher and a nurse researcher, developed the theory of comfort with the goal of improving the patient’s experience and overall satisfaction as well as to promote higher hospital integrity and better institutional outcomes. This paper informed the reader of the concept of Comfort Theory, its strengths and weaknesses including the barriers and challenges met when using the theory, its application and implication to critical care setting, and its relevance to healthcare professionals and to the health care system. Further on, the plan to implement the theory in critical care nursing was presented.
Critique of Virginia Henderson: Need Theory Many theorists have come up with conceptual models that tried to define and explain nursing, one of which is by Virginia Henderson (1966). In this model, she stated that “the unique function of the nurse is to assist the individual, sick or well, in performance of those activities contributing to health or its recovery (or peaceful death) that he/she would perform unaided if he/she had the necessary strength, will or knowledge. And to do this in such a way as to help him/her gain independence as rapidly as possible” (Henderson, 1966). This paper presents an analysis and evaluation of Henderson’s nursing theory using Fawcett`s framework of analysis and evaluation of conceptual models of nursing (2000). The person as defined in Henderson’s model is all encompassing; it applies to the sick, the well and the dying.
Assignment 2: Conceptual/critical thinking exercise – The concept of trust and the nurse-patient relationship The concept of trust and nurse-patient relationship The bulk of the nursing literature tends to agree that trust underpins good nursing practice and is a vital component of the therapeutic nurse-patient relationship (Hem, Heggen & Ruyter, 2008; Johns, 1996; Belcher, 2009). However, there is much ambiguity in the literature about what this abstract concept actually means. The purpose of this essay is to define and develop the concept of trust as it relates to the nurse-patient relationship. This essay will also highlight the importance of trust in the nurse-patient relationship and some of the good points and bad points about this concept. In addition to this, the role of nursing theory and research in concept development will briefly be discussed.
To provide care that is all encompassing we need to meet the needs that the mind, spirit, body and soul. My philosophy falls in line with the Healing Hospital paradigm. According to Chapman (2007), the Healing Hospital revolves around many things but most importantly supports culture of care. Love is the center of healing and I will discuss further the paradigm of the Healing Paradigm citing challenges and the logic behind it. The Healing Hospital paradigm is based on the age old idea that love in the ultimate key to healing.
The central focus of the profession of nursing is developed around the idea of providing different dimensions of care to individuals in need by use of science and an atmosphere conducive to promoting and maintaining health. As such, nurses must always take a holistic approach towards the care of their clients and in order to maintain the same approach among all clients; the metaparadigm of nursing was developed. The metaparadigm of nursing was first developed by Florence Nightingale and has since been adopted by all nursing professionals. This is a general concept that has developed over time to define the discipline of nursing. The structure for the knowledge of nursing was developed from the four concepts of this metaparadigm.
Dealing with Spirituality in Nursing Traditionally the nursing profession has viewed people holistically, even though the term itself wasn’t introduced into nursing literature until the 1980’s by Rogers, Parse and Newman. In any era it would’ve been difficult to find a nurse that only saw the physical aspects of care as that which specifically defines nursing. Florence Nightingale, not only brought traditional Christian values but also some very “modern” nursing values such as autonomy, professionalism and was a firm believer in holistic care. She claimed, “The needs of the spirit are as critical to health as those individual organs which make up the body.” We are aware that when a person is emotionally and spiritually hurting, physical ailments can be manifested. If we accept that spiritual care is a legitimate goal of nursing then we as nurses are able to care for the “whole” person and not just their physical ailments.
It is also important to know where and how theories can best apply to current nursing practice. Compare and Analyze a Common Core Concept A common core concept among Virginia Henderson’s need theory and Dorothea Orem’s self-care deficit nursing theory is nursing. Both theorists use the nursing concept in their theory to define the role of nursing. Henderson defines nursing as the unique function of a nurse to help a person sick or well in the performance of activities contributing to health or its recovery that the person would perform unaided if he or she had the necessary strength, will, or knowledge. Nursing can also consist of assisting an individual to a peaceful death.
The admissions tutors will be looking for you to explain why a career in health is really where you see yourself - what is it that is making you apply for this course rather than any one of the many others that are out there? Relevant work experience We strongly recommend all applicants to gain experience within a care setting. Whilst in most cases it is not possible to work in a directly comparable environment you can develop transferable skills which enhance an application. Even if you are not able to gain experience in a care setting, try to think of the skills you have gained in any other employment, voluntary work or activities that you do/have done. Of the skills you have, why are they needed to be a health professional?
This assignment discusses an approach for an effective nursing care delivery system which relates to my chosen branch of nursing. In this essay I will discuss the importance of holistic communication in nursing care and its implementation to show that it is necessary when treating the patient. Doctors, nurses and other health professionals cannot treat the patient with out using this method. I also discuss 2 barriers in communication and 2 types of communication which are verbal and none verbal and identify examples which clearly define the meaning of communication and its importance to our day by day living. Communication is defined as a process of transferring information from one entity to another.
Personal Philosophy of Nursing Worksheet Dorothee Bucholsky NUR/391 10/21/2013 Sharon Little-Stoetzel, RN, PhD, CNE University of Phoenix Material Personal Philosophy of Nursing Worksheet This is a philosophy of nursing that reflects the beliefs and values of Dorothee E. Bucholsky, RN. Today’s date is October 18, 2013. I chose nursing as my profession because nursing is an integral part of who I am. I have always known I wanted to be a nurse. To care for people in need with compassion and empathy.