Question

Detail the implications of Levine's Conservation Model

Answer 1

Ans) Conservation:

A process in which an individual's adaptive responses confront change productively and with the least expenditure of effort, while preserving optimal function and identity

Eg. A nurse who strictly follows a regular schedule of turning a bedridden patient is practicing structural integrity of Levine's conservation principles.

The goal of conservation according to Levine is Optimal health.

The best interpretation of Levine's theory based on the concepts presented in the chapter- Each person's adaptive responses are unique to him or her.

- Levine's conservation model considered a grand theory because it has one central idea supported by smaller concepts.

Characteristics of theory

• The concept of illness adaptation, using interventions, and the evaluation of nursing interventions are interrelated.
• Concepts are sequential and logical and can be used to explain the consequences of nursing action.
• Levine’s theory is easy to use and elements are easily comprehensible.
• Levine’s idea can be tested and hypothesis can be derived from them.
• The principle of conservation are specific enough to be testable
• Levine’s idea have not yet been widely researched.
• Levine's theory has been applied in surgical settings.
• Levine’s ideas are consistent with other theories, laws and principles particularly those from the humanities and sciences

Conservational Principle

• Conservation of energy
• Conservation of structural integrity
• Conservation of personal integrity
• Conservation of social integrity

1. Conservation of energy

• Refers to balancing energy input and output to avoid excessive fatigue
• includes adequate rest, nutrition and exercise

Example:

• Availability of adequate rest
• Maintenance of adequate nutrition

2. Conservation of structural integrity

• Refers to maintaining or restoring the structure of body preventing physical breakdown And promoting healing

Example:

• Assist patient in ROM exercise
• Maintenance of patient’s personal hygiene

3. Conservation of personal integrity

• Recognizes the individual as one who strives for recognition, respect, self awareness, selfhood and self determination

Example:

• Recognize and protect patient’s space needs

4. Conservation of social integrity

• An individual is recognized as some one who resides with in a family, a community ,a religious group, an ethnic group, a political system and a nation

Example:

• Position patient in bed to foster social interaction with other patients
• Avoid sensory deprivation
• Promote patient’s use of news paper, magazines, radio. TV
• Provide support and assistance to family

Health

• Health is a wholeness and successful adaptation
• It is not merely healing of an afflicted part ,it is return to daily activities, selfhood and the ability of the individual to pursue once more his or her own interest without constraints
• Disease: It is unregulated and undisciplined change and must be stopped or death will ensue

Nursing

• "Nursing is a profession as well as an academic discipline, always practiced and studied in concert with all of the disciplines that together from the health sciences"
• The human interaction relying on communication ,rooted in the organic dependency of the individual human being in his relationships with other human beings
• Nursing involves engaging in "human interactions"

Goal of Nursing

• To promote wholeness, realizing that every individual requires a unique and separate cluster of activities
• The individual integrity is his abiding concern and it is the nurse’s responsibility to assist him to defend and to seek its realization

Conservational models

• Conservational model provides the basis for development of two theories
  • Theory of redundancy
  • Theory of therapeutic intention

Theory of redundancy

• Untested, speculative theory that redefined aging and everything else that has to do with human life
• Aging is diminished availability of redundant system necessary for effective maintenance of physical and social well being

Theory of therapeutic intention

• Goal: To seek a way of organizing nursing interventions out of the biological realities which the nurse has to confront
• Therapeutic regimens should support the following goals:
• Facilitate healing through natural response to disease
• Provide support for a failing auto regulatory portion of the integrated system
• Restore individual integrity and well being

Limitation

• Nurse has the responsibility for determining the patient ability to participate in the care, and if the perception of nurse and patient about the patient ability to participate in care don’t match, this mismatch will be an area of conflict.
• The major limitation is the focus on individual in an illness state and on the dependency of patient.

Research Highlights

• A theory of health promotion for preterm infants based on conservational model of nursing. Nursing science quarterly,2004 Jul,17 (3):The article describes a new middle range theory of health promotion for preterm infants based on Levine’s conservational model that can be used to guide neonatal nursing practice.