Question

how are nursing theories being used to guide and shape everyday practice

Answer 1

Ans) Nursing practice is strengthened through the use of theories and models.

- Nursing theory is a useful tool in decision making.

- Theory guides the professional nurse in:
1. Organizing patient data
2. Analyzing patient data
3. Understanding connections between pieces of data
4. Discriminating between important and less pertinent data
5. Making sound clinical judgements based on evidence
6. Planning effective nursing interventions
7. Predicting outcomes of interventions

The four key concepts involved in nursing theories:
Client, Environment, Health, & Nursing.

Client (or person):
• Each individual man, woman, or child
• The recipient of nursing care
•Generally refers to a single individual, but can refer to a group of individuals such as a community
• Complex entities that are affected by various interrelating factors
•Mind & body
•Individual & the Environment
•Person & Person's family
***In many nursing models the "client" does not have to be "sick" but instead is on a continuum of wellness to health

Health:
•Originally thought as an absence of disease
•Continuum of completely healthy with no disease to completely unhealthy, resulting in death.
•Difficult to define because health may not have the same definition for all.
•Young adult with no chronic diseases perceived health differently than older adult with many chronic diseases.
•Cultures may define health differently
•Definition of "health" changes throughout time

Health beliefs & health behaviors:
•Health is relative, ever changing, and affect by genetics, environment, personal beliefs & cultural beliefs
•Health affects the entire person-physically, socially, psychologically, & spiritually
•Individuals health behaviors are powerful and influence how they respond to efforts to change their health behaviors

Environment:
•May be physical environment
•Living conditions, public sanitation
•Air & water quality
•Interpersonal relations
Social interactions

Internal environment:
•Personal psychological processes
•Religious beliefs
•Sexual orientation
•Personality
•Emotional responses

Nursing
*The role of the nurse and the relationship with the client is also an important aspect in nursing models
•Basic physical care
•Psychological support
•Relief of discomfort

Client as partner:
The client sets goals and take an active part in achieving these goals and help to evaluate these goals

Nursing practice is guided by: The work of Nursing theorist

The 4 key concepts are defined in a different way by individual theorists

Understanding each of these theories- provides a framework for individual nursing practice.

Theoretical frameworks:
•Provide a systematic and knowledgeable approach to nursing practice
•Are tools that assist in critical thinking as care is planned for and provided.