Concepts of Nursing Theory
- Diverse concepts constitute the Nursing theory.
- Oscillate between person, environment, and health. (Hickman, 2019).
- Holistic patient care to enhance well-being.
- Enhance the resolution of symptoms.
- Improves patient’s quality of life.
Several concepts ranging from a person, and environment to the health of individuals constitute the nursing theory. Subsequently, holistic care of an individual is an integral concept that addresses a patient’s physical, social, emotional, or spiritual needs for enhanced well-being (Hickman, 2019). Additionally, holistic patient care significantly resolves a patient’s symptoms. Therefore, improved patient quality of life is a product of nurses’ Practice of holistic care.
Optimal Health and Environment
- Health is an acceptable degree of wellness
- Not merely the absence of infirmity.
- Overall physical, mental, and social well-being.
- Perpetuates optimal patient functioning.
- The environment constitutes the external surrounding.
Individuals, families, and communities strive to be healthy. However, misconceptions about healthy living are dominant in our societies. Health is the acceptable degree of wellness and not just the absence of diseases or infirmity (Smith & Fitzpatrick, 2019). Healthy individuals demonstrate physical, mental, and social well-being that promotes their optimal functioning. The environment has a significant impact on the health of individuals, families, and the community (Hickman, 2019). Therefore, nurses function to promote, protect, and restore the health of societies.
Impacts of the Concepts on Future Practice
- Patient care innovation in Practice.
- Individualized patient care as a model.
- Practical infection prevention and control strategies (Hickman, 2019).
- Application of evidence-based practice in management.
- Sustaining the quality of patient care.
The concepts of holistic patient care and healthy living demand that nurses innovate new patient care models based on additional theories. Therefore, individualized patient care that is responsive to patients’ unique needs and preference is the key to high-quality nursing care. Additionally, nurses should design and execute infection prevention and control measures to mitigate nosocomial infections (Hickman, 2019). Evidence-based nursing practice that highlights the importance of scientific information to guide clinical decision-making sustains the delivery of high-quality nursing care.
Addressing the Environmental Factors in Patient Care
- Hospital environment devoid of infections
- Prevention of injuries to patients
- Effective utilization of the aseptic techniques
- Enhances the safety of patients
- The concern of nurses’ safety at work.
The hospital environment is an essential factor in the recovery of patients. Therefore, nosocomial infections that account for significant morbidity and mortality of patients is an area of concern. Consequently, healthcare practitioners should consistently use aseptic techniques in delivering patient care to eliminate hospital-acquired infections for the safety of patients and staff, including nurses (Smith & Fitzpatrick, 2019). Additionally, nurses should ensure that patients are free from the risk of injuries due to faulty hospital equipment. Therefore, patient safety is an integral component of the delivery of high-quality healthcare.
Concepts relating to Research
- Sampling with appropriate sample size determination.
- The practical determination of the research methodology
- Compliance with ethical considerations in research.
- The quality of research results.
- Ethical considerations to protect subjects.
The determination and selection of appropriate research methodology are essential in scientific investigations. Additionally, the proper selection of study subjects from a population to derive the desired sample size and the research methodology will contribute to the credibility of the study results. Subsequently, the results form the basis for evidence-based nursing practice. The adherence to ethical considerations of research including informed consent and approval from institutional review boards is essential to protect the rights of study subjects consistent with the nursing practice of ensuring the safety of populations.
Research Methodology
- Quantitative and qualitative techniques of research.
- Quantitative studies allow nurses to test a hypothesis
- It involves the determination of appropriate research design
- Methodology influenced by research goals and objectives
- Specify the data collection procedures.
Research techniques fall into qualitative and quantitative studies. Quantitative research involves the collection and analysis of measurable data for hypothesis testing. Qualitative studies rely on non-quantifiable data, often subjective experiences of study subjects. Research goals and objectives inform the study methodology (Noyes et al., 2019). Additionally, data collection utilizing instruments such as questionnaires and measuring equipment such as blood pressures machine is for effective research.
Ethical Considerations
- Study subjects informed consent is the key.
- Voluntary participation by research participants.
- Promotes the confidentiality of personal information.
- Approval from institutional review boards (IRB). (Milton, 2017).
- Protect the safety of study subjects.
Ethical considerations in research are essential to protect the rights and preserve the dignity of study subjects. Informed consent detailing the purpose, risks, and benefits of the research is the cornerstone of ethics in research involving human subjects (Milton, 2017). Additionally, investigators, including nurse researchers, should ensure that subjects participate in the study voluntarily without undue coercion or manipulation. Preservation of confidentiality of personal data is an ethical requirement in research. Institutional review boards approve research involving human subjects by enforcing the provisions of protecting participants’ safety.
Concepts relating to Practice
- Nursing theories impact the Practice of nurses.
- Professionalism for adherence to rules and regulations
- Effective communication in the delivery of care.
- Continuous professional development for nurses.
- Perpetuating and protecting patients’ safety.
Nursing theories constitute the framework for the effective delivery of compassionate patient care. Moreover, the nursing profession demands compliance with professional rules and regulations to provide high-quality patient care. Nurses practice effective communications to obtain accurate patient information to guide clinical decision-making and demonstrate compassion to patients. Furthermore, nurses utilize the nursing process and ensure continuous professional development to refine their competence in delivering safe and high-quality patient care (Smith & Fitzpatrick, 2019).
Impacts of Practice on the Future of Nursing
- Professionalism to uphold respect for nursing.
- Evidence-based Practice promotes effective patient management (Noyes et al., 2019)
- Determination of patient needs through active listening
- Enhancement of patients’ safety in Practice.
- Inter-professional collaborations for patient satisfaction
Professionalism in nursing that emphasizes adherence to rules and regulations upholds the reputation of the nursing institution. Moreover, scientific information in nursing augments the nurses’ clinical expertise to deliver quality patient care (Noyes et al., 2019). The establishment of patients’ healthcare needs through active listening, and consistent safety promotion is essential to optimum nursing care. Nonetheless, nurses function in collaboration with other healthcare professionals to reduce healthcare workload and refine staff satisfaction.
Strategies for Future Success in Nursing Research
- Continuous professional development in nursing.
- Problem-solving in delivery of patient care.
- Inter-professional relationships between healthcare providers (Milton, 2017).
- Enhancement of effective collaborations with patients and families
- Designation of innovative ways of patient management.
Nursing research is essential to expand the scientific base of the nursing profession through evidence-based Practice. Additionally, the systematic application of the principles of problem-solving in the patient care and generating new ideas in healthcare delivery is beneficial to promoting nursing research. Furthermore, an interdisciplinary collaboration among healthcare workers will help develop the field of nursing research. Establishing a beneficial professional relationship between nurses and patients or families will trigger the necessity of nursing research to improve patient healthcare outcomes.
Conclusion
- Nursing theories as a protocol for nursing practice.
- Concepts in nursing are the basis for nursing theories.
- Holistic approach in the patient care.
- Nursing research for Evidence-based Practice.
- The necessity to improve nursing research.
Nursing theories inform the philosophy of nursing practice in the delivery of patient care. Several related concepts of Practice constitute nursing theories. Among the concepts include holistic patient care and environmental manipulation to improve patient treatment outcomes. However, there is a need to grow the field of nursing research through inter-professional collaboration, problem-solving in the patient care, and professional relationships between nurses and patients or families.
References
Hickman R. L., Jr (2019). Nursing theory and research: The path forward. Advances in Nursing Science, 42(1), 85–86.
Milton, C. (2017). The ethics of big data and nursing science. Nursing Science Quarterly, 30(4), 300-302.
Noyes, J., Booth, A., Moore, G., Flemming, K., Tunçalp, Ö., & Shakibazadeh, E. (2019). Synthesizing quantitative and qualitative evidence to inform guidelines on complex interventions: Clarifying the purposes, designs, and outlining some methods. BMJ global health, 4.
Smith, M. J., & Fitzpatrick, J. J. (2019). Perspectives on the unitary transformative person-environment-health process for the knowledge base of nursing. Advances in Nursing Science, 42(1), 43–57.