How do I define and employ the four basic meta-paradigms of nursing theory in my professional practice?
Nursing involves more than book guidelines in taking care of the sick. A personal nursing philosophy is necessary to act as a guide to individual actions during practice. Nursing practice involves compassionate care, knowledge-based practice, love, respect, commitment and lack of prejudice. As a matter of fact, nursing practice should embrace different cultures and accept diversity factors within work environment. The four meta-paradigms of the nursing theory include health, environment, people, and nursing.
Environment informs a lot of nursing decisions. Environment can either be internal and external. Conventionally, external and internal variables constitute a nursing environment. Nonetheless, nursing environment is dynamic and its maintenance requires a symbiotic relationship between the general environment and individuals within the environment. There is always a choice to redefine the environment or maintain. It is important to note that the prime objective of nursing extends beyond curative purpose. As a matter of fact, the primary objective is to restore the body’s homeostatic state through external factors adjustment and further maintain the desired state.
A healthy state is the summation of a state of holistic physical, social and mental, well-being and it goes beyond mere absence of disease. This definition fully covers the concept of health and helps nurses to appropriately respond to emerging health issues within the society. However, it should be noted that each of the health components bear varied weights and are subject to individual interpretations. It is however important to emphasize that mental component of health bears a lot of weight and is the key driver to holistic well-being. However, physical health and social well-being are as well important.
The four nursing meta-paradigm elements do not exist independently. Inappropriate self-perception/stress is a barrier to recovery and hence a patient will need a calm and serene environment, in addition to holistic nursing care. As a matter of fact, in a nursing care scenario it is important to consider all elements. It is important to evaluate a patient’s needs based on health, environment, person and nursing care which constitute the four nursing meta-paradigms. In essence, I find it incumbent to assess a patient based in his/her individual settings. This entails provision of care while maintaining respect for each person’s uniqueness and individuality as well as their reactions to life and environment (George et al., 1996).
As a practitioner in hospice care, I would apply my understanding of the four nursing meta-paradigm elements of health, environment, person and nursing care by ensuring that the propositions of hospice care are factored in my practice. The first proposition requires that hospice care be made universally available. This will ensure that all persons desiring to have access to hospice care can access the care. The second proposition touches on matters to do with the value that hospice care affords the patients and their families. As a hospice practitioner, it will be my preoccupation to ensure that patients and their families are benefitted by the services offered by the hospice unit.
What are the major concepts I employ that are unique to my professional practice?
My personal philosophy is premised on the four paradigms. It is my belief that the four meta-paradigms work hand in hand to promote nursing care. Two of the most important concepts that I can derive from the four nursing meta-paradigm elements are those of tender loving care and improving value of care. As a hospice practitioner, my primary concern will be to ensure that both the patient and their family members are kept as comfortable as possible. This will help the patients live a more quality life amidst the pain that accompanies the terminal diseases that they suffer from. Additionally, by designing the care program around the four nursing meta-paradigm elements, I will be able to ensure that the patients and their families enjoy the value of hospice care, which will in turn afford them more comfortable lives.
What philosophies and theories from the literature of nursing and other disciplines/domains are consistent with these concepts?
My philosophy is mainly drawn from transpersonal caring relationship proposed by Watson and focuses on 4 care factors. Two of the care factors are highlighted from nurses’ perspective and are important to nurse-patient relationship. Faith-hope theory seeks to integrate mind, and spirit in nursing practice. It fosters faith and hope from the patient’s perspective. Nursing care cannot be prescribed. It is responsibility of the nurse to come up with appropriate responses to suit their desired outcomes. Responses can be highly varied and so are outcomes.
Nursing care differs from regular care in that they can be described and valued. As a matter of fact, nursing care can be termed as altruistic, or rather an expression of love and care. Additionally, nursing is intentional and an embodied recognition of the need as well as willingness to respond to that need (Draper, LaDou, & Dan, 2011). Nursing care is of paramount importance in the hospice wing. As a hospice specialist, I appreciate the need of ensuring that my patients receive the best kind of care possible.
How are the concepts of transcultural nursing, the health promotion model, skill acquisition, role theory, and change theory specifically integrated into my philosophy and practice?
Nurses meet people from different cultures. Conventionally, people from different cultures have different healthcare demands and needs. Coupled with the fact that people have a right to freely express their cultures, it is essentially that a nursing setting takes into consideration these elements. This is the basis of transcultural nursing. Transcultural nursing models act as a guide to helping nurses get acquainted by the society’s culture and evaluate it with the aim offering the best care. According to Leininger (1997) transcultural nurses view care as a universal concept surpassing cultural boundaries with an aim of integrating cultural considerations into nursing practice.
What research supports these theories and concepts?
Nightingale proposed a basic environmental theory which emphasizes the role of the environment in an individual’s health/well-being (Cribbin, 2011). According to Nightingale, the major of elements constituting a nursing care environment include fresh air, clean water, sufficient ventilation, excellent hygienic conditions, and adequate light (Cribbin, 2011). Nightingale held the belief that people hold control of their health based on how they manipulate the environmental factors. A nurses’ role, from Nightingale’s point of view is to avail a conducive and healthy environment to the patient. This includes provision of fresh air, clean water, well-lit room, excellent hygiene, warmth, and an environment free from noise. As a matter of fact, his position holds that a nurse should promote a healthy environment by manipulating environmental factors (Creasia & Friberg, 2011).
It is my belief that the intention a nurse develops acts as a guide to nursing practice. Intention further forms the basis for formulating knowledge-based practical approaching to management of nursing care scenarios. As a matter of fact Draper, LaDou, & Dan (2011) points out that intention forms basis for formulation of unique and un-folding nursing scenarios relevant to unique and non-unique cases. Nursing care produces a unique need to respond to nature’s call on the need to maintain good health.
How do I integrate role and change theory into my professional practice and how may these theories be applied to the organization in which I practice?
Evidently, the environmental meta-paradigm philosophy proposed by Nightingale resembles Neumann’s systems model in many ways. According to Neumann, an environment has external and internal components, both of which an individual maintains by creating a certain level of harmony (Creasia & Friberg, 2011). The model proposed by Neumann focuses on a holistic approach to nursing. This is a position I agree with; both external and internal aspects of the environment are important in ensuring health is achieved. In reality, nursing care is premised on the basic assumption that humans need care to be well and that nursing activities coalesce in getting to know people and caring/nurturing them in order to better their health. There is strong evidence to suggest that nursing care approach directly influences the outcome of healthcare initiatives (Draper, LaDou, & Dan, 2011). Further, it is important that nursing practice be based on practical approach to conceptual/theoretical model.
References
Creasia, J, & Friberg, E. (2011). Conceptual foundations: the bridge to professional nursing practices. St. Louis: Elsevier Mosby.
Cribbin, N. (2011). Philosophy of nursing: Improving the environment, improving myself. Nevada RNformation, 20(2), pp.15.
Draper, E., LaDou, J., & Dan, J. (2011). Occupational Health Nursing and the Quest for Professional Authority. New Solutions, 21(1), pp.57–88.
George, J.B. (1996). Nursing Theories: The base of professional nursing practice. Connecticut: Appleton and Lange.