Introduction
The content of nursing has changed over the centuries as the demands of society, and the conditions of life have varied. Nowadays, nursing care models define the essence of relationships between a nurse and a patient. Any model focuses on a patient and his or her health problems.
The nursing care model observed in practice refers to Nightingale’s model that distinguishes between caring for sick and caring for healthy people. In particular, health care delivery services performed at the local hospital by nurses were different from healthy and sick patients. If the core role in caring for healthy patients was given to education and prevention strategies, then sick people were treated with the aim of improving their standard of living. As a result, such an approach provided within half a year proved to be rather effective for patients’ health outcomes.
Nursing Care Model Identification
In her article, Magpantay-Monroe (2015) discusses the concept of emotional intelligence in relation to Nightingale’s nursing care model. In order to detect any connections between the above notions, the scholar analyzes writings and pictures of Florence Nightingale. The author comes to the conclusion that Nightingale expressed a firm conviction that nursing as a profession differs from medical practice and requires a special form of medical knowledge.
It is also stated that the application of this model contributes to leadership, motivation, and integration of nurses that, in turn, are likely to develop emotional intelligence prospects. Magpantay-Monroe (2015) claims that compassion with which she wrote her letters is great and inspirational. Therefore, the study findings maintain the model implication by the fact that it may be used as the prototype to prepare emotionally intelligent nurses.
Another research by Selanders and Crane (2012) focuses on the role of Nightingale’s model in nursing advocacy. This theoretical study aims at providing a safe health care environment through the consideration of nursing leadership strategies. The authors state that Nightingale distinguished the simple domestic service from nursing care for the first time. Furthermore, the authors focus on the modern environment and argue that the 21st-century requirements remain complicated and multifaceted in spite of technology development.
The leadership development model and the egalitarian value system serve as the measurement tools to evaluate the mentioned concepts. The importance of this study refers to the fact that it proves the relevance of Nightingale’s model to the modern nursing metaparadigm. In particular, nurses may apply it to advocate for patients’ rights effectively in terms of health and the environment. In other words, the research findings contribute to the implementation of this nursing care model in modern advocacy.
The purpose of the article by Englebright, Aldrich, and Taylor (2014) is to implement an electronic health record (EHR) system based on Henderson’s nursing care model. The authors begin with the identification of the theory and participants of the study. The first eight principles are focused on physiological needs, and others – on the needs for security along with social, psychological, and spiritual needs. These principles form the basis for the definition of nursing that can be specified as follows: the role of a nurse is to help a patient or a healthy person in carrying out activities that promote his or her health or recovery.
Each of Henderson’s needs can vary depending on the situation. The nursing assessment of a patient’s condition determines the most important of the listed needs with the goal of developing a systematic nursing care plan. After that, the authors apply the Clinical Care Classification (CCC) system to conduct the study. They conclude that nine basic needs are to be included in EHR system, the use of which will help to accurately document and communicate medical information.
Ahtisham and Jacoline (2015) aim at the elaboration of implication strategies in the care setting. They state that Henderson suggests a new, scrupulously adjusted definition of nursing, which is used until nowadays. The nurse’s mission is to help a person, either sick or healthy, to perform actions related to the maintenance of his or her health. At the same time, they point out that Henderson constantly stressed that a nurse is expected to help a patient to become independent as soon as possible.
The assessment of the quality and results of care is carried out when the fundamental needs for which nursing intervention has been applied are met. To test the applicability of the nursing model, Ahtisham and Jacoline (2015) create a case study based on Pakistani environment. They come to the conclusion that this model is useful to be applied in practice as it is likely to benefit patients by enhancing their health and to promote staff satisfaction.
Implementation of Current Nursing Care Model and Recommendations
Nightingale’s model can be applied in practice to implement emotional intelligence, thus creating the appropriate patient-centered approach. The ability to understand the needs and expectations of patients in a timely manner is of great importance for nurses (Kamau, Rotich, Cheruiyot, & Ng’Eno, 2015). This will promote comfortable and trustful relationships between a nurse and a patient.
As a result, a nurse would receive a complete understanding of a patient and have the opportunity to apply relevant nursing theories and instruments. Consequently, a patient would receive high-quality health care delivery and enhanced health outcomes. The strategies proposed by Nightingale show that special knowledge and skills are required to advocate for patients’ rights (McCrae, 2012). For example, respect for their personality, freedom of expression, and confidentiality can be noted.
To implement Henderson’s nursing care model, it is essential to make sure that a highly qualified nurse have sufficient knowledge and skills to plan, implement, and evaluate the results of care, meeting the needs of an individual patient. At the same time, special emphasis should be placed on the uniqueness of the contribution of nursing care to the recovery of a patient’s health. The nursing interventions are to be aimed at achieving a patient’s independence to meet his or her basic needs and improve health indicators (McCrae, 2012).
In his model, the authors emphasize the obligatory participation of a patient in identifying and resolving his or her health problems. When examining a patient, a nurse should discuss the conditions for providing nursing care as only in a state of high dependence of a patient, such as a comma or a state of complete prostration, a nurse has justified motives for making a decision. In this regard, the role of a nurse represented by Henderson on both sides. On the one hand, a nurse is an independent specialist of the healthcare system as she or he performs those functions that a patient needs in order to feel comfortable. On the other hand, a nurse is an assistant of a doctor, performing his or her prescriptions.
For example, if a patient refuses to eat the hospital food, then his or her need for food is not satisfied. In collaboration with a patient, a nurse should determine the possible causes of this problem (poor appetite, fastidiousness, and so on) and set realistic goals to address the problem. In case a patient is disturbed by sleep, a nurse should establish the causes of this problem (uncomfortable bed, stuffiness, etc.) and then specify the goals of nursing care and intervention. To resolve such problems, a nurse is expected to identify several short-term goals. With this in mind, in case of a patient who refuses food, one should plan a conversation with relatives, a patient, and staff of the food unit. In case of a patient with sleeping problems, relaxation exercises or timely aeration should be planned. The goals set should be realistic and measurable, so that either success or failure of nursing intervention can be assessed.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it should be pointed out that this assignment helped in learning nursing care models, including theoretical aspects and practical steps. I understood the two fundamental models in detail that is likely to allow me implementing them in practice, thus improving health care delivery quality and meeting patients’ requirements. In particular, according to Florence Nightingale’s model, a nurse should provide different care to those who are sick and those who are healthy, considering their specific needs. The model by Virginia Henderson identifies the key needs of a patient that should be satisfied in terms of the comprehensive approach, taking into account both physical and psychological well-being.
References
Ahtisham, Y., & Jacoline, S. (2015). Integrating nursing theory and process into practice: Virginia’s Henderson need theory. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 8(2), 443-450.
Englebright, J., Aldrich, K., & Taylor, C. R. (2014). Defining and incorporating basic nursing care actions into the electronic health record. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 46(1), 50-57.
Kamau, S. M., Rotich, R. J., Cheruiyot, B. C., & Ng’Eno, L. C. (2015). Applying Florence Nightingale’s model of nursing and the environment on multiple drug resistant tuberculosis infected patients in the Kenyan setting. Open Access Library Journal, 2(8), 1-10.
Magpantay-Monroe, E. (2015). Exploring the emotional intelligence of Florence Nightingale. Asia-Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing, 2(2), 107-111.
McCrae, N. (2012). Whither Nursing Models? The value of nursing theory in the context of evidence‐based practice and multidisciplinary health care. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 68(1), 222-229.
Selanders, L. C., & Crane, P. C. (2012). The voice of Florence Nightingale on advocacy. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 17(1), 1-6.