The Health Promotion Model
Nola Pender is one of the greatest nursing theorists of the 20th century. Pender’s Health Promotion Model (HPM) theory supports the best health practices towards a quality life. According to Nola’s theory, human health does not always focus on the absence of diseases in the body. Good health refers to the holistic state of happiness and well-being. Every person should embrace good health actions in order to have a balanced and contented life. Human beings interact differently with their surrounding environments. Pender’s theory presents “the best steps towards pursuing a better health status” (Butts & Rich, 2010, p. 98). The theory also explains how human beings interact with their natural environments. This paper discusses Nola’s view of the four meta-paradigms of nursing. The essay also examines two concepts supported by Pender’s model.
Nola Pender’s View of the Four Meta-Paradigms
Nola Pender’s theory gives a unique view of every meta-paradigm of nursing. Patients and caregivers should consider these views in order to achieve the best health outcomes. The “first meta-paradigm of nursing is person” (Butts & Rich, 2010, p. 29). Pender’s model treats human beings as autonomous and unique creatures. The theorist focuses on the best concepts and ideas towards improving the health outcomes of every patient. This meta-paradigm also includes “social groups, vulnerable populations, healthy societies, patients, and families” (Butts & Rich, 2010, p. 34). Caregivers can use this model to support the changing health needs and expectations of their patients. This idea explains why the theorist encourages human beings to embrace the best lifestyles and health practices.
The Health Promotion Model also takes into consideration the second meta-paradigm of nursing. This meta-paradigm is health. Nola does not identify health as a clinical subject. According to the theorist, health exists within “the context of the issues and concerns affecting different people” (Butts & Rich, 2010, p. 104). The model promotes the best health outcomes in every human being. It is necessary for nurses and clinicians to support the changing health experiences of their patients. Human beings will always encounter numerous health problems in their lives. Nola Pender offers the best guidelines to support the health outcomes of every patient. The above discussion encourages clinicians and physicians to embrace Pender’s theory.
The “third nursing meta-paradigm is environment” (Butts & Rich, 2010, p. 28). Every health outcome depends on the stability of the surrounding environment. Human beings have both internal and external environments. The model explains how the environment influences the health experiences of different patients. Socio-cultural, economic, and religious dimensions also affect people’s health practices. Many caregivers use their surrounding environments to formulate the best nursing concepts (Butts & Rich, 2010). Caregivers can analyze the environment in order to offer competent care and help to their patients. The environment will always pre-determine the health outcomes of different patients.
Nursing practice is the fourth meta-paradigm. Caregivers can use this theory to provide evidence-based support to their patients. Pender’s theory offers numerous strategies towards better nursing practice. The model explains why “nursing focuses on health support and disease prevention” (Butts & Rich, 2010, p. 43). Nola’s model can support the changing needs and health expectations of many patients. This theory can also improve the wellness and health status of every patient. This meta-paradigm “combines every aspect of nursing such as the environment and human health” (Butts & Rich, 2010, p. 84).
Two Concepts Unique to the Theory
Nurses can use Pender’s theory because it presents the best concepts and ideas towards better healthcare. One of the unique concepts to this theory is “perceived self-efficacy” (Deenan, 2003, p. 89). Individuals can use the theory to formulate the best judgments and health decisions. Human beings can execute the best behaviours and practices in order to improve their health conditions. Every person can use this theory “to identify the best practices such as proper dietary intakes and exercises” (Butts & Rich, 2010, p. 83). This concept encourages patients and individuals to promote the best health practices. Such practices will address the barriers affecting their health outcomes and conditions. According to Pender, people should take control of their health conditions.
The second concept is health promotion. This concept focuses on the best behaviours and ideas towards promoting people’s health. The model embraces good practices in order to have the best health outcomes. The concept supports new ideas such as illness prevention and health protection (Butts & Rich, 2010). Patients and clinicians can come up with the best practices in order to promote their health outcomes. This concept is beneficial because it combines the four meta-paradigms of nursing practice. Caregivers must embrace better strategies in order to support the changing needs of their respective patients. Nola Pender’s theory “has gained much recognition across the globe because it offers the best concepts towards improving the health conditions of many societies and patients” (Deenan, 2003, p. 89).
Article Summary
The article “Testing the Health Promotion Model with Thai Adolescents” explores exercise behaviours among different adolescents. The author begins by examining the health issues affecting many adolescents in every society. The author uses the case of Thailand to understand how children’s behaviours can affect their future health conditions. The author uses Nola Pender’s Health Promotion Model (HPM) to conduct this study. According to the author, many adolescents do not engage in physical exercises. Such malpractices will result in new consequences such as obesity and overweight. Such “health complications will definitely affect these adolescents in their later lives” (Deenan, 2003, p. 91).
Physicians can use Pender’s HPM theory to understand the health behaviours of their patients from a medical perspective. Human health behaviours “are predetermined by an individual’s external and internal factors” (Deenan, 2003, p 2). Medical professionals can use this theory to understand the environmental, personal, and cognitive factors affecting people’s health behaviours. Pender’s model is relevant because it addresses the social and psychological needs of every adolescent. The theory also supports the concept of self-efficacy. Many researchers use the theory whenever undertaking various socio-cultural studies.
The above theory was relevant towards supporting this study. The author used Pender’s theory to examine “different health behaviours in Thai adolescent population” (Deenan, 2003, p. 4). The study supported the use of Pender’s HPM model in order to understand human behaviours. The model incorporates both external and internal factors in order to understand various human behaviours. According to the researcher, “a person’s experiences, cognitions, and individual characteristics were critical towards explaining the nature of exercises among the targeted population” (Deenan, 2003, p. 91). Some of the determining variables include “gender, life perspective, health-seeking behaviour, barriers, body mass index (BMI), and life perspective” (Butts & Rich, 2010, p. 69). Nurses and medical practitioners can use this theory to promote the best health practices and exercises in their societies.
Reference List
Butts, J., & Rich, K. (2010). Philosophies and Theories for Advances Nurse Practice. New York, NY: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Deenan, A. (2003). Testing the Health Promotion Model with Thai Adolescents. ProQuest Information and Learning, 1(1), 1-123.