The Core Concepts of Nursing Theories - Research Paper Example

? Nursing Theories Lecturer Introduction This paper seeks to discuss the core concepts of nursing theories consistent to contemporary nursing theories. The paper explores and compares the metaparadigm concepts of nursing from a personal perspective and the perspective of nursing theorist. According to studies, metaparadigm concepts of nursing include concepts like humanity, health, nursing, and environment (Gunther, 2011). These are vital concepts as described by nursing theorists. In my personal perspective, these concepts of nursing play an important role in the life and survival of human beings. For example, the life of human beings and the whole universe revolves around these concepts. In my opinion, human being is an incorporated whole composed of internal psychological, physical and social nature with differing degrees of ability of self care. Humanity is a real or substantial unity whose parts attain perfection and are formed through differentiation during the development process. Human beings are able to reflect and use symbols. On the other hand, health and healthy describes the state of the living things. This is a state of well being including the condition of a person identified by pleasure, contentment, and happiness among others (Jim, 2010). Nursing as a concept is an art in which the nursing practitioner provides a specialized assistance to people with disabilities who need help in order to attain their daily requirements of self care. Finally, environment in my opinion is the surrounding of patients that may impact on their ability to carry out their self care activities. This may include dimensions such as chemical, physical, biological features and socio-economical features. The later include atmosphere, weather, pollutants, infectious organisms and pests, while the former may include community, family, gender and gender roles, cultural prescriptions of authority, and cultural roles (Potter & Perry, 1992). According to Martha Rodgers in her 1970 book, '' The Theoretical Basis of Nursing", human beings are seen as seen as open energy field possessing a distinct and unique life experiences. Just like energy field, human beings are much different from and greater than the sum of their parts and cannot be anticipated from the knowledge of their parts. Human beings are dynamic, unique, multidimensional, and sentient capable of creativity, abstract reasoning, self responsibility and aesthetic appreciation. Humans are valued persons, nurtured, respected and understand and make informed choices concerning their health. Martha Rodgers considers dimensions such as biological, spiritual, psychological, intellectual, and socio-cultural dimensions as stages of human development because they affect the health and behavior of human beings (Rodgers, 1970). Environment, according to nursing theorists, is a geography and landscape of human social experience. She considers environment as a context or setting of experience as a daily life and consists of variations in time, space and quality. This human geography includes social, global, personal, national and beyond. Martha asserts that environment also entails societal values, beliefs, customs, mores and expectations. The environment is like an energy field in the mutual process with the energy field of human and is understood as an arena where by the client of nursing encounters caring relationships, aesthetic beauty, threats to wellness, and lived health experiences. The environmental dimensions that may impact on health include psychosocial, physical, historical, cultural, political, economical and developmental processes and aspects of the social world (Gunther, 2011). In nursing theorist perspective, health is a dynamic process. She describes health as the synthesis of illness and wellness defined by the nursing client perception of the across the life span. The view of health concentrates on the whole nature of the client in social, moral, physical, and aesthetic realms. Martha, a nursing theorist asserts that health is relational and contextual. Wellness in her view is a live experience of the congruence between one’s realities and one’s possibilities based on feeling cared and caring for. She however defines illness as a lived experience of dysfunction or loss that can be mediated by relationships of caring. Inherent in this understanding is the approach of each client to stress and coping. The extent, level or degree of health is an expression of a mutual process of interaction between human beings and their environment (Herminia I & Otilia, O2009). Nursing practice is an academic discipline and a professional practice. Nursing is a science and art of holistic care that is guided by the values of human choice, responsibility and freedom. Nursing science is a body of knowledge reached through development theory, logical analysis, and research. Nursing theories are very essential in advancing and guiding the nursing practice. According to Martha Rodgers, the art of nursing as a practice is actualized by interventions of therapeutic nursing and creative use of the knowledge for human care (Potter & Perry, 1992). Nurses apply clinical judgment and critical thinking in order to provide evidence based care to families, individuals, communities, and aggregates in order to achieve an optimal level of wellness of the client in a diverse nursing settings and contexts. Therefore, clinical judgment and critical thinking are essential for nursing professional practice. Human caring is the central focus and moral ideal of nursing practice. It entails empathy and concern, as well as commitment to the lived experience of the client’s human health and the relationships existing among illness, wellness, and disease. As a person, the nurse is engaged as an active person in the care transactions with the clients in a life span (AWHONN, 2010) Another metaparadigm concept described by Martha Rodgers is the concept of learning. She describes learning as a dynamic, life long, self initiated process that manifest in the ability to change in valuing, thinking, and behaving when successful. Learning is hence enhanced through expert role modeling, systematic inquiry, dynamic transactions among faculty, mutual respect, nurses, students, clients among others. Generally, learning is the use and application of information and knowledge in the lived experience, and in translation of cognitive acquisition to praxis, with an aim of benefiting the whole society (Rodgers, 1970). Conclusion Summarily, the whole community of academics shares the responsibility for student education and mastery of the nursing concepts as described by nursing theorists. In a general perspective, This paper has explored and compared the metaparadigm concepts of nursing from my personal perspective and the perspective of Martha Rodgers, a nursing theorist in her 1970 book, '' The Theoretical Basis of Nursing". The metaparadigm concepts of nursing that have been discussed include concepts like humanity, health, nursing, and environment. These are vital concepts as described by Martha Rodgers. References AWHONN (2010). Guide for Professional Registered Nurse Staffing for Perinatal Units. Wahsington: AWHONN. Gunther, M. (2011). Theories and frameworks for professional nursing practice, In J. L. Creasia Herminia I. & Otilia, O. (2009). Women and the Vision Thing: Harvard Business Review. Havard: Harvard Business School Publishing. Jim, A. (2010). Successful Strategic Planning Creating Clarity, Journal of Health Care Information Management, 19(3) 24-30 Potter A and Perry G Anne (1992) Fundamentals Of Nursing –Concepts Process & Practice London: Mosby Year Book. Rodgers, Martha. (1970). The Theoretical Basis of Nursing, London: Prentice Hall http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/ http://libguides.jchs.edu/ Read More