Ida Jean Orlando-Pelletier's Nursing Process Theory - Research Paper Example

Running Head: Ida Jean Orlando-Pelletier Nursing Process Theory A Research Paper on Nursing Process Theory Abstract The nursing discipline is based on the accumulated knowledge and concepts related to the patient-nurse interaction. Ida Jean Orlando-Pelletier made one of the most important contributions by establishing the Nursing Process Theory. The theory is based on empirical and clinical experiences she had through her education and years of working in nursing profession both is the administrative and clinical areas. The paper is aimed to present the life of Ida Jean Orlando-Pelletier and the basis for the development of the Nursing Process Theory. Ida Jean Orlando-Pelletier Nursing Process Theory The nursing discipline is established on the basis of important knowledge and concepts of the field. The theories in nursing are essential in the practice to be able to help the patients through application and to continuously improve the discipline (Colley, 2003, p.33-7). One of the concepts in the field of nursing was established by Ida Jean Orlando. The main objective of the paper is to present the life of the founder of the Nursing Process Theory and to impart the components of the concept. In addition, the ultimate aim is to be able to analyze the application of the theory in the modern nursing process. The Life of Ida Jean Orlando-Pelletier Ida Jean Orlando was born on the 12th of August, 1926 during the period of Depression to parents of Italian origins. She finished a nursing degree in the New York College in the Flower Fifth Avenue Hospital of Nursing in the year 1947. She continued her studies in the field of nursing in the John’s University in Brooklyn where she finished a Bachelor of Science degree in public health nursing in 1951. She then pursued a Masters Degree in mental health consultation in Columbia University Teachers College until 1954. The educational achievements of Orlando can be considered as one of the reasons for the establishment of the theory (Marriner-Tomey & Alligood, 2006, p.431; Sitzman & Eichelberger, 2010, p.118). In addition, Orlando’s dedication enabled her to be one of the most important proponents of knowledge in the field of nursing. Her nursing experiences in the different areas within the field can be considered as a fundamental factor. She worked as a staff nurse in services such as obstetrical, medical, surgical and emergency nursing. She also served as a supervisor and assistant director in a general hospital specifically in charged of the nursing service. She is working for Yale School of Nursing in Connecticut until 1958 when she led the project Integration of Mental Health Concepts in a Basic Curriculum. In the project she explored the interactions between nursing students, patients and medical personnel (Marriner-Tomey & Alligood, 2006, p.431). In 1961, the observations that she gathered from the study were published in a book, The Dynamic Nurse-Patient Relationship Function, Process, and Principles of Professional Nursing Practice. The said book became the groundwork in her main contribution, the Nursing Process Theory. It was later on published in 5 other languages (Sitzman & Eichelberger, 2010, p.118). Orlando’s work became the basis of the Graduate Program in Mental Health in Yale for 4 years until she married Robert J. Pelletier in 1961 (Basavanthappa, 2007, p.122). Ida Jean Orlando-Pelletier then worked in McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts from 1962 until 1972 as a Clinical Nursing Consultant. In the position, she continued her study of the interactions of the different groups in the nursing field, the nurses, the patients and the other medical personnel. Based on her nursing theory and the observations that she gathered, she initiated a change in the organization of the hospital and established a training program for nurses which received federal support. In addition, she published an article in Psychiatric Opinion 1967 issue entitled “The Patient’s Predicament and Nursing Function.” In 1972 then, Orlando made a book to present her work for the last 10 years in the hospital. It was her second book and entitled The Discipline and Teaching of Nursing Process: An Evaluative Study (Basavanthappa, 2007, p.122). From 1972, Orlando accomplished different feats in relation to imparting the Nursing Process Theory through workshops in the US and Canada. From 1972 to 1984, she is with the Board of the Harvard Community Health Plan in Boston, Massachusetts. From 1979 to 1985, she served the Hospital Committee on a number of roles and responsibilities. Simultaneously, in 1981 she became a nurse educator in the Metropolitan State Hospital in Waltham. She then held the position of assistant director of nursing for education and research in 1987 (Basavanthappa, 2007, p.122). In the 1990 reprint of Ida Orlando’s first book by the National League for Nursing, she called her concept as the Nursing Process Theory. In the first publication she described the concept as the “theory of effective nursing practice.” The said theory then became one of the founding concepts in the nursing process on the basis of the recognition of the importance of the actions of both the patients and the nurses in the achievement of proper care. She presented a unique concept that the nurses need to be analytical and logical in performing their duties (Basavanthappa, 2007, p.122). The Nursing Process Theory Ida Jean Orlando stated that the main aim of nursing is to meet the needs of the patient (Schmieding, 1993, p.434). This is the basis for the Nursing Process Theory, which presents different perspectives in meeting the needs of the patients. The theory developed through the years of observations on the interaction of patients and medical professionals specifically the nurses. The main objective in the establishment of the theory is to have principle that can organize the different concepts involved in professional nursing. Orlando was able to achieve her goal. Through the theory, she was also able to contribute in the nursing education, nursing practice and research (Basavanthappa, 2007, p.122). The fundamental precept of the Nursing Process Theory is the “reciprocal” relationship between the patient and the nurse. This means that the patient needs to cooperate actively in the treatment while the nurse needs to make logical and intelligent actions in terms of the nursing process to be able to have an optimum service. Another important view presented by Orlando is the independence of the nursing profession from the medical profession on the basis of the fact that the nurses are responsible for the first hand and immediate provision of medical care and support for the patient. She expressed that training is of utmost importance since nurses should function as response to the expressed needs of the patients rather than the protocols set for nurses in the medical field (Sitzman & Eichelberger, 2010, p.118). Although this can be considered as a subjective nursing practice, empirical evidences gathered by Orlando through years of research had proved the theory to be efficient in meeting the needs of the patients (Schmieding, 1993, p.434). Basis of the Nursing Process Theory There are three bases in the establishment of the nursing theory which are the patient behavior, the nurse reaction explored with the patient and the nurse action (Sitzman & Eichelberger, 2010, p.120). The patient’s behavior is in terms of the distress indications presented in relation to the condition such as physical limitation, miscommunication or the inability to communicate. The said behavior can be presented verbally or nonverbally (Basavanthappa, 2007, p.123). Verbal indications are undertaken through language related communication while nonverbal behaviors include “physiological symptoms, motor activity and nonverbal ways of communication.” In cases wherein the needs of the patient were not resolved or if misunderstood, difficulties can arise which can affect the condition of the patient (Sitzman & Eichelberger, 2010, p.119). The other concepts involve the nurses’ behavior. These are the reaction to the needs of the patient and the actions undertaken to answer these needs. These are two different situations that are important to the condition of the patient. The reaction of the nurse to the patient needs can be assessed through the automatic actions undertaken to be able to resolve immediate needs. On the other hand, the actions performed upon assessment of the ultimate needs of the patient are referred to as the ascertained or professional actions (Basavanthappa, 2007, p.123). Functions and the Paradigm of the Theory The Nursing Process Theory employed the different concepts which include: the function of professional nursing, the presenting or the client, the immediate or internal response of the nurse, the nursing process discipline and the target improvement. Through these concepts the main functions of the nursing profession had been presented (Basavanthappa, 2007, p.123). The first function is the importance of deliberative actions derived from the accurate determination of the needs of the patients based on their behavior. Another is the analysis of the probable meaning of the actions of the patients. Upon application or performance of the action, the affirmation and determination of the effectiveness can be undertaken by the nurse. From the said phase further treatments can be planned and performed (Basavanthappa, 2007, p.126). These functions are related to the main paradigm of the nursing process according to Orlando which includes the human being, health and nursing. Human beings have needs which are expressed through verbal and non-verbal ways. These are then needed to be understood and resolved by the nurses. In terms of health, Orlando presented the importance of the ‘freedom from mental and physical’ symptoms as the main factor in health. Where there is any sign of being unwell or having pain, the duty of the nurses then begins. The third factor considered by Orlando is the independence of the nursing profession from medical field. She stressed that nursing is related to medicine but not under the same field (Basavanthappa, 2007, p.126). Impact of the Nursing Process Theory The theory catalyzed improvements in the nursing profession by presenting the importance of the functions of the nurses in the medical field. First is the view that the nurses have fundamental roles in the welfare of the patients which are independent from the services of the doctors and other medical professionals (Basavanthappa, 2007, p.127). Another is the establishment and reorganization of a clear nursing process. The simplicity of the theory is also another advantage in terms of present application in the nursing profession. This can be attributed to the fact that is can be applied to any type of situation due to the prior focus, the interactions between the patient and the nurse. The use of empirical and observational evidences, it can considered that Orlando had accomplished and improved the knowledge base and ultimately the modern nursing practice (p.128). Conclusion Based on the concepts presented related to the Nursing Process Theory, the view of Orlando can be appreciated in terms of the optimization of the service provided by the nurses to the patients. The theory increased and improved the level of knowledge of the nursing profession on the needs of the patients which is through the recognition of the importance of the interactive relationship between the nurses and the patients. This knowledge became a catalyst of the improvement of the modern nursing practice. This became the main legacy of Ida Jean Orlado Pelletier. References Basavanthappa, B.T. (2007). Nursing Theories. India: Jaypee Brothers Medial Publishers. Colley, S. (2003). Nursing Theory: its importance to practice. Nurs Stand, 17 (46), 33-7. Marriner-Tomey, A. and Alligood, M.R. (2006). Nursing Theorists and their Work. US: Elsevier Health Sciences. Schmieding, N.J. (1993). Ida Jean Orlando: A Nursng Process Theory. Sage Publications. Sitzman, K. and Eichelberger, L.W. (2010). Understanding the Work of Nurse Theorists: A Creative Beginning. Jones & Bartlett Learning. Read More