Nursing Theories - Essay Example

As a nurse, one of my philosophies of the practice is an understanding that my thoughts, about the profession of nursing provide a ground for endorsing the ethical values that are essential in the effective provision of nursing services to the patient. However, these values must be guided by an understanding of the nature of the disease an individual is suffering from.

On the basis of this philosophy, the theory of expanding consciousness is a good example of a nursing theory that best fits my understanding of nursing. The expanding consciousness theory was developed by Margaret Newman, out of the desire to understand the health conditions of people, despite the presence of disease-causing organisms in their physical body. The theory considers any form of disability in its analysis of the various health conditions of people.

In developing this theory, Newman denotes that the health of an individual is reflected by the presence of pathogens that have the capability of causing diseases, in his body system. She further denotes that anybody, irrespective of whether they have these pathogens in their body system, is part of the expanding consciousness theory (Parker, 1993). This theory denotes the following facts,

1. The health condition of an individual is analyzed by the presence of an illness in his body system.
2. Pathogens in an individual’s body reflect their patterns of life.
3. The pattern of a person’s health status, which is manifested by the existence of pathogens, existed before the functional and structural changes of the individual’s body system.
4. Removing the disease-causing pathogens will not tamper with the health pattern of an individual.
5. Pathogens are manifested through illness, and when an individual falls ill, it is possible to know their health status.
6. The expansion of consciousness is a consequence of the health condition of an individual.

Nursing is about taking care of the sick and ensuring their quick recovery. To help a patient, an understanding of the role of pathogens in the body system of an individual is crucial (Parker, 1993). A nurse will gain knowledge of how these pathogens occur in the individual body, and during his or her process of work, a nurse will take caution to ensure the safety of the safety of her health conditions, and that of the patient (George, 1995).

 For instance, having knowledge that HIV is transmitted through body fluids, a nurse will ensure she or he is well protected while serving the patient. Another example involves when she is serving people with chronic diseases such as diabetes. She will know the cause of diabetes, and avoid sugary foods while serving the patient (Potter et al, 2009).

This theory identifies the meaning of nursing and its concepts. Newman observes that nursing involves understanding an individual, in relation to the environment that the person comes from.  Nursing is a procedure of observing and identifying the consciousness of an individual. The main objective of nursing is to make a patient identify and understand the causes of diseases in their body system, and thus initiate preventive measures. This understanding of nursing agrees with my philosophies of the nursing profession and practice. Nursing is about caring for the patient and teaching them how to keep pathogens away.

 The theory denotes that people are mobile, and they change due to time and space (Fawcett, 2000). On this note, their body mechanisms become weaker in fighting against pathogens. By understanding this notion, this theory creates a sense of collaboration between nurses for the purposes of serving the aged. This is because; a single nurse does not have the capability of taking care of an old person, whose immunity system is weak. By accepting the patient’s position in terms of their age, and body capability, a nurse will develop better diagnostic solutions to their problems. This will automatically improve the well-being being, and health status of the individual, and his surrounding environment.

There are four main paradigms in the expanding consciousness theory. These paradigms are environment, health, nursing, and human. Newman defines health as a fusion of having a disedisease-causingase causing organism, and not having a disease-causing organism (Fawcett, 2000). The result of the integration of these two concepts is known as health. The theory further defines nursing as a relationship between a nurse and a patient, and this relationship creates a sense of consciousness in the patient (Fawcett, 2005). The theory defines an environment as a system that is open, and where a patient operates (George, 1995).

According to my understanding of Nursing, a patient acquires disease-causing pathogens, from the environment in which he or she operates. For example, a person might acquire cholera by drinking contaminated water, or a person might acquire Tuberculosis by coming in contact with a person who has the disease (Fawcett, 2005). On this note, this theory reconciles my belief of the nursing philosophy in relation to the environment in which the same person operates n.

In answering the question oofn whether this theory fits my understanding of nursing, it is essential to reconcile my philosophies of nursing, with the various beliefs advocated in the theory. For instance, it measures the health status of an individual, by analyzing if there are diseases causing pathogens in the person’s physical body. In my understanding, a person’s health status is analyzed by the existence of a disease-causing pathogen. For example, if a person suffers from AIDS disease, there must be an HIV virus in the individual’s body system. Newman observes that the presence of pathogens in the body system of an individual is a crucial indicator of how healthy an individual is.

In understanding this concept, therefore, it is possible to identify the various codes of ethics guiding the nursing profession that are applicable to handling the patient in question. A good and effective nurse is one who knows, seeks to know, and applies the various nursing principles, and norms.