Nursing Theory and Non-Nursing Theory

THEORIES 2 Nursing Theories and Non-Nursing Theories When you hear non-nursing theory you might think this type of theory just wasn’t good enough to become a nursing theory. However, that’s not true. Non-nursing theories are just as important as nursing theories, but they are weren’t created for patient care, however, they are a useful tool when caring for patients. The non-nursing theory and nursing theory that I believe I use most often while caring for patients is Florence Nightingale’s Environmental Theory and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Even though there are parts of each theory that make them unique they work together in many different ways. In this paper I will explain each theory and then describe the similarities and differences between the two, as well as explain how I use pieces of each theory when caring for my patients. Florence Nightingale is considered to be the pioneer of nursing theories. Her Environmental Theory set the tone for other theorists to better examine their patients and their surroundings to see how little things like temperature and sound could affect their health. This theory is her most well-known theory and it is about how the patient’s environment can greatly affect their health. She believed that the force for healing resides within the human being and that if, the environment is appropriately supportive, humans will seek to heal themselves (George, 2011). What this means for nurses is that the patient’s health relies on us being aware of things like temperature of the room, what the patient is eating, how much they are eating, and lighting in the room, to name just a few. She believed there were 13 concepts that could impact the patient’s health. They are ventilation and warming, health of houses (pure air, pure water, efficient drainage, cleanliness and light), petty management, noise, variety, taking food, what food, bed and bedding, light, cleanliness of rooms and walls, personal cleanliness, chattering hopes and advices, and observation of the sick (Nightingale, 1980, originally 1860). This theory This study source was downloaded by from CourseH on :56:36 GMT -05:00 This study resource was shared via CourseH THEORIES 3 impacts me the most because it’s easy to manipulate a patient’s environment, yet it takes skill to be able to observe the patient especially when they can’t fend for themselves. I work in the Operating Room and once the patient enters the room they are asleep for ninety-five percent of the time, which means they can’t fend for themselves. I have to pay attention to the patient throughout the procedure because I need to be able to recognize changes in their temperature and changes with their vital signs. When you go back to read what her theory’s concepts consisted of, at any point did you see observe patient’s vital signs? Probably not. However, paying attention to the patient’s vital sign is pertinent to how they are responding to their environment. If their blood pressure increases it could mean a lot of different things, but if nothing is being done as far as procedure wise then what could it possibly be? It could be pain or they could be stimulated. If its pain it could be from the bedding bunched up in an uncomfortable position under the patient or maybe they are laying on top of something that is hurting them that could be removed. If it’s due to stimulation it could be because the lighting in the Operating Room is bothering them while they are still awake or it could be the noise in the Operating Room. Shapiro and Baland (1972), define noise in the Operating Room as “third pollution”. This is why it’s vital to the patient’s health to keep all side conversations to a minimum. The benefit of this theory is it can be used in all patient care settings not only in the operating room. Another theorist who cared a great deal about the patient’s environment was Abraham Maslow. He believed that people are motivated to achieve certain needs and that some needs take precedence over others (Maslow, 1943). His model was created with a tiered system in mind, in that people must first reach a certain goal in the lowest tier before continuing up the ladder. This model originally consisted of just five levels, however more levels were added since the 1970’s. The original five tiers were (lowest to highest): physiological needs (water, food, This study source was downloaded by from CourseH on :56:36 GMT -05:00 This study resource was shared via CourseH THEORIES 4 warmth, rest), safety needs, belongingness and love needs, esteem needs, and finally selfactualization (McLeod, 2016). If we take a closer look at the first tier you will see very similar concepts to Florence Nightingale’s Environmental Theory. Maslow believed this tier to be the most important level for people to accomplish. As an operating room nurse Maslow’s theory of meeting a patient’s physiological needs is important for us to be aware of because we, as nurses, of course want a patient to reach self-actualization, but in order to do so they must successfully meet each goal in each tier. When a patient first arrives in the hospital the first few things we do is make sure the patient receives enough fluids, nutrients, and rest. Then moving into meeting safety needs we do this by providing the patient with privacy and working on gaining their trust. Once we have the first two tiers completed we are better able to work on the patient’s psychological needs. When we arrive at the self-actualization tier the patient’s health begins to improve and is ready to begin the process of being discharged from the hospital. Selfactualization is when the patient is better able to accomplish goals they have set for themselves. Maslow’s description of self-actualization: it refers to the person’s desire for self-fulfillment, namely, to the tendency for him to become actualized in what he is potentially. The specific form that these needs will take will of course vary greatly from person to person (McLeod, 2016). As nurses we need to understand there will sometimes be days that the patient will regress back to a previous tier. In the beginning one might feel like they are starting back at the bottom of the tier system, but as you grow and heal you can begin to not worry as much about the bottom tiers and worry more about your own self-esteem for instance. Each theory can be used in patient care whether or not it’s labeled as nursing theory or non-nursing theory. Each theory has bits and pieces we can use in our care of patients. You may see yourself using one theory more often than another but that doesn’t mean the other is not as This study source was downloaded by from CourseH on :56:36 GMT -05:00 This study resource was shared via CourseH THEORIES 5 important as well. Nightingale isn’t as concerned necessarily with the security of the patient like Maslow is and Maslow worries more about the patients physiological needs then Nightingale does. When one use pieces of each theory we are better able to heal the whole patient versus only the physical side or only the physiological side. Each is just as important as the other. This study source was downloaded by from CourseH on :56:36 GMT -05:00 This study resource was shared via CourseH THEORIES 6 References George, J. B. (2011). Nursing theories: the base of professional nursing practice. (6th e.d.). New Jersey: Pearson. Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370-96. McLeod, S. A. (2016). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Retrieved from Nightingale, F. (1980, originally published in 1860). Notes on nursing, what it is and what it is not. Edinburgh, UK: Churchill Livingstone. Shapiro R. & Baland, T. (1972). Noise in the operating room. N. England J. Med, 287, p. 1236- 1237. This study source was downloaded by from CourseH on :56:36 GMT -05:0