Health Promotion Model

Nola J Pender’s Health Promotion Model (HPM) increases the nursing profession to identify and understand the significant factors of health behaviors as a foundation for behavioral counseling to promote healthy lifestyles. Her theory’s purpose and goal is to assist nurses in helping patient’s pinpoint health risks, as well as valuable practices, in order to actively support patients. Assessing and collaboratively identifying which behaviors will result in reaching optimum health. The model helps to recognize steps a patient can take to follow optimal self-care to enhance health. Pender's HPM model centers on three areas which include the individual characteristics and experiences, behavior-specific cognitions and affect, and behavioral outcomes (2012).

Currently my practice consists of working in critical care. I work with patients whose focus is mainly based on cardiac and pulmonary diseases. Many patients, based on thorough, individualized assessments, have a unique personal outlook of care, treatment and functionality. Some of these characteristics can be directly related to life choices, including, but not limited to, lack of preventative care, poor nutrition choices and exercise regimes and the improper use of medications which have added to their cardiovascular and pulmonary disease processes. Reading her theory, I see how I can effectively integrate her model within my practice.
Understanding and incorporating the three key concepts allows definite knowledge into how patient’s behavior directly correlates with their own health and well being. Consistently within my practice, I am viewing behaviors and recognizing those cues as how to direct the care provided by the complete health a team. Establishing a plan of care based on the behaviors and cognition of a patient highly enhances motivation towards health promotion