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Evaluation of comfort theory
Importance of comfort in nursing
Importance of comfort in nursing
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I. Introduction with a brief summary of the theory
Kolcaba 's Theory of Comfort was first developed in the 1990s. This is a theory and has the potential to place comfort in the forefront of health-care. Comfort is a basic need. The model; comfort is an immediate desirable outcome of nursing care. The environment is any aspect of the patient, family, or institutional surroundings that can be manipulated by a nurse or loved one in order to enhance comfort. Health is considered to be optimal functioning in the patient, as defined by the patient, group, family, or community. Comfort can occur for the patient as physical, psycho-spiritual, environmental, and socio-cultural. Malinowski, A., & Stamler, L. (2002).
II. Discuss why this theory was chosen I chose this theory because as a nurse, I believe for the patient to begin healing they need to have comfort. The body, mind and soul. The concept of comfort being a basic human need and to be pursued by all
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al.’s, (2009). Another advantage according to (Dennis, et. al.’s, (2010). research findings indicate that quiet time in a chaotic, noisy neuro-intensive care unit can create an atmosphere of healing and recuperation. The “quiet time” intervention has not yet been studied in the emergency department. A quiet time protocol was derived from comfort theory to promote comfort across the contexts of care. A patient 's sleep, which is essential for multiple physiological and psychological processes. Numerous mechanical devices as well as hospital routines and procedures can significantly impair a patient 's ability to sleep. Sleep deprivation has been linked to rising incidence of patient falls, confusion, and increased use of medication and restraints (Mazer,
Delirium in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) has become a genuine phenomenon and can be problematic for the patient and the staff caring for them. Delirium occurs when a patient is placed in an unfamiliar environment and has to endure the stress of not just the hospitalization but the stimuli of the environment, which can cause disturbances in consciousness. Patients can become confused, anxious, and agitated; making this difficult for the staff to correctly diagnosis and care for them. Sleep deprivation and environmental factors along with neurotransmitters are strongly related to the occurrence of ICU delirium. ICU staff needs to become more educated on prevention, detection, and proper treatment for the patient experiencing this condition.
Katherine Kolcaba is a nursing theorist who developed the Theory of Comfort in 1990. It is a “middle range theory for health practice, education and research” (Kolcaba, 2011) with a focus on comfort. The three forms of comfort that Kolcaba describes are relief, ease and transcendence. It is these terms that my organization utilizes in documentation of pain and comfort in the electronic health record.
Every person’s needs must be recognized, respected, and filled if he or she must attain wholeness. The environment must attuned to that wholeness for healing to occur. Healing must be total or holistic if health must be restored or maintained. And a nurse-patient relationship is the very foundation of nursing (Conway et al 2011; Johnson, 2011). The Theory recognizes a person’s needs above all. It sets up the conducive environment to healing. It addresses and works on the restoration and maintenance of total health rather than only specific parts or aspect of the patient’s body or personality. And these are possible only through a positive healing relationship between the patient and the nurse (Conway et al, Johnson).
Depending on the situation, determines what type of nursing concept you would need to focus your time on, though this one was one of the most suitable for my patient situation. I feel as if I will use this nursing concept a lot in my practice considering I am working as a registered practical nurse now in the hospital setting and planning on continuing to stay in the hospital setting when I become a registered nurse. Recovery can be a long process, though it is usually a process that starts in a acute care hospital. This will benefit me practicing as a future registered nurse by assessing the situation with using the two nursing care models, as well as the nursing care theory that I researched, learned, and
Family centred care and comfort care theory both work for the well being of patient. Family centred care focus to work with family while providing care for the sick child. Family and pediatric staff works in collaboration to make care plan that works the best for sick child (Coyne, O'Neill, Murphy, & Costello, 2011). Similarly, comfort care theory focus on child’s physical, psychospiritual, sociocultural, and environmental aspects. “When comfort needs are addressed in one context, total comfort is enhanced in the remaining context” (Kolcaba & Dimarco, 2005, p. 190). When nurses apply comfort care theory, it is to achieve holistic care of sick children by focusing on all aspects (Kolcaba
This article has shown me that new strategies are needed to reduce sleep disturbances, improve sleep quality, and support the need for supplemental daytime sleep in hospitalized individuals. These strategies include monitoring patients’ sleep and assess quality of sleep and duration, resolving the problems of sleep disturbance, recognizing that nighttime noise, light, and other factors potentially interfere with patient sleep, minimize lighting in shared patient rooms and turn off lights earlier at night, frequently assess for pain and administer prescribed pain medications to minimize sleep disruption. This article taught me more about sleep cycles and disturbances in hospitalized patients. As a future nurse, I have to accurately assess the patients’ personal characteristics and health education needs, and share this knowledge with my classmates.
One theorist named Jean Watson, her focus was to build trusting relationships so they could work together to provide the best nursing care. She wanted the patients to voice their concerns of any health issue arising or another concern. All of this while having a professional relationship and never acting
Does the theory have broad application or is the application only confined within a narrow focus? This theory can be applied to all areas of nursing because all patients experience a form of uncertainty when health is not
I believe people are connected beings with fundamental pride and values. To appropriately care for a person, the patient must be considered as a whole package. In order to do this, the person’s physical, social, psychological, cultural, spiritual, and aspects of their life must be considered when creating a plan of care. Environment can be defined as “the aggregate of surrounding things, conditions, or influences; surrounding and the social and cultural forces that shape the life of a person or a population,” (n.d.). A person’s environment is such a large part of their life and such an influencing factor on their day-to-day decisions. Their environment includes their socio-economic status (can they afford their prescriptions? Is the test that’s being run really necessary or an undue burden on them financially?), demographics (what is their understanding of health? What are their religious beliefs? what are their race/are they more susceptible to certain conditions?), access of to health care (do they drive/have transportation? Do they have health insurance?), and social support (are they alone? Do they have too much support with too many opinions?). As a nurse, one must always know a person is in continuous contact with their environment and the stress that come along with it. An appropriate and relaxing environment can impact a patient’s adherence to their medications and treatments and reduce their recovery time. The third concept on which I based my philosophy is health, which is the absence of illness. As a nurse and/or practitioner, it is important to focus on the patient’s main health complaint as well as any associated symptoms, needs, and overall wellness of the patient. Nursing is the promotion, deterrence of sickness and harm, protection, optimization of wellbeing and abilities; and advocacy in the care of individuals, populations, communities,
There are three types of nursing theories, when it comes patient well-being all three types
Nursing behaviors that improve patient comfort are as simple as positioning and repositioning, knowing patients special comfort habits, and advocating for family presence (Kolcaba & DiMarco, 2005). It is important to use a measurement tool to assess comfort and remember to reassess for a positive outcome or plan a new intervention. Comfort is associated with the pursuit of healthy behavior, increased patient satisfaction, and better cost-benefit ratios (Kolcaba & DiMarco, 2005). Although Watson’s caring model is a broad philosophy that applies to nursing practice in general, nurses utilizing this theory would find Kolcaba’s middle-range comfort theory aligns well within the framework those
Participant 4 stated, “I think just basically being there for the family as well…I think even just a cup of tea can go a long way with any family (McCallum & McConigley, 2013). Another theory that intertwines with Watson’s is Barbara Dossey’s Theory of Integral Nursing. Dossey articulates, “Healing is not predictable, it is not synonymous with curing but the potential for healing is always present even until one’s last breath,” (Parker and Smith, 2015, p. 212). Dossey believes that integral nursing is a comprehensive way to organize different situations in fours perspectives (nurse, health, person and environment) of reality with the nurse as an instrument in the healing process by bringing his or her whole self into a relationship with another whole self. In the HDU, the RN’s interacted with each patient while providing high quality care to create a healing environment for the patient and family even when their prognosis was otherwise. Patient 3 specified that “We still have to provide care...and make the family feel that they are comfortable and looked after” (McCallum & McConigley, 2013). These theories ultimately show the importance of a nurse through the aspects of caring to create and maintain a healing environment that is not only beneficial to the patient but to their loved ones as
Nursing theory is, “the principle that underpin practice and help to generate further nursing knowledge” (Colley, 2003, p. 33). Nursing theory is important in nursing practice. The two theorists that are relevant to my nursing practice are Florence Nightingale and Hildegard Peplau. Florence Nightingale theory was about the patient having a clean and healing environment (Smith & Park, 2015, p. 51). The theory that Hildegard Peplau created was the importance of nurse-patient relationships (Smith & Park, 2015, p. 68). Both of these theories put the patient’s safety and care first. When I am at work I try to form a healthy and healing relationship with all my patients. I also make sure the environment that they are in is conducive to healing, it is hard to do that sometime working in the emergency room. Sometimes it is the little things that a nurse can do for a patient that will make all the difference. Taking both of these theories into
Nursing theory can be applied to resolve nursing problems or issues, irrespective of the field of practice. A nursing theory benefits nurses and the patients that are in his or her charge. . Depending on the issue or problem that is needed to be solved determines what theory needs to be used. Nursing theory started with Florence Nightingale. She believed that a clean environment would promote better health. Virginia Henderson’s need theory emphasizes the need to ensure that the patient’s independence is being increased while in a health care facility. Ensuring that a patient can increase his or her independence allows for them to experience better outcomes upon discharge home. This is just two examples of nursing theories that were used
Comfort is important to caring in nursing because it is the nurse 's job to try and help the patient feel at ease and be pain free.