Concept Synthesis on Personal Nursing Philosophy

Autobiography

My name is Hope Arcuri . I reside in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. I have been in home health care with my experience spanning. over 15 years. I have participated in every role as a nurse in home health. I prefer this field because offering health care to patients at the comfort of their homes is when I feel that I have made the greatest impact to members of my community.

By taking up this course, I hope to improve my knowledge and experience from the educational material I acquire from this class so I can expand my ability to provide more information to my patients. I am looking forward to learning on an advanced practice level. I hope to accomplish several objectives while attending this course. I am also hoping to complete all the assignments and readings without difficulty. Upon completion of the ARNP program I wish to continue my practice in Home Health where my love for the field can continue by caring for my community.

I hope my experience in home health as a field nurse will give me an advantage because I’m exposed to a wide spread of different diagnosis and pharmaceuticals daily. Completing this course will increase my knowledge base and allow me to teach my patients more effectively during my one-on-one patient visits in their homes.

The Four Metaparadigms of Nursing

Nursing, being a professional discipline requires that patients be provided with high quality and personalized health care services so as to meet their personal needs. To achieve this, my services have been based on four meta paradigms. These paradigms are the universal guide for those in the nursing profession.

These four paradigms include; person which is considered to be the most important, the patient’s health status, environment, and the nursing practice. These four components act as a universal basis for the nursing profession and must be put into consideration or refer to when making clinical decisions (Eckberg & Hill, 1979).

Different scholars have formulated different theories on nursing while offering different perspectives on how each of the four paradigms affects the patient’s well-being and health status.

In this paper however, I discuss each paradigm according to my understanding and experience while describing how each of the paradigms relate to the profession and the patient’s well-being.

1. The Person

The personal paradigm puts an emphasis on the various aspects that make up a person. These includes one’s spiritual, social and healthcare needs. Social needs include family ties and interactions with others who also play a crucial role in one’s life. One’s health status will be determined by one’s physical and social aspects. Roger’s theory explains that the development of an individual is based on three principles; resonance, helicy and integrality (Rodgers 1992). The person component has also been described to be a harmonious unity of the mind, body, and nature. Henderson’s philosophy explains that one who is receiving healthcare is made up of social, spiritual, physiological and biological aspects.

The experience acquired through my years in home healthcare provision show that the integrity of a person’s aspects does affect one’s health and well-being. Individuals who may be stress or experiencing low self-esteem may take longer to recover or even respond differently to treatment. Such patients therefore require a holistic treatment approach to ensure that the patient is at ease by harmonizing their different aspects as a person. With the realization that each patient is different, one can therefore offer personalized treatment approaches which improve the patient’s response to treatment.

2. The Environment

Interactions between an individual as a patient and the environment could also affect their health and well-being. These influences could either be from external factors on internal factors. Physical environmental factors are one’s geographical location. Others could be social, technological, cultural and economic factors all which make up the environment. Callista Roy’s model explains that environmental factors especially the earth’s resources could have a positive impact on a patient’s health by encouraging them to adapt appropriately to certain environmental aspects which we have no control over. Coping with the environment optimized an individual’s health thus improving their quality of life. This in turn translates to a more dignified death (Roy, 2009). In King’s model, human development is determined by their environment. One’s internal environment provides the energy to adapt to the external environment.

Going by this description, it is important that effective communication is established between my patient and I, thus ensuring that an agreement can be reached on the most suitable environment.

3. Health

Health can be generally described as the well-being of an individual. While one may be predisposed to certain conditions due to factors such as their genetic make-up, other interactions and exposure to certain factors which increase one’s risk of contracting a disease will determine whether you get a certain disease or not. During the asymptomatic stage of a disease, many patients may not perceive themselves as ill (Benner, 1999).

Individuals may have different coping mechanisms for stress or illness. It is therefore very important to understand the meaning of health. While some individuals may be ill, they may not be having a disease. Under such circumstances, I may use a placebo, a drug without any active therapeutic effect. If the illness is psychological, the placebo deceives my patient whose health eventually improves.

4. Nursing

This nursing metaparadigm revolves around offering quality health services thus optimizing the outcome. It also involves the action the healthcare services provided to the patient upon arrival at a health center, medical interventions as well as the approach the health provider takes including their attributes, and skill in making rational decisions.

Nurses are charged with the role of establishing interpersonal relationships with their patients while administering therapeutic intervention (Coward, 2010). The nursing profession is not only academics dependent but also heavily relies on taking approach. Nurses are required to employ evidence based critical thinking and decision making so that the method of treatment they employ is personalized and the most suitable for that particular patient.

As a home healthcare provider, my ability to offer quality services is dependent not only on professional training, but through personal relationships with my patients which give me a better understanding of my patients. This facilitates personalized healthcare services. Consultations which other healthcare professionals is also important as it allows one a different treatment perspective from equally or even more experienced healthcare professionals.

Practice Specific Concepts

A concept can be described as a mental formulation of how we perceive different things or situations. It is through concepts that theories are formulated.

1. Health Promotion

In relation to my experience having worked with patients who have been diagnosed with terminal illnesses. Terminal illnesses such as cancer often have a devastating effect. The cost involved in the diagnosis, transport to and from health centers to acquire treatment is quite significant. The financial burden experienced by individuals and those who are close to them can often be heavy. While most of these patients will not recover fully. We as healthcare professionals provide care with the aim of prolonging life and reduce the rate at which the diseases progresses. Nurses also work by motivating their patients and restoring their will to live instead of simply giving up since they are aware that their medical conditions have no cure.

As a medical professional, I may not administer medication or put them through medical procedures without their approval. Without involving them in decision making, it may not be adequate that what I recommend may help them in their recovery process or ease their pain. Procedures and hospital processes should therefore facilitate patient empowerment which would improve patient satisfaction of the services offered. Professionals should therefore take a goal-oriented approach when offering their services.

2. Evidence-based Practice

This involves e adoption of a practice that incorporates clinical know-how, patient values and evidence based on research. Patients will often accept recommendations made by health workers due to the level of trust that patients have for them. By using the most effective diagnostic and treatment methods, health professionals can arrive at correct diagnoses and choose the most effective treatment. This eliminates mistrust and any damage that may be caused in the case of a misdiagnosis or the use of ancient or inappropriate treatment methods. By investing in research in medical conditions as well as technological advancements we could formulate more accurate diagnostic methods and more effective treatment plans.

List of Propositions

• Personalized environmental factors play a crucial role to how a patient respond to treatment. This should be put into consideration.
• Trough positive self-image, and behavioral practices which promote good health, individuals can manage their own health.
• A healthy relationship between a patient and their healthcare provider is crucial and could affect the outcome of treatment. Nurses should therefore cultivate a healthy relationship with their patients
• Apart from clinical and medical intervention, various factors could affect one’s health. It is also important to understand tall these factors and how they affect one’s health. It is then that an effective treatment plan can be formulated.

Concept Synthesis on Personal Nursing Philosophy

My concept is based on the effect of the environment on patients and how they respond to treatment according to the environment. Patients will respond to treatment when at home when compared to individuals in other environmental setups. While a new environment encourages adaptation as highlighted by Roy (Roy, 2009), some patients may not be adaptable to other environments. This contributes to the patients’ unease and adds stress which may also interfere with treatment.

As highlighted, social aspects play an important role in one’s being. This is according to Henderson’s philosophy. Social interactions of a patients with individuals who play an important role will be enhanced when the patient is living at home compared to other areas where interaction which these individuals may be restricted.

In a study conducted by Brooks, et al 2017, social interactions play a crucial role in the recovery of individuals diagnosed with Severe Alcohol Use Disorder. Social interactions offer emotional support which contributes to the recovery process.

 

References

Alyssa T. Brooks, Miriammagaña, Lòpez Alexanraranucc, Michaelkrumlauf Gwenyth R. Wallen, (2017). A Qualitative Exploration of Social Support During Treatment for Severe Alcohol Use Disorder and Recovery. National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 10 Center Drive Room 2B09A1, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA

Henderson, V. (1966) The Nature of Nursing New York:Macmillan.

Fawcett, Jacqueline; DeSanto-Madeya, Susan (2013). Contemporary Nursing Knowledge. Analysis and evaluation of nursing models and theories. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company. p. 17.

Roy, C. (2009) The Roy adaptation model in Conceptual medel’ for Nursing Practice 2nd edn (eds Ridhl and Roy,C) New York:Appleton-Century-Crofts, p.179-188.

Eckberg, D., & Hill, L. (1979). The paradigm concept and sociology: A critical review. American Sociology Review, 44, 925-937.