Nursing Theories and Patient Care

Study Notes

Guide nursing care to improve patient outcomes
Provide a framework for nurses to understand the relationship between the patient, environment, health, and nursing care
Indicate the direction of nursing development in the future
Differentiate the focus of nursing from other professions

Clinical Practice: Provide a framework for nurses to understand the relationship between the patient, environment, health, and nursing care
Nursing Education: Foundation of nursing program, serves as the foundation for curriculum development, teaching methodologies, and others
Nursing Research: Theoretical framework, guides research questions and hypotheses, and informs practice implications

Defined nursing as "the unique function of the nurse is to assist the individual, sick or well, in the performance of those activities contributing to health or its recovery"
Focused on individual's ability to function independently as 14 components

Self-care theory, individuals perform on their own behalf to maintain life, health, and optimum level of functioning
Ability to live life to the fullest with the capacity to maintain life through self-care

Code of Ethics: guides professionals on how to approach problems
Competencies and Professional License: must pass a national license examination to demonstrate qualification to practice nursing
Autonomy and Independence of Practice: need to be recognized by other disciplines as having practitioners who practice nursing independently
Professional Identity and Development: nurses are fully committed to the profession of nursing and dedicated to its future development

Provides service with respect for dignity of man, unrestricted by considerations of nationality, race, creed, color, or status
Quality of a Nurse as a care provider: Caring, Communication Skill, Empathy, Attention to details, Problem-solving skill, Stamina, Patient advocacy, Willing to learn

Objective: enable all citizens to obtain healthcare services when needed, and the services must be cost-effective and meet certain established standards of quality
Basic Components: Financing, Insurance, Delivery, Payment
Financing: private-employer base, may cover spouse, children, and parents
Insurance: determines the package of health services the insured individual entitled to receive
Delivery: provision of healthcare services by various providers
Payment: reimbursement to providers for service delivered, patient may need to pay small amount of money when seeing the physician