Florence Nightingale commands respect in nursing as the first nursing theorist. She came up with the environmental theory which is still influential to nursing today. She developed the theory out of the belief that the patient’s environment had an enormous influence on the nursing outcomes.
The major components of her theory are pure water, pure air, efficient drainage, noise, light, cleanliness, food and nutrition, variety, bed and bedding and personal cleanliness (Awalkhan & Muhammad, 2017). These are aspects of the environment which according to Nightingale could be manipulated to provide a patient with the best conditions physical and psychological that can facilitate the return to health. For instance, the patient’s room should be kept clean, they should have fresh air and well-controlled temperatures, and they should have adequate natural light and as minimal noise as possible. Patient bedding should be clean and change regularly, patients and nurses should wash their hands frequently, and the patient should be given right amounts of nutritious meals. The construction of the hospital environment should account for all these environmental factors (Medeiros, Enders, & Lira, 2015).
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The theory is congruent with my nursing philosophy. My nursing philosophy focuses on holistic nursing and strongly encourages adoption of solutions and approach to living the facilitate recovery it also encourages preventive health. All the aspects are achievable through manipulation of the patient’s environment to prevent disease as well as facilitate recovery from disease. For instance, adequate nutrition is a critical component in managing patient with chronic illnesses. Proper nutrition can help halt and sometimes reverse chronic illnesses. A clean nursing environment, on the other hand, protect the patient from developing additional illnesses and also prevents them from spreading illnesses to other patients patient in healthcare settings.
The environment t has a hand in all aspects of patient care, and thus Florence Nightingale’s environmental theory goes hand in hand with my nursing philosophy of providing the patient with the best conditions possible that can enable them to thrive and recover.
References
Awalkhan, A., & Muhammad, D. (2017). Application of Nightingale Nursing Theory to the Care of Patient with Colostomy. European Journal of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, 2 (6), 97-101. doi: 10.11648/j.ejcbs.20160206.17
Medeiros, A. B., Enders, B. C., & Lira, A. L. B. D. (2015). The Florence Nightingale’s Environmental Theory: A Critical Analysis. Escola Anna Nery, 19 (3). http://dx.doi.org/10.5935/1414-8145.20150069
