The nursing profession is a unique undertaking since it has the concept of care at the center of it. Most of the individuals who join this profession do so since they feel that they need to offer the patients all the care they need to achieve improved health outcomes. There are several nursing theories that guide nursing professionals in this pursuit. Some of the major theories that emphasize the importance of care are Orems’ self-care deficit theory and Watson's theory of acre. These two theories place patient care at the center of nursing practice. The nurse who applies the concepts of these two theories will help improve the health outcomes of their patients.
Tenets of Watson's Theory of Care
This theory, which was developed by Jean Watson, emphasizes that the essence of the nursing profession lies within caring for the patients. According to the theory, the nurse has the role of creating an enhancing environment, which promotes the healing process. Essentially the nurse is called upon to take into consideration the harmonization of all of the patient’s mental, social, spiritual, and physical aspects to facilitate healing (Pajnkihar, McKenna, Štiglic, & Vrbnjak, 2017). This holistic approach to patients cares help to promote the patient’s self-healing, self-knowledge, self-reference, and healing. Watson's theory of care rides on four major concepts namely health, human being, society, and environment. All of these concepts must be enhanced if the patient is to get the best out of the nursing process. Of importance is the fact that Watson's theory of care calls for the creation of a nursing environment, which allows for interpersonal relationships.
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The patient must be given much freedom and autonomy in deciding the best actions for themselves. Giving patients the freedom to choose their medical care options is considered one of the most efficient ways of empowering the patient who is at the center of the nursing profession (Roussel, 2016). The nurses should create an avenue for self-disclosure, which is vital in developing strong and trusting relationships with the patients. This self-disclosure points to the fact that patients cannot be healed as mere objects but as part of their environment. In this case, the nurse must apply scientific, ethical, and personal practices, which helps the patients more comfortable while easing their symptoms.
The Tenets of Orem's Self-Care Deficit Theory
This theory was developed by Dorothea Orem insists that people are distinct individuals who should be self-reliant in determining and being responsible for their care. This theory further asserts that nursing is a form of action as the nurses interact with the patients to help in improving their healthcare outcomes. However, for the patients to have self-care behaviors, which are prerequisite in improving healthcare outcomes, they must have knowledge of the potential health problems (Malekzadeh, Amouzeshi, & Mazlom, 2018). According to this theory, individuals learn of these self-care behaviors in a socio-cultural context. What this means is the fact that patients must be active members while making crucial healthcare decisions which will affect them directly. Following this realization, the nursing professionals should create an avenue, which helps the patients to make their own informed healthcare decisions.
The theory of self-care emphasizes on the activities that an individual begin and performs on their own with an aim of maintaining health, life, and self-care. The theory establishes that individuals have the ability to engage in self-care but this ability is rooted in their life experiences, age, health, social-cultural orientation, and the available resources. In achieving the objectives of self-care, the nursing professional become facilitators who ensure that the patients are in a position to initiate and continues with self-care away from the healthcare institutions (Malekzadeh, Amouzeshi, & Mazlom, 2018). Overall, the patients must attain what Orem refers to as the activities of daily living (ADLs). The ADLs are about maintaining sufficient intake if food, air water as well as the provision of elimination services and processes. Moreover, the patients should be helped to achieve a balance between rest, social interaction, and solitude, which enhance human functioning. Finally, the patients should be free from hazards, which may come in the way of achieving good health and overall well-being.
Implementing the Watson Theory of Care and Orem's Self-Care Deficit Theory in Nursing Practice
The Watsons theory of care and Orem’s self-care deficit theory can be implemented in any healthcare institution that is keen on improving the health outcomes of its patients. This is the case with Coffeyville Regional Medical Center (CRMC), which is a licensed healthcare center with a capacity of 44 beds. The patients here can be helped to realize that they are at the center of the healthcare process and their decisions matter. Essentially, the process of ensuring that the patients understand their role starts at the admission point and goes on even after the patient is discharged (Roussel, 2016). As a nurse who works in infection prevention, compliance, risk management, and quality improvement aspects, I am guided by these two theories. I usually help all the patients I interact with to understand that we deal with the whole person and not the health aspect. I make efforts to create personal interactions with my patients so that I can understand them more. Over the years, I have helped the clients to be more aware of their needs by creating an enhancing environment. In doing this, I endeavor to involve their friends and relatives who will spend more time with the patient once they are discharged. This trend is applied in Coffeyville Regional Medical Centre where I work. The fact that this entre has limited bed capacity means that most patients are discharged before they get full recovery. The nurses are then encouraged to conduct follow-up to ensure that the patents can manage to take care of themselves with the assistance of the nurses. These efforts have seen most of the patient report improved health care outcomes, which have been associated with an insistence on self-care and patient-nurse cooperation and interactions.
References
Malekzadeh, J., Amouzeshi, Z., & Mazlom, S. R. (2018). A quasi‐experimental study of the effect of teaching Orem's self‐care model on nursing students’ clinical performance and patient satisfaction. Nursing Open, 5(3), 70–375.
Pajnkihar, M., McKenna, H. P., Štiglic, G., & Vrbnjak, D. (2017). Fit for Practice: Analysis and Evaluation of Watson’s Theory of Human Caring. Nursing Science Quarterly, 30(3), 243-252.
Roussel, L. (2016). Management and leadership for nurse administrators (7th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
