The virtue of nursing: the covenant of care.
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It is argued that the current confusion about the role and purpose of the British nurse is a consequence of the modern rejection and consequent fragmentation of the inherited nursing tradition. The nature of this tradition, in which nurses were inducted into the moral virtues of care, is examined and its relevance to patient welfare is demonstrated. Practical suggestions are made as to how this moral tradition might be reappropriated and reinvigorated for modern nursing. (+info)
Cardiorespiratory nurses' perceptions of palliative care in nonmalignant disease: data for the development of clinical practice.
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Nurses lack a comprehensive body of scientific knowledge to guide the palliative care of patients with nonmalignant conditions. Current knowledge and practice reveal that nurses in many instances are not well prepared to deal with death and dying. Focus groups were used in an exploratory study to examine the perceptions of palliative care among cardiorespiratory nurses (n = 35). Content analysis was used to reveal themes in the data. Four major themes were found: (1) searching for structure and meaning in the dying experience of patients with chronic disease, (2) lack of a treatment plan and a lack of planning and negotiation, (3) discomfort in dealing with death and dying, and (4) lack of awareness of palliative care philosophies and resources. The information derived from this sample of cardiorespiratory nurses represents a complex interplay between personal, professional, and organizational perspectives on the role of palliative care in cardiorespiratory disease. The results of the study suggest a need for nurses to be equipped on both an intellectual and a practical level about the concept of palliative care in nonmalignant disease. (+info)
An examination of the self-care concept uncovers a new direction for healthcare reform.
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The concept of self-care is multidimensional, with many defining elements. This paper describes the origin of this comprehensive concept. It examines the response of the nursing discipline to citizen self-care initiatives and the subsequent effects this response has had on the development of nursing knowledge. The evolution of self-care as a core concept within Canadian health policy is presented; the potential readiness fo citizens to accept self-care as an aspect of healthcare delivery is explored, identifying potential benefits and obstacles. The paper concludes with a proposed self-care approach to healthcare reform in Canada and the subsequent influence this approach may have on the discipline of nursing. The congruency between a self-care healthcare delivery system and the theoretical foundations and perspective of healthcare delivery held by the nursing discipline is discussed. The role nurses might assume in shaping a self-care healthcare delivery system is delineated. (+info)
Reframing person-centered nursing care for persons with dementia.
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Alzheimer's dementia manifests in a complex clinical presentation that has been addressed from both biomedical and phenomenological perspectives. Although each of these paradigmatic perspectives has contributed to advancement of the science, neither is adequate for theoretically framing a person-centered approach to nursing care. The need-driven dementia-compromised behavior (NDB) model is discussed as an exemplar of midrange nursing theory that promotes the integration of these paradigmatic views to promote a new level of excellence in person-centered dementia care. Clinical application of the NDB promotes a new level of praxis, or thoughtful action, in the care of persons with dementia. (+info)
The Individual and Family Self-Management Theory: background and perspectives on context, process, and outcomes.
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Environmentally safe health care agencies: nursing's responsibility, Nightingale's Legacy.
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Florence Nightingale and subsequent nurse scholars have written about the impact of the environment on human health. Nightingale described, and staked out, the nurse's role in optimizing environments for healing. Since Nightingale's time numerous scholars have documented that environmental conditions play a major role in the health of individuals and populations. As nurses become more informed about the environment as a determinant of human health, they will be able to advocate more effectively for environmental conditions that promote health. This article provides both theoretical and practical perspectives to integrate environmental concerns into nursing practice. It recommends specific actions nurses can undertake to improve the environment within the health care setting. In particular the article provides a historical review of an environmental focus in nursing, discusses ways to manage both upstream waste and downstream waste (solid, biohazard, and hazardous chemical wastes) so as to decrease environmental pollution, and recommends specific nursing actions to promote a healthy environment within our health care agencies. (+info)