The Importance of the Nursing Theory Today
In the nursing profession, care and compassion for the patient have always been any nurse’s number one priority. Decades of study- within the history of nursing, has ultimately proven this to be a common fact among those in the medical world. However, there was a time when nurse’s didn’t have as much control over patient care as they really needed. It’s one of the reasons why Nursing Theories are so important today.
The History of Nursing
Generations ago, there didn’t exist a basic nursing theory. Rather, there were nursing models that solely consisted of following concise doctors orders. In fact, there are still nursing models that are utilized today, with positive results. However, decades ago, no special needs of individual patients were ever taken into consideration-for the simple fact that the doctors had the main control over the patients care. Nurses, at this specific time were just augmenting a physicians dictated direction of care. This-of course does not imply that nurses did not provide high quality care to their patients. It’s dutifully pointing out that doctors had utter control over the needs of the patient. http://www.wapedia.mobi/en/Nursing_Theory)
The problem with many of these was the common, criticizing notion that none implemented any holistic form of practice for patient treatment. It was believed that a nursing model alone didn’t allow nurses to actually think out of the box. (http://www.wapedia.mobi/en/Nursing_Theory) These approaches forced nurses to follow a generic approach to caring for their patients. They didn’t allow for any exceptions because it was thought that patients under-going the same types of treatments, only needed one type of care. In today’s time this has been proven false as every patient is an individual and has unique needs. For instance, one patient’s tolerance to pain might be higher than another so the same level of pain med’s would vary. Needless to say though, when initial nursing models were the thing, no patient differed from the other. The same type of care was always given. It really wasn’t until the conception of holistic therapy that old beliefs were discarded and new ones were formed such as the nursing theory by Florence Nightingale. The Nightingale theory influenced the field of nursing for over 150 years and in fact helped shape nursing through the generations. (http://Wikipedia/wiki/Nursing_theory)
The Need for Nursing Theories Today
The reason that Nursing theories are so important today is because they helped move the nursing profession from one that was simply carrying out physicians orders to one today that has led nurses into utilizing their own individual beliefs. This has allowed nurses to become caretakers in their own rights. Nightingale today still influences the nurses occupation. It was her that helped bring the theory that by manipulating a patients environment, and life circumstances it would help bring a positive result to the patients over-all well being. Without the names of Madeleine Leininger, and Hildegard Peplautoday there would be no concern in recognizing cultural differences and those needs or the nurse-client relationship which helps to build trust and faith between the patient, the patients family and the care giving nurse.
Nursing theories have undoubtedly had a major impact in the quality of nursing care. They have actually helped mold the field of nursing practice today. Therefore if they were discarded, what type of care could a patient really expect? How much trust would exist between the patient, nurse and of course the primary physician? Nursing theories allow for multiple viewpoints within the realm of caring for an individual. This is a necessity in nursing. From theses multiple points of view, individual concepts in care emerge. Why dismiss theories that are obviously so essential in the medical world?
Reading on: The Nursing Process Steps and Characteristics
