Metaparadigm as Related to the Theory of Comfort free essay sample

My Metaparadigm as Related to the Theory of Comfort Introduction Practicing as a nurse, I realize I follow my own metaparadigm of nursing. In this paper, I relate my own personal beliefs with that of a popular nursing theorist. Though my research on theory is just beginning, I feel my metaparadigm most relates to that of Katharine Kolcaba and her theory of comfort. I will seek to illustrate my philosophy with the knowledge and nursing experience I have. Origin of Theory The idea of comfort and theory started to develop as early 1859, with Florence Nightingale.This inspiration continued to progress with other theorists such as Ida Jean Orlando and Virginia Henderson. Katherine Kolcaba is a newer middle range theorist. She started her career as a nurse on a dementia unit, where the aspect of the importance of comfort was first idealized. She continued her career as a professor, and is still, to this day teaching nursing theory at a university near Cleveland. We will write a custom essay sample on Metaparadigm as Related to the Theory of Comfort or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The highpoint of her profession, was in 1991, when she published her theory whereas comfort was the ultimate goal.In 1994, Katherine and her husband ultimately tested this theory in an intervention study (Dowd, 2010). The theory of comfort was originally intended for a patient/family centered model. According to Kolcaba’s theory, the more comfortable a patient and/or family are, the more willing they are to welcome health and healing. This theory was then applied to nurses in their profession. The more comfortable a nurse was the more satisfied and effective they are regarding their own profession (Kolcaba, Tilton, Drouin, 2006).There are 3 types of comfort as defined by Kolcaba (2003), â€Å"(a) relief-the state of having a specific comfort needs met; (b) ease- the state of calm or contentment; (c) transcendence- the state in which one can rise above problems or pain. † Kolcaba’s Metapardigm The nursing metaparadigm consists of nursing, person, environment, and health. Nursing is defined as the interventions of the nurse in their practice for the patient. For Kolcaba, this indicates an assessment of a client’s level of comfort and needs. Person is the recipient of nursing care. The person relating to the theory of comfort includes individuals, families, institutions, or communities. The environment is any external or internal aspect of a person’s life. Any feature of the patient, family, or community’s surroundings that may influence one’s comfort is how Kolcaba defines environment. Finally, health is generally described as a person’s level of wellness. The comfort theory identifies health as the most favorable level of functioning as termed by the person, family, health care provider, or institution (Dowd, 2010). My MetapardigmDeveloping my personal metaparadigm began with me asking myself questions, such as, â€Å"what does nursing mean to me? † In researching theory more and more, I have found my personal philosophy has many similarities to Kolcaba’s metapardigm. Person, to me, would be defined as the patient and family I am caring for. The person requires unique assistance in their illness, while keeping in mind their different needs based upon their own culture, religion, and goals. Each person is distinct in that one person’s level of comfort is different from the next family I will be taking care of.I consider health as a state of wellness. With this, I bear in mind that each person’s idea of wellness may differ from the next. For example, a diabetic may consider his diabetes being under control and healthy when his blood sugar is under 200, while my idea of a healthy diabetic would be keeping their blood sugar within an 80-120 range. Each client has a different comfort level related to their own illness. Environment is one’s physical surroundings including a client’s home, support system, job, finances, living conditions, and social influences. The environment of each person definitely affects how they cope with situations and is imperative to consider and assess in each patient. Lastly, nursing are the interactions between nurse and patient/family. This includes a thorough assessment of patient’s needs and goals. In my assessment, I develop what I feel would make this patient and family most comfortable. Small tasks, such as making sure the thermostat to their room is set at a desirable temperature, or showing them how to use the telephone so they can communicate with their own support system needs to be taken into consideration.Educating each patient about the bigger issues with their health is also a priority and assessing their most desirable method of learning to reach ultimate goals is vital. Conclusion Assessing what each patient thinks is comfortable, as described by the theory of comfort, is intertwined with my own nursing philosophy. Research of Katherine Kolcaba’s theory has made me develop and realize how an ultimate goal of comfort is a simple way to summarize my own metapardigm. Comfort is a basic need that encompasses person, environment, health, and nursing.