In Focus: Faye Glenn Abdellah’s Patient-Centered Approaches

For years, the existence and acceptance of cargon for theories in several(predicate) settings and aspects of nurse rule has transformed the profession in diverse ship canal both here and abroad. The utilization of such theories has provided the nurse community with special(prenominal) friendship and ways to enhance and develop skills and attitudes of breast feeding nonrecreationals in the entrust of the profession. It has greatly helped in creating and sustaining our master independence from the field of feel for for by guiding our developmental system, research methods and practice towards safe and quality sustentation to long-sufferings (Marriner-Tomey, 1994 McLemore & Hill, 1965).The significance of studying nurse theories does not end with the benefits it may get along the profession in general. It besides helps an individual, either a student or a treat professional in several ways. An individual is adequate to(p) to develop critical thinking skills, commens urate to differentiate values and hypotheses and able to find out purpose of functions in relation to the scope of practice of the treat profession (Kozier, Erb, & Oliviere, 1995).In line with this, this paper attempts to analyze and evaluate a relevant nursing abstract pretence authored by a storied draw theorist Faye Glenn Abdellah, using the J. Fawcetts Frame proceed of Analysis and paygrade of Conceptual Models of Nursing.Influenced by Virginia Hendersons 14 principles of nursing, Maslows hierarchy of postulate and Erik Erickson stages of development, Abdellah formulated her structural model with the goal of teaching and evaluating students and at the very(prenominal) time emphasize the need to create a body of k instantaneouslyledge exclusive to our profession that will help in gaining independence from the give of the checkup professiontoward unhurried-centeredcargon (Sigma Theta Tau International comply night club of Nursing, 1998).Faye Glenn Abdellah authored the typology of 21 nursing puzzles which was initially published in the 1960 edition of Patient-Centered Approaches to Nursing. Since its initial appearance, the typology had study impact on the nursing profession as well as on the development of other nursing theories (Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, 1998).Abdellahs typology of 21 nursing problems is a conceptual model which describes the meaning(a) concerns of nursing instead of linking different relationships into phenomena. The conceptual model is mainly relate with patients necessarily and the role of nurses in problem acknowledgement using a problem-solving come. Abdellahs wager is classified under the nursing philosophy category in the sense that her work is base on analysis, rationalization, research and logical argument instead of using experiential methods. logically speaking,Abdellahs model can be described as inductive since she derived observations from previous studies which became the flat coat for her conceptualization. Philosophical accedements are state to be base on opinions, arguments or propositions of different people. These renderments are not experimental in nature because such statements based on goal, traditions and/or values cannot be tested for its correctness or wrongness (Marriner-Tomey, 1994).InanalyzingandevaluatingAbdellahstheory, herworkcannotbeseparatedfromthehistoricalbackgroundwheretheconceptualizationofthe21nursingproblemsstarted.Itwas inthe1950swhenthenursingprofessionfacedalotofdifficultiesarisingfromthe quick societal change and increasing demand for technological advancement. The methods and system use at that timedid not support and meet the demands of the rapid change consequently creating a backlog in the nursing community.There was a wish of definition of nursing its focus, scope and bourneations especially that wellness care delivery to patients is mainly based on achieving institutional goals rather than face-off patients needs. The present system did not dish out both the students and professionals in being attuned with the changes. Abdellah related this to the lack of scientific body of knowledge whimsical to the profession. That is wherefore the formulation of the theory differentiated the practice of nursing from the practice of medical specialty emphasizing focus on 21 nursing problems that help patient in achieving state of health (Marriner-Tomey, 1994).Abdellah used the problem-solving approach in formulating the theory. She believes that a nurse should be able to identify and solve problems of patients in coordinate to provide safe and quality care to patients. This appellative of nursing problems, endurance of data necessary to formulating and testing of interventions in assisting patient towards state of wellness closely resembles the nursing process. Abdellah pointed out that patients cannot receive quality care if the stairs are done improperly. In my opinion, Abdellahs approach is effective in the sense that the approach guarantees positive client response if the steps are specifically and carefully executed. This approach similarly improves a nursing professional skills and attitude by enhancing problem-solving abilities through identification of nursing problems in meeting the needs of the patient (Marriner-Tomey, 1994).Abdellahs model includes four (4) fundamental concepts indwelling to nursing somebody, environment, health and nursing. The first major concept is the person. The concept of person is described as people having physical, physiological and sociological needs. In her conceptual model, the person or patient is the main reason for the existence of nursing. However, this is preferably contradicting since the typology of 21 nursing problems lacks holism. The model entails that a person returns to an improved state only by resolving each problem identified by a nursing professional. It lacks holism in the sense that the patient or person wh ich, is considered as a whole is not greater than the quantity of it parts represented by his problems (Marriner-Tomey, 1994).Another major concept included in her theory is the concept of environment. This concept is the least conferredand least emphasized in her theory. This is mentioned limitedly in problem number 17. The model explains that the patient more very much than not interrelate and act in response to the environment. It also explains that the nurse is also a part of the patients environment thus the nurse takes responsibility in making the environment conducive for redress of health. Abdellah also states that environment is also the home and community from where the patient comes from that is wherefore Abdellah emphasized the need to broaden our scope in identifying problems and not limit our scope in the hospital setting (Potter & Perry, 1993).The third concept is health. Abdellah discussed health as a state without illness. It is defined as a state without unmet needs and no anticipated or actual impairment. This is clearly exemplified in the list of 21 nursing problems. Abdellah also advocates holistic approach to patient-centered care and furthering the relevance of environmental factors in the concept of health (Potter & Perry, 1993).The last major concept is nursing. The concept of nursing is an essential element of her writing. In her model, nursing is defined as provision of aid to individuals and families therefore to society. It is mainly providing service to or for the patient or providing information that will significantly assist the patient in restoring health and alleviating impairment. Abdellah therefore viewed nursing as a helping profession (Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, 1998)..Although Abdellahs work provided a comprehensive meaning of the four major concepts, there are no statements in Abdellahs writing that states any direct relationships among the four concepts. Each concept was only defined im plicitly and no relative statements can be made out of it. The model is mainly touch on on development of a unique body of knowledge, which is nursing, through which identification of nursing problems and utilization of the problem-solving approach assists patients in meeting their needs.The model is said to have limited concepts and is only presented in a structural list. by and by Abdellahs work has been published, her formulation of the 21 nursing problems has been a utile tool in the celestial orbits of nursing practice, nursing research and nursing education (Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, 1998).In our nursing practice, Abdellahs typology of 21 nursing problems has helped nursing professionals in dealing with patient care in an not bad(p) and well-structured manner. In using this typology, a nursing professional, with the problem-solving approach, is able to identify patients problems, plan for his care and utilise nursing interventions for the i dentified problem in a scientific manner.This problem-solving method has transformed our practice as we attempt to focus our attention to the client himself rather than focus on clients medical condition which is more of the objective of the medical profession. Nursing professionals have also learned and understood the rationale hindquarters each and every action we deliver to the client (Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, 1998).Abdellahs work has also provided significant changes in the area of nursing research as well since her work is basically based on research too. Many theories have been developed since the introduction of Abdellahs work. The present nursing diagnosis classification system is presumed to be an outset of this typology. This nursing philosophy continues to be a preferred basis of nursing studies at present (Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, 1998).Nursing education also benefited from Abdellahs work. As previously expla ined, there was a lack of scientific body unique to our profession that hindered our independence from the medical profession. Abdellahs work presented such unique body and gave the nursing profession a find to come out of the control of the medical model. Gaining professional autonomy has helped the nursing community project a professional identity that has been widely reliable all over the world (Potter & Perry, 1993).Abdellahs nursing philosophy brings round nursing activities that meet not only clients needs but of the society as well in the long ramble if each goal is carefully achieved through the problem-solving approach making this nursing philosophy socially significant. Abdellahs work is socially significant because the 21 nursing problems elicit relevant nursing actions that lead to the improvement and damages of clients health status which in turn back up the client in resuming activities of daily living increasing his productivity take aim thus benefiting the soc iety (Potter & Perry, 1993).In conclusion, Abdellahs typology of 21 nursing problems remedied the predicaments faced by the profession in earlier times. It has helped teach and evaluate students competency through its formulation. It provided a means of gaining autonomy from the practice of medicine through the creation of a scientific body of knowledge unique to nursing.Abdellahs work is very straightforward and uncomplicated. It explicitly described the major concepts essential to nursing such as nursing itself, nursing problems and the problem-solving approach through which the problems can be intervened. The concepts of health, person and environment which are now included in the scope of nursing are also implied.The goals of this model vary but all are directed to affect nursing. The capacious goal of this model is to generally elicit positive transformation in nursing education while its subgoals would include providing a scientific basis for practice and a tool in evaluating students efficacy and competency (McLemore & Hill, 1965).To date, Abellah did not only meet the goal of her work. Her work has also affected different aspects of nursing nursing practice, nursing research and nursing education in general. As emphasized in this paper, Abdellahs boilers suit contribution to the body of nursing is the acquisition of professional autonomy and professional identity through the creation of the 21 nursing problems. Her problem-solving approach increases our judgement and critical-thinking skills needed in identifying clients concerns to properly plan, select and implement our healthcare. It also enhances and promotes nurse-patient interaction as we make patients the central focus of care instead of focusing on the disease process (Parascandola, 1994).Nursing has been practiced as profession for more than a century. The profession was based merely on rules, concepts and experiences passed on by professionals to students. It was only in the advent of ser ious interchange and testing of theories that nursing has been established as a science. Through Abdellahs work and the development of other relevant nursing theories, we have prove that our profession can stand by itself and achieve our goals towards patient-centered care (Parascandola, 1994).