Running head: CONCEPT COMPARISON AND ANALYSIS ACROSS THEORIES

Concept Comparison and Analysis across Theories

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CONCEPT COMPARISON AND ANALYSIS ACROSS THEORIES 2

Nursing Theories and Concepts

In nursing, various phenomena and organization of knowledge is achieved through

theories. A theory in this case is a set of relationships, definitions, concepts, prepositions or

assumptions derived from other disciplines or nursing models. This set of relationships projects a

systematic or purposive view of a given phenomena through a design of certain interrelationship

with the view of providing a conclusive description. Among the available theories, there is a

common concept that cuts across them. The core concept in nursing embodies the theory and

creates the basis for the model or theory in consideration (George, 2011). Concepts in nursing

are essential in the development of nursing theories. This paper will explore two theories, self-

care deficit and need theories, with consideration of nursing roles as a common concept that cuts

across them.

The Theory of Self-Care Deficit

This theory was developed by Dorothea Orem and is pegged on the philosophy of self

care. The theory proposes that patients can recover quickly and in a holistic manner if they

attempts taking care of themselves on their own. According to this theory, there are three

requisites for self-care. First are the universal self-care requisites that include food, air, water,

hazard prevention, rest, and some physical activities. Second are the self-care prerequisites for

development and they include situational and maturational factors. Maturational factors enable

the patient to move to a higher maturity level whereas situation factors enable the patient to

avoid harmful effects emanating from the development process. Third is deviation requisites,

which refers to the needs that a patient encounters based on his or her condition. According to

this theory, a self care deficit occurs if the patient is unable to meet his or her self-care needs. In

CONCEPT COMPARISON AND ANALYSIS ACROSS THEORIES 3

such situation, a nurse intervenes with support of various levels, including partial care, complete

care educating the victim (George, 2011).

The Need Theory

This theory was developed by Virginia Henderson in an effort to define the focus of

nursing practice. This theory underlines the essence of patient’s independence, such that the

patient can progress effectively after hospitalization. Henderson’s emphasis on the basic needs of

human beings as the nursing practice’s central focus has paved way for the development of the

theory of patient’s needs and ways through which nurses could assist in meeting these needs.

This model has three assumptions. First, nurses take care of patients up to the time patients are in

a position to take care of themselves. Second, nurses have the willingness to serve and thus they

take full devotion to the care of the patient day and night. Finally, nurses ought to be educated in

both arts and science disciplines in the college (George, 2011).

An Analysis of a Common Core Concept between the Two Theories

Both the need theory and the self-care deficit theory have a common concept whereby

they endeavor to define the role of nursing in the patient’s health development. In the need

theory, Henderson asserts that nurses’ role is unique and entails assisting an individual, whether

well or sick, to perform activities that can lead to their recovery or good health. At the same

time, the nurses are supposed to assist the patient in the process of peaceful death, recovery

process or assist them to perform those functions they could have performed without help if they

had some strengths, knowledge or will. On the other hand, the theory of self-care deficit by

Orem is aimed at improving patients’ care in hospital because Orem had a view of improving the

service given to patients in the general hospital in her state. Although this theory talks about self-

CONCEPT COMPARISON AND ANALYSIS ACROSS THEORIES 4

care, its underlining factor is the deficiency of the patient’s self-care and the need for the nurses

to offset this deficit as part of their core role (Walker & Avant, 2011).

Both the need and the self-care deficit theories have made attempts to define the role of

nursing profession whereby they define ways in which a nurse should intervene, the times in

which a nurse ought to support the patient and the type of needs for the patient. The differences

in the concepts defined by the two theories are in their definition of the occurrence of the

patient’s need. Orem’ theory demands the patient to have a deficit for nurses to intervene

whereas Henderson’s theory states that a nurse can intervene when a patient is either sick or

well. Nevertheless, the concept in the two theories can be applied in various settings because the

two theories have two similar goals (Allison, 2008).

Analysis of Virginia Henderson’s Need Theory

According to Henderson, nursing is a temporary consciousness to people who are

unconscious, the love of life for people with suicidal cases, and a leg for those who undergo

amputation. She adds that a nurse is the eye of those who become blind, locomotion means to the

newborns, confidence and knowledge to young mothers, as well as a voice to people who are

unable to speak, and much more. The profession of nursing is multifaceted and calls for the

capability to identify with people, as well as understanding them. Given that a nurse deals with a

wide array of individuals, there is a need for understanding the basic needs of these people. This

provides a direction in which a nurse can provide the fundamental needs to help them become

productive, even at times of sickness. This is a concept that when applied, a nurse must carry out

an assessment of the individual’s daily activities, such as eating, sleeping, breathing, body

cleanses, communication, and sleeping among many. The quality of a nurse service therefore, is

limited to the competence and interpretation of the nurse’s imagination. This is what determines

CONCEPT COMPARISON AND ANALYSIS ACROSS THEORIES 5

how a nurse will attend to a patient’s consent or to an infant or an unconscious patient (Walker &

Avant, 2011).

Concept Statement

The way Henderson defined nursing delineates the practice of medicine. This is because nurses’

functions are unique and they are focused on assisting individuals regardless of whether they are

sick or well. They seek to help patients perform e activities that contribute to their good health

and recovery or even to a peaceful death. They intervene with patients who need aid and help

them attain necessary strength and knowledge so as to gain independence (Walker & Avant,

2011).

Meta-paradigms

These are concepts that avail the limitations and boundaries of a discipline. Disciplines are

differentiated from one another by different meta-paradigm concepts. The significant concepts

that form the structure of the profession of nursing are the person, health, environment, and

nursing as discussed in this section (Walker & Avant, 2011).

The Person

According to Henderson, a patient person is one who requires help to attain health and

independence or even a peaceful death in some cases. She introduced a concept that holds that

the body and the mind of a person are inseparable. Therefore, for a person to operate with the

utmost, he must have a balance between his physiological and emotional being (Current Nursing,

2012).

Health

Henderson believed that health is the quality of life, which is very significant for a person to

operate fully. Health, she adds that it is a multifactor occurrence and it is influenced by both

CONCEPT COMPARISON AND ANALYSIS ACROSS THEORIES 6

external and internal factors. Therefore, health promotion should be a priority in the course of

caring for the sick (Current Nursing, 2012).

The Environment

These are all influences and external conditions that affect individual’s lives and development. A

healthy person should be in control of the environment, but when sickness occurs, this ability is

affected. The nurse is therefore, obligated to help patients manage their environment and to

protect them from any harm or mechanical injury. Nurses are also obliged to avail safety needs

information to physicians dealing with patients (Current Nursing, 2012).

Nursing

Henderson held strongly that the functions of nurses are different and independent from those of

physicians. However, nurses should carry out the treatment plan appropriately as the physicians

prescribe. A nurse works to assist both the well and sick individuals and the care provided should

empower the patient to be independent the soonest possible. Therefore, a nurse must have

knowledge in both social science and biology to grant him the ability to assess the significant

human needs (Current Nursing, 2012).

Philosophy

Henderson’s theory reflects a philosophy of an integrated approach to systematic study that

capitalizes on the complexity and richness of nursing. This approach does not separate the

science from the art, the nursing functions from the knowledge, the physical from the

psychological, and the clinical care from the theory (Walker & Avant, 2011).

Conceptual model

This is a nursing model that emphasizes on caring for the incapable, the sick and even those that

are dying. Henderson developed this model following the humanistic approach, which

CONCEPT COMPARISON AND ANALYSIS ACROSS THEORIES 7

emphasizes on giving the best care to patients. The model stresses more on the functions of

nurses and to the kind of people who should be taken care of (George, 2011).

Conclusion

Nursing avails the functions of promoting, maintaining, and recovering the health of an

individual. The model of self-care developed by Orem illustrated the importance of nursing in

taking care of a patient. It is through the practice of nursing that the interventions of helping an

individual to be restored to optimal health, self-care and well-being are attained. Even though

Virginia Henderson had no plans of formulating a theory, most of her definitions are believed to

be a philosophy or a grand theory and are widely used today. Dorothea Orem held that a clear

nursing concept is not only helpful in clarifying the roles of nurses and promoting their

productivity, but it also avails a basis to identify the true outcomes of nursing. These were

devoted theorists who considered nursing as a profession therefore defining nursing roles and

acknowledging the profession’s variety. It is evident that their definitions differed and in all

cases, patients were given the first priority. It can therefore be concluded that, the profession of

nursing holds a gratitude debt for their diligence, devotion, and perseverance.

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References

Allison, E. (2008). Self-care and Dependent-care Nursing. The Official Journal of the

International Orem Society , 16 (1), 49.

Current Nursing. (2012). Nursing Thoeries. Retrieved June 26, 2013, from Current Nursing:

http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/Henderson.html

George, B. (2011). Nursing theories: The base for professional nursing practice (6th Ed.).

Boston: Person.

Walker, L. O., & Avant, K. C. (2011). Strategies for theory construction in nursing (5th Ed.).

Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.