NSG 3007 Week 4 Discussion-Nursing Theories

During the early years of my nursing career, I cared for a 25-year-old Hispanic lady who had illegally crossed the border while eight months pregnant. She developed weakness and tingling in her lower extremities and hands. Being an undocumented migrant, she delayed seeking medical attention. She suffered in a tent for weeks until she sought help. After she arrived at the hospital, she was diagnosed with Guillain-barre syndrome. Her condition had worsened, and she was having difficulty breathing. She developed complications with her baby after being placed on the ventilator and had a cesarean section to deliver the child safely. After the delivery, she was placed in the intensive care unit where I worked. Her baby was placed in the neonatal intensive care unit. This lady was young, in a strange place, understood very little English, had a newborn, and was scared. I had a couple of years of Spanish language during my education, and I could bond with her more than the other nurses could due to the language barrier. As days passed, I could see that she was becoming more withdrawn. This lady could not use her arms the way she wanted and could not speak when she wanted due to the tracheostomy. She had a newborn baby and could not bond with it like a mother wants. She had post-partum depression and anxiety with panic attacks. Hispanic culture views mental illness as being treated by spiritual rather than professional medical sources (Santos & Kalibatseva, 2019). It took some time to get her to open up about her feelings and convince her that the treatment we wanted to provide would not cause a stigma. There is a stigma surrounding mental health throughout many cultures, including Hispanic culture(Santos & Kalibatseva, 2019). Together with medication as a part of her treatment, we used music and took her daily to the solarium, where she could enjoy the outdoors. We worked with the NICU nurses and brought her baby back and forth to her room until the baby was released. I saw a tremendous difference in this lady’s wellbeing-. She became more determined with her therapy and progressed more rapidly. Even though it took months for this lady to regain her function fully, she was grateful for the care we provided and visited us several times after her release.

Hispanic culture does not typically believe in medical assistance for mental health(Santos & Kalibatseva, 2019). I believe in spiritual treatment, but I also know that medical intervention is necessary to achieve balance in mental health. There have been many cultures that have a stigma about mental diagnosis and treatment. I have realized there should be no stigma because mental illness is prevalent throughout all cultures and ages. Mental health is also key to holistic well-being.

According to Black (2020), frustration and anxiety can be felt by both the patient and the nurse when cultural beliefs and boundaries are not understood. I am glad I had the Spanish language knowledge and could get my patient to open up about her feelings. During the early years of my nursing career, I did not understand cultural differences as well as I now do. I have, however, always been open to learning and understanding. I believe this has helped me grow into the nurse I am now.

A nursing theory that correlates with my nursing philosophy and provides a foundation for my nursing practice is the Health Promotion Model by Nola Pender. The main guiding principle of this theory is defining health as a positive dynamic state rather than just the absence of disease. According to this theory, health promotion should increase the patient’s well-being and quality of life (Wilson, 2021).

Additionally, this theory emphasizes the multidimensional nature of persons interacting with the environment in their pursuit of health.

NSG 3007 Week 4 Discussion-Nursing Theories

According to Nola Pender, individuals’ unique personal characteristics and experiences affect their health-related decisions and lifestyles (Wilson, 2021). However, nursing actions in health promotion and education can be used to improve health behaviors and lead to desired behavioral and health outcomes. For example, a healthy person should be educated on smoking cessation’s risks and benefits.

I have chosen this nursing theory because prevention and health promotion are important components of nursing practices. Many, if not most, of the conditions are caused or substantially worsened by unhealthy lifestyles. By providing health education and affecting patients’ behaviors, nurses can help them significantly improve their well-being and prevent or improve chronic conditions and complications. By encouraging patients to take responsibility for their health-related behaviors, nurses can actively engage their clients in treatment and health decision-making, enhancing treatment plans’ effectiveness and improving patient outcomes.

References

Black, B. (2020). Professional nursing: Concepts & challenges (9th ed.). Saunders. https://doi.org/9780323551137

Santos, L. G., & Kalibatseva, Z. (2019). Perceptions of depression among Hispanics with Pentecostal beliefs. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 22(8), 779–793 https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2019.1644305

Wilson, J. C. (2021). Nola J. Pender: Health Promotion Model. Nursing Theorists and Their Work E-Book, 320.

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