NR 501 Week 3: Development of Nursing Theory and Concept Analysis
, I agree with you that comfort is a broad, and yet important concept. However, the statements you made on your discussion are easy to understand by the reader. According to Hinkle & Cheever (2014) comfort is an impression of mental, physical, or social well-being. Nurses play an important role in the provision of comfort measures to those patients in need of and accepting care, also the appraisal of those measures for efficiency.
Also, according to Pinto, Caldeira, Martins & Rodgers (2017) who outlines that comfort is currently understood as a holistic practice, a state of satisfying human requirements for relaxation, relief, and wholeness in physical, psychological, social, and spiritual contexts. The concept of comfort has assumed much more significance since Nightingale when the topic of theoretical development is approached.
According to Pinto, Caldeira, Martins & Rodgers (2017) comfort theory is appropriate, it includes comfort for all involved parties’ patients, families, health care personnel including management and administrators. The comfort theory which was developed through Kolcaba’s concept analysis of comfort as an anticipated wanted result of nursing care as determined by the client.
We can also describe comfort as a complicated and subjective concept, according to Pinto, Caldeira, Martins & Rodgers (2017) comfort is described as a desired state of fulfillment and pleasure, a holistic experience closely correlated with the person’s insights and satisfaction of desires, to accomplish release, ease, and transcendence in all human life magnitudes.
Providing comfort while performing nursing interventions is an important aspect in nursing care, it complements the treatment and assist the patient in recovering and maintain a proper and stable status involving the mental, physical, or social well-being of the affected patient.
Reference
Hinkle J.L., & Cheever K. (2014). The 13th edition of Brunner & Suddarth’s Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, Pa.
Pinto, S., Caldeira, S., Martins, J. C. & Rodgers, B. (2017). Evolutionary Analysis of the Concept of Comfort. Holistic Nursing Practice 31(4), 243–252. DOI: 10.1097/HNP.0000000000000217
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Our book defines concept as the “phenomena that occur in nature of thought” (McEwen & Wills, 2014). The concept I have chosen to focus on is compassion fatigue. Often as caregivers we spend a lot of time offering our emotional support to our patients in need. By doing so we can sometimes forget that we need to remember to care for our own emotional health and release of stress. The American Institute of Stress defines compassion fatigue as “the emotional residue or strain of exposure to worki
ng with those suffering from the consequences of traumatic events (2017).
Three attributes that relate to the concept of compassion fatigue are emotional intensity increase (Sorenson, Bolick, Wright, & Hamilton, 2017), abrupt onset (Sorenson, Bolick, Wright, & Hamilton, 2017), loss of job satisfaction (Sheppard, 2016). Among these there are many more attributes that identify how compassion fatigue is seen.
An antecedent is something that has to occur before an event. In this case an example of an antecedent could be the desire to absorb or alleviate an individual suffering by connecting with a patient on an emotional and compassionate level (Sorenson, Bolick, Wright, & Hamilton, 2017).
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A consequence is something that is the result of something that has occurred. An example of a consequence when related to compassion fatigue could be the feeling of dreading work.
An empirical referent that could be asked to determine if compassion fatigue in present in an individual is the question of “Do you suddenly feel more angry, sad, empty or seem to be crying more frequently”? This helps to identify if the attributes that were mentioned are being exhibited in this individual.
Watson’s theory of human care is all about the relationship a nurse has with a patient. The core concept of this relationship-based nursing relationship is empathy and communication empathy (Lombardo & Eyre, 2011). Compassion fatigue is experienced by nurses who help with life changing problems. When one cannot cope or properly manage these stressors they develop compassion fatigue. Inadequate self-care behaviors or an increase in self-sacrifice is often seen in those who suffer from compassion fatigue.
While we all joined nursing to care for others and be their emotional support during their time a need we should keep in mind ways in which we can relieve the emotional stress and baggage we try to care for others. By relaxing and reflecting we can help to eliminate these in the moments they occur, but one can also think about working out as a great way to reduce stress.
References
American Institute of Stress. “Compassion Fatigue.” The American Institute of Stress, 2017, www.stress.org/military/for-practitionersleaders/compassion-fatigue/
Lombardo, B., & Eyre, C. (2011). Compassion fatigue: a nurse’s primer. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 16(1), 3. doi:10.3912/OJIN.Vol16No01Man03
McEwen, M., & Wills, E. (2014). Theoretical basis for nursing (4th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Sorenson, C., Bolick, B., Wright, K., & Hamilton, R. (2017). An Evolutionary Concept Analysis of Compassion Fatigue. Journal of Nursing Scholarship: An Official Publication of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, 49(5), 557-563. doi:10.1111/jnu.12312
I do believe that an antecedent of comfort can be discomfort, but does not have to be. An antecedent is occurring before something, with that being said, before someone has comfort they may be experiencing discomfort. Most studies on nursing comfort relate to the physical aspect of comfort. Comfort is a state resulting from satisfaction of the need for relief, ease, and transcendence in physical, spiritual, social, and environment contexts (Pinto, Caldeira, Martins, & Rodgers, 2017). Since Nightingale, the concept of caring has become more relevant in nursing theoretical development (Pinto, Caldeira, Martins, & Rodgers, 2017). Comfort is seen in nursing as a holistic experience, a state of satisfying human needs for ease, relief, and transcendence in many different contexts (Pinto, Caldeira, Martins, & Rodgers, 2017). These definitions proposed are restrictive in defining comfort because they only relate to the physical aspect of comfort, showing that the antecedent would be discomfort.
Kolcaba’s Comfort Theory is useful in understanding the concepts of comfort. According to Kolcaba’s theory, comfort is also related to satisfaction of needs, which relates to quality of life, happiness, and suffering (Pinto, Caldeira, Martins, & Rodgers, 2017). These concepts show the satisfaction with meeting personal needs and expectations towards life leading to a form of comfort.
The concept of comport is complex and dynamic in the nursing world. It is a concept that is holistic, subjective, and based on individuals needs (Pinto, Caldeira, Martins, & Rodgers, 2017). While discomfort can be an antecedent of comfort, there are also other dimensions of comfort that are not related to discomfort first. These include achieving comfort through spiritual, psychological, social, and environmental magnitudes (Pinto, Caldeira, Martins, & Rodgers, 2017). Aspects of the individual’s personality, age, culture, and beliefs influence the perception of comfort and how a person perceives it (Pinto, Caldeira, Martins, & Rodgers, 2017). Comfort is not a straightforward concept and can change over time due to a person’s perspective. A person can achieve comfort in one dimension such as physical, but not another such as spiritual leading to antecedents other than discomfort.
Pinto, S., Caldeira, S., Martins, J.C., & Rodgers, B. (2017). Evolutionary analysis of the concept of comfort. Holistic Nursing Practice, 31(4), 243-252. DOI: 10.1097/HNP.0000000000000217