“Comfort is an immediate desirable outcome of nursing care. ” (Kolcaba, Introduction, 2010) Comfort in healthcare is something that many would think would be understood without a theory, but comfort has never been well defined in the past. Katharine Kolcaba is a middle-range theorist who has been developing the Comfort Theory since the 1990s (Comfort Theory: Katharine Kolcaba, 2011) in order to help define what comfort means in the healthcare setting. According to Kolcaba, comfort exists in three forms: relief, ease, and transcendence. (Comfort Theory: Katharine Kolcaba, 2011) The Comfort Theory is a modern, universal, and very applicable theory for the field of nursing as it is today.
Comfort Theory Defined
Kolcaba defines comfort as something
…show more content…
Since it was developed in the early 1990s, the theory is one that is easy to understand and apply to nursing care. This theory is also still being developed and added to by Katharine Kolcaba. (Kolcaba, Introduction, 2010) Kolcaba has created a website devoted to her theory, as well as a Facebook and YouTube channel for the new technological age of learning. She wants her theory to be easily accessible by those interested in implementing her theory into their practice. Her website, http://thecomfortline.com, has an abundance of information available to the general public. It has links to her journals and research as well as the basics on what the Comfort Theory entails. Kolcaba knows that the ways of learning and discussing theory are changing, and she is really working to develop her theory in a way that is easily accessible at all …show more content…
538) Kolcaba’s Comfort theory is a patient/family-centered theory that aides in the morale of nurses as well as impacts the overall patient satisfaction. Comfort is a human experience that is more than just a negative physical sensation, which is why it is so important in the healthcare setting. The not-for profit hospital that used Kolcaba’s Comfort Theory states, “…the adoption of [the] Comfort Theory significantly contributed to promoting excellence in our professional practice environment.” (Kolcaba, Tilton, & Drouin, Comfort Theory: A Unifying Framework to Enhance the Practice Environment, 2006, p. 542) The hospital’s turnover rate decreased and satisfaction scores increased as they began to implement Kolcaba’s Comfort Theory into their hospital protocol. (Kolcaba, Tilton, & Drouin, Comfort Theory: A Unifying Framework to Enhance the Practice Environment, 2006, p. 542) This shows that the Comfort Theory not only benefits the patient, but also the institution and the staff
Taylor, C. (2011). Introduction to Nursing. Fundamentals of nursing: the art and science of nursing care (7th ed.). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
A diverse range of elements affects patient experiences in relation to the quality of nursing care. However, nurses often have to reconcile systemic biases with their desire to provide nursing care that 's based on patient needs and preferences. Establishing autonomy over their own practice in order to improve patient experiences is considered optimal.
The development of nursing theories has provided a perspective in which one can define the purpose of nursing, when nursing is required, and establish the parameters and goals of therapeutic nursing activities (Ahmed,2001). A nursing theory is defined "as concepts, definitions, relationships, and assumptions derived from nursing models or from other disciplines and project a purposive, systematic view of phenomena by designing specific inter-relationships among concepts for the purposes of describing, explaining and predicting the phenomena of nursing” (Boxer & Jones, 2010). In addition, nursing theories provide frameworks through which nurses can examine various situations. As nurses encounter new situations, these frameworks provide a structure for organization, analysis, decision making and communication (Ahmed, 2001). The following paper will discuss the middle range nursing theory of Family Stress and Adaptation by Geri LoBiondo-Wood, and how it relates to patient care and guides nursing practice.
McIntyre, M. & McDonald, C. (2014). Nursing Philosophies, Theories, Concepts, Frameworks, and Models. In Koizer, B., Erb, G., Breman, A., Snyder, S., Buck, M., Yiu, L., & Stamler, L. (Eds.), Fundamentals of Canadian nursing (3rd ed.). (pp.59-74). Toronto, Canada: Pearson.
Taylor, C. R., Lillis, C., LeMone, P., & Lynn, P. (2011). Fundamentals of nursing: The art and science of nursing care (7th ed.). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Smith, M.J., Liehr, P.R., (2008) Middle Range Theory for Nursing. Second Edition. Springer Publishing Company LLC. New York, NY 10036
In less stressful environment, nurses able to incorporate caring relationship, improve interactions between patient and a nurse, and develop understanding of the other person’s perspective (Nicely, K, Sloane, D., Aiden, L., 2012).
art and science of nursing care (6th ed). Philadelphia, PA, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a Wolter Kluwer business.
Every person’s needs must be recognized, respected, and filled if he or she must attain wholeness. The environment must attuned to that wholeness for healing to occur. Healing must be total or holistic if health must be restored or maintained. And a nurse-patient relationship is the very foundation of nursing (Conway et al 2011; Johnson, 2011). The Theory recognizes a person’s needs above all. It sets up the conducive environment to healing. It addresses and works on the restoration and maintenance of total health rather than only specific parts or aspect of the patient’s body or personality. And these are possible only through a positive healing relationship between the patient and the nurse (Conway et al, Johnson).
Jean Watson is a well-respected American nursing theorist who created the Theory on Human Caring. Watson’s concept on caring for a human being is simple, yet has much depth and meaning, and holds strong for nurses to work with compassion, wisdom, love, and caring. The Theory on Human Caring is necessary for every nurse, as it is our job to care for others in a genuine and sensitive way. The theory is extensive; its core foundation is based on nine concepts all interrelated and primarily focused on a nurse giving a patient care with compassion, wisdom, love, and caring (Watson, J., 1999). The nine essential aspects consist of: values, faith-hope, sensitivity, trust, feelings, decision-making, teaching-learning, environment, and human needs. Watson also created the Caritas Process consists of ten different ways of giving care:
As nurses frequently interact with the patients, they are the ones exploring evidence-based practice to identify ways to modify the hospital environment and use more nonpharmacological methods to promote sleep to help the body repair itself (Robinson et al., 2005). Florence Nightingale noted patients require proper nutrition, sleep, quiet, and “unnecessary noise harms the patient” (Robinson et al., 2005, p. 263). Nurses have identified many ways to help patients get rest, including relaxation techniques, music, warm blankets, warm drinks, massage, and aromatherapy (Robinson et al., 2005).
Comfort is important to caring in nursing because it is the nurse 's job to try and help the patient feel at ease and be pain free.
Taylor, C. R., Lillis, C., LeMone, P., & Lynn, P. (2011). Fundamentals of nursing: The art and science of nursing care (7th ed.). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
When I became a nurse, in my heart, I knew that I was a caring person; however, I did not have a caring theory driving my practice. After studying Watson’s Human Caring Science Theory, the theory is consistent with my values, which emphasizes a holistic approach with mind, body, and spirit through a caring nurse patient relationship in an environment that promotes healing, comfort, and dignity. Human Caring Science gives the privilege of viewing human life with wonder, respect, and appreciates small and large miracles, which allows the inner world of the patient and nurse to come together in a unique human relationship, in the here and now moment (Watson, 2012, p. 24).
Nursing behaviors that improve patient comfort are as simple as positioning and repositioning, knowing patients special comfort habits, and advocating for family presence (Kolcaba & DiMarco, 2005). It is important to use a measurement tool to assess comfort and remember to reassess for a positive outcome or plan a new intervention. Comfort is associated with the pursuit of healthy behavior, increased patient satisfaction, and better cost-benefit ratios (Kolcaba & DiMarco, 2005). Although Watson’s caring model is a broad philosophy that applies to nursing practice in general, nurses utilizing this theory would find Kolcaba’s middle-range comfort theory aligns well within the framework those