Myra Estrin Levine
Nursing theorists are all around the world. In our generation, we may not have met any of these theorists, but we are still fortunate enough to get to practice their theories in our everyday nursing lives. One great theorist, nurse, and educator that has greatly influenced our society is Myra Estrin Levine. She was born in Chicago in 1921 and died in 1996. Mrs. Levine was known as a renaissance woman who became an exceptional nurse by always putting her patients first. She put a lot of time and effort into creating her theory, which was known as the Conservation Model. This model focused on three main concepts, which included wholeness, adaptation, and conservation (Schaefer, 2006).
Myra Levine was very talented when it came to schoolwork and nursing. She received a diploma from Cook County School of Nursing in 1944, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Chicago in 1949, a Master’s of Science in Nursing from Wayne State University in 1962, and an honorary doctorate from Loyola University in 1992 ("Myra Estrin Levine," 2013). She appreciated nursing because of how diverse it was. She was able to do many great things with her degrees. Mrs.
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Conservation of structural integrity involves restoring the physical body and encouraging physical healing. Conservation of personal integrity involves the nurse’s awareness to the patient’s need for recognition, respect, self-awareness, and self-determination. Finally, conservation of social integrity refers to the patient’s interactions and relationships with other people. Through these basic principles and aspects, Myra Levine’s goal of nursing was to maintain wholeness and to adjust to an individual’s environment ("Myra Estrin Levine," 2013). In general, Mrs. Levine’s objective was to help all nurses view their patients as holistic
In the todays century, the responsibilities, roles, and opportunities for nursing and nurse education has grown abundantly to that of modern day nurses. Many nurses in the eighteen century were not educated nurses and never attended nursing school; however, they still provided care for the sick, poor, and needy and played a vital role in health maintenance. With the hard work from many notable nurses in history such as Florence Nightingale, Clara Barton, and Isabel Robb and the persistence and dedication for change from influential nurses such as Mary Mahoney and Mabel Staupers; nursing today has transformed in many aspects of practice. Although nursing as a profession is continuously evolving throughout the years, the core foundation of nursing hasn’t changed in that nursing is a profession of caring for others and servicing those in need.
Nursing’s development from an occupation to a profession follows the devotion and sacrifice of many amazing women throughout history. Considered to be one of the oldest professions, women have performed what could be considered nursing duties since the beginning of time. Although there have been many events and many individuals who have contributed to nursing’s evolution from the occupation it was once considered to the profession that now exists, the development of formal education opportunities and scholarly resources and the women who created them is what fascinates me most. Without knowing, each of the following five women helped lay the groundwork for what Lucie Kelly, RN, PhD, FAAN, eventually termed the eight characteristics of a profession
As an RN whose specialties have included Medical, Geriatric and Pediatrics, I am drawn to learn more about Katherine Kolcabas Theory of Comfort. It is also the theory from which my organization based its pain and comfort documentation requirements upon.
Her plan was a success and she was able to start her own women’s nursing corps. Because of their efforts and determination, those two women were acknowledged for helping allowing women to become nurses
Marriner-Tomey, A., & Alligood, M. R. (2006). Nursing theorists and their work. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby/Elsevier.
When one thinks of the evolution of nursing, several noteworthy women come to mind, yet one stands out, Florence Nightingale. In Notes on Nursing, Nightingale says “…put the patient in the best conditions for nature to act upon him.” (1859, p.75) She established standards that reformed the industry. For example; her practices of sanitation and aseptic methods led to a decrease in hospital mortality rates. By keeping records of care given, techniques used and the outcomes; by utilizing these records, she implemented documentation and evidence-based practice. She started the ball rolling on the transition of nursing from a belittled trade to the profession it is now proclaimed to be. Nightingale, in conjunction with other
She had many struggles trying to receive higher education because of the restrictions women had when it came to furthering ones education. But after many attempts, she was able to study with the great German mathematician Karl Weierstrass. She worked with him for the next four years and then in 1874, received her doctorate. By this time, she had published numerous original papers in the field of higher mathematical analysis and applications to astronomy and physics. But despite all her attempts, and brilliance, she was still a woman in her time period, and therefore unable to find a job in academia. Weierstrass had tried helping her find a job because he was astonished with her abilities and intellectual capacity, but had no luck because after all, she was still a woman.
One theorist named Jean Watson, her focus was to build trusting relationships so they could work together to provide the best nursing care. She wanted the patients to voice their concerns of any health issue arising or another concern. All of this while having a professional relationship and never acting
Although nursing is universally practiced, not all nurses values and morals are the same. Nurses and nursing students are usually put in situations where they must operate within an ethical structure which is either unfamiliar to their cultural criterion or those of the patients for whom they are taking care of. The most prominent values and morals of nurses are based on human dignity and benevolence. Human dignity is the main component that branches off into other values under caring for health and well-being. Trust, integrity, autonomy, and privacy are one of the many sub-values that fall under human dignity. It is important for the nurses to respect and understand the culture and beliefs of the patient without being judgmental or confrontational. The wellbeing of the patient is priority and so the nurses must focus on gaining the patients trust first by tending to their needs and exhibiting
Purnell, M. J. (2006). Nursing as caring: A model for transforming practice. In A. M. Tomey & M. R. Alligood (Eds.), Nursing theorists and their work (pp. 406-427). St. Louis, MO: Mosby.
In a health care profession, people look up to those providing care and need to establish a trusting relationship with them. Since nurses are at the forefront of care in a hospital, it is crucial for nurses to show and have integrity in the hospital setting. As nurses, we are the person that is in constant interaction with the patient and the last line before administering or doing any care to the patient. Nurses develop integrity in many ways, through given situations and the need to stand up for what is right for the patient. The core value of integrity can be used in the clinical setting now as sophomore students and throughout our time as a nurse. The core concept of integrity is holding true to what is right for the patient and providing the most beneficial care to the patient.
A recognized nurse theorist, researcher, writer and teacher Martha Elizabeth Rogers was born on May 12, 1914 in Dallas Texas as the first born daughter and oldest of four siblings of Mr and Mrs. Rogers. As the oldest of four siblings Sister Callista Roy was born on October 14, 1939 as the second child but first daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fabien Roy. Devote Catholics her parents name her after Saint Callistus from a Roman Catholic Calendar of the day on which she was born. The daughter of a licensed nurse Callista was continuously taught the importance of knowing all you could about people, the care they needed and most importantly the selfless giving as a nurse. By the age of 14 Callista began working at a large general hospital as a pantry girl and quickly moved up in rank to a nurse's aid.
Compassion fatigue is the combination of physical, emotional, and spiritual depletion associated with caring for patients in significant emotional pain and physical distress (Anewalt, 2009; Figley, 1995). It is something that can happen to any nurse being overwhelmed in one or more areas of life and/or work. There are multiple ways a nurse can cope with compassion fatigue, and the article gives two great case studies. The first is of the reactive nurse who ultimately runs away from her issues but never truly fixes why she had the fatigue at all. The second is of a proactive nurse who used the resources provided to pull out of the fatigue and ended up in a better position because of it. Some keys points are made about what compassion fatigue is truly made of and how to set it apart from burnout. The key is to look at the symptoms to assist in differentiating compassion fatigue from burnout which were explained in detail in a table in the article. Once it is proven the issue is compassion fatigue interventions can occur to help pull the nurse out of that slump. This includes things available to the nurse such as Employee Assistance Programs which have many classes offered for both work and home life. Another idea is to create a comfortable, relaxing environment in a designated place on the nursing unit (Lombardo, 2011). Also having new nurse support groups within the new nurse graduate programs in hospitals to give them a chance to reflect along the way is useful. Compassion fatigue, as stated in the article, needs to be studied in its entirety and the specific characteristics and experiences need to be identified as well as what personal qualities and traits might provide protection (Lombardo, 2011).
Tomey, A.M., & Alligood, M.R. (2006). Nursing theorists and their work (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders Elsevier.
She first developed an interest in nursing during World War I because she felt an inner need to help wounded and sick soldiers (“Virginia Avenue Henderson – the mother,” 1996). She started her nursing career in 1918 at the US Army School of Nursing and later became a nursing instructor at the Norfolk Protestant Hospital in Virginia (Smith, 1997). Henderson received her education during the empiricist era of nursing, which focused on needs however, she felt her theoretical ideas developed and advanced throughout her nursing career and experiences in the medical surgical unit. This is where she realized the importance of helping the patient return to independence so that recovery can continue after hospitalization. Henderson became familiar first with physiological principals while obtaining her graduate education. The understanding of these components became the major foundation for her care in nursing practice. (McEwen & Wills,