Environmental Impact on Healing

Usefulness of the Theory

Human beings and the environment are always interacting and impacting each other. Therefore, it is imperative that as an Advance Practice Nurse (APN) one considers the physical, social, cultural and any other factors that may impact the environment as it relates to the patient. The primary goal of the Environmental Impact on Healing Theory is to promote awareness of the environment and its effect on the patient’s healing through the use of energy and altering the surrounding environment. By altering the environment positively and balancing the flow of energy, healing progression may be seen.

Rogers defined a human being as unitary person irreducible and is integral with environment, while environment is defined as irreducible pandimensional energy field, with different patterns and is integral with human field (George, 2002). Most people perceive their health based on the environment they have been raised in, or the environment they are currently living in. Rogers defined the purpose of nursing as promoting ‘symphonic interaction between human being and environment’; nursing seeks to strengthen the relationship and integrity of human field and their environment. The nursing profession helps to direct and redirect the patterns of human and environmental fields with an aim to achieve maximum health potential (George, P. 276, 2002). An APN will incorporate the impact of environment in healing from the initial stage of nursing process; nursing assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning and evaluation. While conducting the assessment all the facts and opinions of the patient and the environment will be collected (George, 1985). The individuals’ view of health and illness will be put into consideration b...

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