Comfort Theory Research Paper

I chose this scenario which is appropriate for the application of Kolcabas whollyeviate guess You argon a sop up on an inpatient oncology unit. Your patient is a 72-year-old fitting male who has been told his open firecer is terminal and that further treatment is unlikely to ache any benefit. He accepts that and would like to explore hospice. However, his two adult children insist that he should continue chem other(a)apy and fight on and they tell you not to hold forth with him or get a consult for hospice. Specific Concepts of the possibleness In order to address this scenario I utilise the middle prune opening of informality and its specific concepts.This paper aims to describe the Comfort scheme, its application to the wellness grapple setting and argonas for potential search and its relevance to the wellness c be system. Comfort is an immediate desirable outcome that leads to excellent armorial bearing in the treat profession. Comfort is a vital part of the treatment and convalescence of patients. Comfort is a cause of repose from dis reliever, a state of relaxation method and peaceful satisfaction, a state of rest and whatever makes life pleasurable. (Kolcaba & Kolcaba, 1991). This scheme addresses the most relevant issues in the breast feeding kingdom.Using this theory not just for patients, only if for nurses allow mitigate recruitment and retention evaluate of skilled wellness tuition professionals. Providing ease is a necessity in the tutelage of clients on inpatient oncologic unit. Currently, soothe is being viewed as a last result for terminally ill patients and not utilize as a standard hospital protocol or prophylactically to reform clients health status. The main purpose of Comfort Theory is to improve patients satisfaction and outcomes as well as improve institutional integrity. As a middle range theory, Comfort theory is practically based and an be used in hold response to this specific clinical scenario th at we as the advanced nurse practiti matchlessr will participate. (Peterson & Bredow, 2009).Overview of the Theory and Utility in Nursing Practice The theory of Comfort usher out be utilized to guide and enhance treat practice. In her theory she describes holistic comfort in three diametric forms relief, ease and transcendence as the immediate experience of being modify by having these necessary forms in iv contexts physical, psycho- ghostly, socio-cultural which incorporate cultural traditions and family, and environmental. Goodwin, Sener & Steiner, 2007). sculptural relief is when the patient has had a comfort hold met. Ease is defined as a state of contentment, and transcendence is a state of comfort in which clients are able to rise above their challenges. (March & McCormack, 2009). The psycho-spiritual context refers to comfort of ones identity, sexuality, self esteem and any other spiritual human relationship with a higher being. Socio-cultural comfort arises from in terpersonal and societal relationships along with family. (Kolcaba, Tilton & Drouin, 2006).The designer created a systematic structure of three founts of comfort integrated with the four contexts of experience, into a 12?cell grid. The grid is useful for assessing patients needs, planning interventions and evaluating their effectiveness, and serve ups to contribute to the understanding and utility of the theory. (Peterson & Bredow, 2009). Kolcabas proposes that when clients and family members feel to a greater extent than(prenominal) comfortable, they will engage in more(prenominal) health pursuance behaviors which hold internal and external behaviors and a peaceful death.Internal behaviors occur at the cellular train, much(prenominal) as immune functioning. External behaviors refer to activities of quotidian living and health maintenance programs. When patients and family members are engaging in more health fatality behaviors as a result of amplifyd comfort callable to interventions, members of the health care team will be more content, will ultimately perform better and improve institutional outcomes such as reduced costs of care, reduced length of stay, enhanced fiscal stability and increased patient satisfaction. (Peterson and Bredow, 2009).Regarding the relevance to nursing practice, comfort is a positive outcome that is linked to an increase in health seeking behaviors and to positive institutional outcomes (Kolcaba & DiMarco, 2005). Nurses are constantly utilizing the comfort mechanisms and try to transport patients towards the transcendence phase. Psychospiritual needs include teaching confidence and motivation by discomfort. Ways that nurses shag implement comfort measures are through with(predicate) massage, allowing visitation, feel for touch and continued encouragement (Kolcaba & DiMarco, 2005).Sociocultural comfort needs are the needs for cultural sensitive reassurance and positive body language. Nurses squirt admit these ne eds through coaching, encouragement, and explaining procedures. Nurses can help patients contact the environmental comfort by lowering the lights, closing the doors, interrupting sleep minimally and limiting loud noise around the patients rooms (Kolcaba & DiMarco, 2005). Nurses document patients states in the beginning and after the use of comfort measures to verify if they are meliorate or worsening the clients condition.Nurses knowing a patients condition can brook comfort measures to prevent negative outcomes. If a patient is requesting hospice care, a nurse may be aware of the chess opening of achieve this determination. If the nurse notices an increase in upset, facial grimacing and anxiety, the nurse may realize that he should make some arrangements for hospice care. The nurse could also provide massage, guided imagery or other interventions based on the type of terminal cancer and intensity of the pain. Being able to determine when comfort measures are useful is vital to improving the quality of patient care.When patients are more comfortable, they are more likely to engage in health seeking behaviors, and to comply with medications and exercise regimes, increased compliance with prescribed diets and more peaceful deaths when palliative care is the appropriate goal. (March & McCormack, 2009). When patients increase their health seeking behaviors, nurses are more satisfied and improve their quality of care which increases the institutional integrity, and enhances the care of all health care professionals. Meaning of the TheoryI think the theory means that the role of nursing includes the assessment of comfort needs, the design of comfort actions to address those requirements, and the re-evaluation of comfort levels after accomplishment. In the shape of Comfort, nursing is described as the process of assessing the patients comfort requirements, developing and implementing competent plans of care, and evaluating the clients comfort after the care plans stimulate been approved. Nursing Appraisal can be objective, such as the inspection of the pale skin in our competent male client with cancer, or subjective, such as ask if he is comfortable.The Theory of Comfort considers patients to be individuals, families, institutions, or communities in need of health care. The environment can be manipulated by a nurse or loved one in order to enhance comfort. In my opinion this theory is one of the fastest growing areas of current nursing theory gain, and the most promising. The comfort theory can be utilize to patients of all ages, cultures backgrounds, or communities. It is also applicable to patients in the hospital, clinic or home. I believe that comfort is a positive concept and is associated with activities that nurture and arm clients.Review of the Research The Comfort theory has been tested in many settings, used as a basis of study and evaluated in several(prenominal) researches. It is necessary for this theory to be in th e forefront of health care and research because it can greatly enhance patient outcomes. Though it has not necessarily been tested in all of these areas, it can be used to enhance any persons health status in any practice setting. The nurse researcher employing this theory will make it very useful because of its ease of application.The researcher can take this theory and apply it to whatever setting and it is easily tested with a categorisation of instruments including, General Comfort Questionnaire, Shortened General Comfort Questionnaire, Visual linear Scales and Comfort Behavior Checklists. It provides direction for performance review, outcomes research and quality improvement (Kolcaba, Tilton & Drouin, 2006). As a middle range theory it has fewer concepts and propositions than a grand theory, is easily testable, easily applicable and interpreted and more compress in scope. The theory has a low level of abstraction.This theory is yet in early development. Concepts, propositi ons, and outcomes of comfort are operationalized easily using the taxonomic structure of comfort. The theory is still being tested and applied to a wider institutional approach. Because Kolcabas theory has still not been adapted in all of the researched settings, the benefits and outcomes are currently just speculated. Research of this theory is current and constantly evolving. The theory is broad in scope because it can be applied to a variety of patient settings and patients of all ages and backgrounds.The theory can be viewed as being narrow in scope because it focuses all on patient and families. However, it is easily extrapolated to other areas of practice. Once this occurs, the theory will be mainly viewed as being broad in scope. Researchers can test the benefits of comfort on learning. This theory does not necessarily have to involve just health care settings it can be utilise in any field with any member of the health care team (Goodwin, Sener & Steiner, 2007). Her theo ry is easily interpreted and applicable to patient settings.A traditional goal of nursing has been to attend to patient comfort. Patients expect this from nurses and feed them credit when comfort is delivered. Through deliberate actions of nurses, patients receive what they need and want from their nurses. The theory provides directionality for nursing practice because it provides measurable outcomes. However, the author mainly provides examples of comfort measures and how these work in the hospital. The author also relates comfort measures to improving health?seeking behaviors and benefiting institutions and institutional integrity.The theory addresses comfort and how it can improve patient outcomes, but fails to expand adequately on how these comfort measures can be used outside of the hospital setting. Many researchers are taking the Comfort Theory and extrapolating it to be useful in other health care settings. Comfort theory tested by nursing research all the relationships be tween nursing interventions, patient comfort, health seeking behaviors and institutional integrity. Finally the theory include all health care providers and employ as an institution-wide framework for practice. (Peterson & Bredow, 2009).Applications of the Theory and Solutions for the Scenario I apply the theory and developed specific solutions for the issues that are raised in the scenario It is significant to specify if nurses and other health care providers implement this theory into their practice, patient outcomes will significantly improve. This theory will not only enhance patient results, but it will help prevent imminent medical problems. We as a nurse assess the physical, psychospiritual, sociocultural and environmental needs of the clients, for example expression at deficits in the physiological mechanisms of this very ill patient due to an inoperable cancer.Some physical comfort needs that can be treated without medications include pain, vomiting, anxiety and weaknes s. We can use different interventions to help alleviate these problems and increase patient satisfaction. The theory describes nursing practice as being holistic, humanistic and needs link up. It describes different nursing interventions intended to farm comfort for the patients provided by nurses. This theory differentiates nursing from other health related disciplines by demonstrating the different types of comforting measures provided by the health care team. at that place is a role play in seeking the clients comfort by all members caring for the patient, including the client himself seeking his relief in a hospice once he attain the comfort level desired through participating in his quick recovery and exploring for a hospice. In this scenario, it will be the role of the nurses to help the client to achieve the desired comfort level by teaching the family members related to the gizmo of the hospice care. We will explain the necessity of stop the chemotherapy.Lack of teaching in this extreme case may result to privation of comfort and lack of peace in the event of terminal illness and death. These solutions lead to recovery at a faster pace. It is crucial the provision of good environment to ensure that the client receives plenty comfort for his recovery. Therefore, the nurse play the in the lead role of identifying the clients comfort needs, and design interventions to address those needs. With definite comfort level the client acquires strength to participate in health seeking behaviors and if not, encounter peaceful death.If specific comfort needs of a patient are met, the patient experiences relief and comfort, for example, a patient who receives pain medication in an inpatient oncologic unit. Ease addresses comfort in a state of contentment. For example, the patients concerns of hospice care are addressed. Positive outcomes are achieved through the cooperation of all parties involved. The client should be cooperative to gain the desired might in a comfortable manner, or die in a peaceful way due to his comfort level, if death occurs.Conclusions about advantage of the theory in Nursing Practice Kolcabas middle range theory of Comfort is applicable to all areas of the healthcare field and other nursing situations since it is currently patient and family centered. The theory is formulated to provide instruction for everyday practice and scholarly research rooted in the nursing education comforting the learner or student in an educational environment. This theory was created to guide for the assessment, proportionality, and appraisal of patient comfort.There are a lot of benefits we can get in learning and applying Kolcabas Theory of Comfort as it promotes understanding and collaboration between health care team members addressing the current shortage in health care team. In addition, it will improve societal acceptance of the health institution and increase patient satisfaction. (March & McCormack, 2009) It is important to denote the application of it to an institution wide approach. I consider a limitation that Kolcaba restricts the use of interventions to provide comfort as a function of nurses.It is focused on a limited dimension of the reality of nursing. (March & McCormack, 2009). In the role of providing comfort, the nurses need to meet the basic physical, psychosocial and spiritual human needs throughout client comprehension to their experience. Theory of Comfort has a real potential to direct the work and thinking of all health care providers within one institution since, it appears that the comfort is eer present in all culture and appropriate universal goal for healthcare. It is a middle-range theory for health practice, education, and research. (Malinowski & Stamler, 2002).