Metaparadigms of nursing

and systematic development and testing of nursing knowledge. Several recent reviews of the status of nursing

First of all, I recognized that I was dealing with humans, and not just dealing with a disease process and application of the nursing process in the aspect of restoring patient health. I was dealing with emotions, and families, and cultural beliefs that influenced individual’s aspects of care. I started to see that health did not just incorporate healing the disease, but also recognized the importance of making sure patient’s felt that their

"Caring for others" and "Health is wealth" are few of the most incredible things I was taught since childhood. I have been quite fortunate to grow up in a joint family, where I learned virtues and importance of serving others. At age of 15, I was inspired to become a caretaker of my grandfather, who was suffering from chronic illness. He always wanted me to become a healthcare worker, but he passed away after unbearable suffering before he could see me fulfilling his dream. Also recently my mother has been diagnosed with few serious health issues including high cholesterol and blood pressure.

Through volunteering as one of the only a professional nurse I can apply empowerment in my community, through community participation. The application of knowledge obtained through participation in this collaborative project (student health promotion and disease prevention project SHPDPP), and the establishing at least a level 1 partnership: As a higher degree nursing student I am learning an approach to exceeded typical outcomes, advocacy in areas of social justice and improve compassionate connections with this vulnerable population, individuals at a homeless shelter (in particularly Veterans/aggregate), forging new territory in my

By creating these small adjustments in the patient’s nutritional care, the patient’s independence and dignity are maintained. The patient, such as a stroke patient in rehabilitation, may also be reluctant to take an active role in their nutritional care so firm encouragement by the carer is needed. The presentation and availability of food and drink must also be assessed to deliver person-centred care (BAPEN REF). Patients may forego food if it looks unappetizing so it is important to serve meals that are visually appealing. Serving appetizing meals may also protect against malnutrition (BAPEN REF). Although protected mealtimes ensure that food and drink is given to every patient with minimal distraction, some patients may become hungry or thirsty in the hours between meals. Making food, like sandwiches or toast, and water available to patients may reduce the risk of malnutrition and dehydration and improve patients’ wellbeing (BAPEN REF). Good nutritional care achieved by person-centred practice means not only reducing risk of malnutrition and fluid imbalance but improving the patient’s quality of life,

The purpose of this paper is to discuss my personal beliefs pertaining to the profession of nursing. As well I will discuss the (4) metaparadigms in nursing which are known as; human beings, environment, health, and nursing, and my personal beliefs on these concepts and how they have similarities to the nursing philosophy of a nursing theorist.

A metaparadigms in nursing carefully act like a solid spine that support as a base rock the nursing field. The four essentials components of metaparadigms in nursing are the person, the environment, the patient’s health status and the nursing practice. A nurse practitioner will use all this concepts to assist in advance critical thinking skills by assessing the needs of individual and families while developing a quality cost-effective health promotion and illness prevention care plans.

The mission of community and public health nursing is related back to the work of Florence Nightingale. Her observation that good environment leads to good health and bad environment leads to bad health.

This figure shows there is a relation and connection among nursing metaparadigm and cardiac surgery department. Nursing is representing nurse educator who is impact adult nurse by teaching programs. A person is representing adult patients who have open heart surgery. Health represents control wound infection. Environment represents the cardiac surgery department (operating room).

Growing up in Nigeria where the quality of health care is low, missionary nurses from the United State and Europe had great influence in my desire to go into community health care. Their immeasurable love and care still live in my memory, and they have been a constant motivation for me to give back. Once, during a visit to the community care center with my mother, I asked the nurse why she came from Europe to take care of my mother. She smiled and said she had come all the way to make my mom feel better so that she could take good care of me. This experience at the hospital sparked my interest in becoming a nurse.

Each professional discipline has a responsibility to identify concepts that provide a general description of the discipline. It is these concepts that comprise the profession’s metaparadigm (Fawcett, 1984). Much of the philosophy and theory of nursing stems from the work of Florence Nightingale. The diaries, letters, and books that she left behind containing her statements and beliefs have been fundamental to the development of the concepts comprising the nursing metaparadigm (Selanders, 2010). Fawcett’s (1984) stated there was a general consensus among scholars that the concepts of nursing were person, environment, health, and nursing.

Throughout the history of nursing, there have been many nursing theorists who have each made significant contributions towards the shaping of nursing knowledge. Each of these theorists have differing perspectives and interpretations of how each domain of the nursing metaparadigm fit into their respective theories. The four domains of the nursing metaparadigm are: person, environment, health and illness, and nursing. The purpose of this reflection is to provide an overview of the domains related to the metaparadigm of nursing as well as to introduce this author’s perspective on their developing personal philosophy of nursing. In this paper, the author will take a closer look at each of these areas, how they are individually defined, and how they each fit into the nursing metaparadigm as a whole. At the conclusion of this overview, readers will be introduced to how these theorists and their perspectives have enabled this author to begin to create their own philosophy of nursing.

According to Polit and Hungler (1997) paradigm is a "way of looking at natural phenomena that encompasses a set of philosophical assumptions and that guides one's approach to inquiry" (pg. 463). Metaparadigm, on the other hand, "is a statement or group of statements identifying its relevant phenomena" (Fawcett, 1984, pg. 84).

The purpose of this reflective paper is to explain what the five metaparadigm concepts mean, to write down my own definition of each metaparadigm and further to explain them by providing clinical examples of each definition from my nursing clinical practice.

Environment as a concept within the nursing metaparadigm incorporates the context of experiences within everyday life including the variations in the care quality, time, and space (Smith, 1999). Variable determinants, like space, availability of recourses, personal experiences and skills can affect the environment and patient outcomes (Jarrin, 2012). Successful treatment of patients presenting with acute ischemic strokes is based on time and efficiency. The timely treatment with intravenous thrombolytic medication was associated with decreased mortality and morbidity rates (Fonarrow, Xin Zhao, & Smith, 2014). Therefore, effective treatment of stroke patients can be greatly affected by the various environmental determinants.