The Importance Of Environment As A Mediating Presence Essay

The concept of environment and its integral role in the delivery of nursing care was among the first identified and documented nursing theory since its early days. Florence Nightingale pioneered the profession of nursing and along with it, pioneered the concept of nursing theory. Her environmental theory was patient focused and incorporated five environmental components needed to promote health. Jarrin (2012) supported that the role of nursing is to promote the best possible environment for the patient to assist in their natural reparative process. According to Rahim (2013), as considered as the profession’s first nurse theorist, Florence Nightingale provided the essential foundation in environmental theory. She believed

Roy believes nursing as a key player to help patients to develop coping mechanism and positive outcome from the constant stimuli exposure. Roy’s goal is for the patient to achieve adaptation leading to optimum health, well-being, quality of life, death with dignity, and finding in life by participating in their own care (Roy & Andrews, 1999.)

For example, the hospital. This environment is one of the main ones exhibited throughout the novel. This is one environment that interacts in both a positive and negative way. The hospital interacts in a positive way by trying to save Lia’s life and provide the best health assistance for her and her epilepsy. However, it also acts in a negative way as well. The medical professionals do not seem to value Lia’s family’s wishes in regards to her health, and they tend to cross boundaries in regards to her beliefs (Fadiman 1997).

Florence Nightingale’s nursing theory is probably the most well known in the nursing profession. “Patients are to be put in the best condition for Nature to act on them. It is the responsibility of nurses to reduce noise, to relieve patients’ anxiety, and to help them sleep” (Theories of Florence Nightingale, 2012). This theory emphasizes that environmental factors and adaptation is the basis of holistic nursing care. This theory is important in my opinion because it ensures that the center of focus is on the patient. When patients are hospitalized making them comfortable in a new and strange environment is important to me. Eliminating noise at the nursing station and turning down the lighting in the hallways at night are just a few ways that nurses can improve the environmental factors surrounding patients. During hospitalizations I strive to eliminate any anxiety that my patient may be experiencing. Upcoming procedures and treatments can cause tremendous stress. Simply by providing sufficient information regarding treatments or procedures can be beneficial in reducing anxiety or

In this paper the author provides a real life example of the application of applying Florence Nightingales environmental theory to a practice setting. In an article published in the RN Journals a staff nurse writes about her experience as a floor nurse on an oncology unit and how the surroundings were anything but pleasant. The color of the unit was dark; there was dirty carpeting that lined the unit. Families had nowhere but the hallways to grieve the loss of loved ones and the worrying environment was depressing. This nurse took it upon herself to bring her concerns to hospital administrators; she stepped out on a limb and became the patient family advocate with using the premise of the Florence

The nursing theory consists of four major concepts including person, health, environment, and nursing. According to the Fundamentals of Nursing, these four concepts “… give nurses a comprehensive perspective that allows you to identify and treat patient’s health care needs at all levels and in all health care settings.” (Potter & Perry, 2009, p. 40) Florence Nightingale’s theory was one of the first models for nursing. The focus of this theory was that nursing consists of caring through the environment and helping the patient overcome their symptoms and changes in function related to their prevailing illness. It also focuses on the manipulation on the environment for the potential benefit of the patient. Florence “… had always seen to the heart of things- that the real nurse must be a dedicated being- that

I believe environment in nursing is having an atmosphere where everyone can function appropriately. When I say that, I am referring to being in a place where co-workers are able to ask questions and we are able to lean on one another. An environment where patients feel comfortable asking the doctors’ questions or even asking the nurses questions without feeling inadequate. The environment of the hospital helps play a huge role in patient care because if we work in a stressed place we then in turn display that in our care.

The Environmental Theory by Florence Nightingale defined Nursing as “the act of utilizing the environment of the patient to assist him in his recovery” (Alice Petiprin, 2014). It involves the nurse’s initiative to make environmental settings appropriate to aid in the recovery of the patient’s health. According to Nightingale all external factors are somehow associated with the patient and affects their life physically, mentally, and socially (Alice Petiprin, 2014).

The concept of environment and its integral role in the delivery of nursing care was among the first identified and documented nursing concept since its early days. Florence Nightingale pioneered the profession of nursing and along with it, pioneered the concept of Nursing Theory. Her Environmental Theory was patient focused and incorporated five environmental components needed to promote health. Jarrin (2012) supported that the role of nursing is to promote the best possible environment for the patient to assist in their natural reparative process. It dates back from the time of ancient Greek philosophers and historians, including Plato, Hippocrates, and Aristotle, whose works are studied by Nightingale in her early years. According to Rahim (2013), as considered as the profession’s first nurse theorist, Florence Nightingale provided the essential foundation in environmental theory. She believed that some laws of nature, when applied and integrated into nursing care, can assist individuals in restoring their health during their illness, and, in those who are already healthy, promote health and prevent illness.

Each individual is a holistic, adaptive system, in constant interaction with internal and external environment. There are four major concepts of the Roy Adaptation Model: person, environment, health, and nursing. All concepts are addressed in a way that health becomes a result of adaptive processes. A person must be able to cope with internal and external

She stated in her nursing notes that nursing "is an act of utilizing the environment of the patient to assist him in his recovery" (Nightingale 1860/1969), that it involves the nurse 's initiative to configure environmental settings appropriate for the gradual restoration of the patient 's health, and that external factors associated with the patient 's surroundings affect life or biologic and physiologic processes, and his development. She defined in her environmental theory are the following factors present in the patient 's environment: pure or fresh air, pure water, sufficient food supplies,

Florence Nightingale developed the environmental model theory of nursing. Nery, (2015) states that Florence Nightingale’s environmental theory of nursing, “focus primarily on the environment, interpreted as all external conditions and influences that affect the life and development of an organism, that are able to prevent, suppress or contribute to disease and death.” The four metaparadigm concepts of this theory consist of person, environment, nursing, and health. Within this theory, the patient is being cared for by the nurse, has been influenced by the environment, and has reparative powers (“Nursing Theories, 2011). Nightingale’s theory does not have a clear definition of the person; however, it can be inferred that the person correlates “in relation to the environment and the impact of the environment on the person’s health status” (Butts & Rich, 2018). The highlight of Nightingale’s theory is the environment. Both the external and internal environment needs to be in sanitary conditions. The environment concept of this theory contains “physical, psychological, and social” factors (“Nursing Theories, 2011). The goal of the nurse is the control the patient’s environment to achieve ideal health for the patient. Nightingale’s theory did not define health; however, she stated that nature itself can heal ailments (Butts & Rich, 2018). Nightingale (1859) stated that health is ‘not only to be well, but able to use well every power we have to use it.”

article that we analyzed in class. List the four ways Roy defines “environment” and discuss each definition, and include an appropriate example from your clinical experience (or from your own personal experience with illness).  Do you find Roy’s ideas about the importance of “environment” in nursing practice useful?   Why or why not?

Nursing has made much advancement since Nightingale Environmental Theory but the focus on a healthy environment has remained the same. Pulliam (1997) noted in her article that Nightingales’ theory formed a solid foundation for nursing: fresh air, cleanliness, clean water, warmth, proper drainage, plenty of light, and stress free environment provided an optimum environment for healing.

The discipline of nursing is characterized into four metaparadigm concepts. The first concept is person. I believe that nursing requires me to think of each person as an individual and take time to be with that person using human-to-human interaction. Working in the emergency room I try my best to listen to each patient with proper eye contact to provide the visual cues of compassion. The second is environment. My nursing philosophy also incorporates all of the patient’s surroundings and their situation that may be causing an illness or a nursing need. It could be the people