The Neuman Systems Model Theory

As a provider of care, professional nurses depend on research, theories, and evidence based practice to guide the care they provide to patients. Nurses deliver care to their patients based on information they have learned through many years of school and training. Training for nurses and other providers of care is founded on theories, research, and evidence based practice in the healthcare field. Theories, research, and evidence based practice are all important for providing care to patients and each can be used in a different manner depending on the situation. Clinicians often use research based evidence to design and implement care that is high-quality and cost effective for patients. Evidence based practice can be used to provide care to patients in a steadily changing clinical environment. (PDF page 8-9). Nursing theories are frequently used as frameworks for establishing nursing care interventions and assessing

designed to guide the practice of nursing” (Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing, 2012). Nursing theories can help patients, managers and other healthcare professionals to recognize what and how much that nurses do contribute to the healthcare field. I never did realize how important theories in nursing practice could be until I became a nursing student myself. Nurses use theories in their everyday practice, but never think about them as being

Nursing theories have been a fundamental tool used to explain, guide and improve the practice of nursing. Theorists have contributed enormously to the growth of nursing as a profession. The four grand theorists I chose are Virginia Henderson, Peplau, Myra Levine and Jean Watson. These theorists have contributed tremendously in the field of nursing through their theories, and research. One thing the theorists have in common is that they are patient centered. They are all concerned on ways we can improve our responsibility to the patients, their families and the environment. They have different ideas but they are all aiming towards achieving the same goal, which is patient satisfaction and safety. Their differences are in their areas of

The profession of nursing has, in recent years, been trying to further develop, test and use proposed nursing theory. To utilize theory appropriately, in all domains of practice, education and research, it is important to know how to describe, analyze and evaluate

Betty Neuman is a renowned nursing theorist who developed the Neuman System Model. This model emphasizes stress and the impact it can have on patients and nursing care. Key concepts of this theory include preventions, stressors, and lines of defense. Neuman also addresses the metaparadigms of nursing, health, human being, and environment in relation to her model. The Neuman System Model is recognized by nurses across the globe, and a Neuman System Practice Center has been established to help develop her theory (Gigliotti, 2012, p. 298). This theory can be utilized in any nursing care and is inspiration for other nursing theorists.

quality of patient care, and can be implemented in practice, to provide solutions to nursing

Nursing was, for my sixteen year old self, taking care of the sick. Little did I know the complexities of that definition. Still, taking care of the sick was interesting enough to make nursing my major. I started practicing nursing years ago. However, I still struggle defining and explaining my profession to others. I usually start by differentiating nursing from medicine. Nurses see patients as humans rather than a disease that needs treatment (Zaccagnini & White, 2014, p. 15). However, as I advance my career, I must actively incorporate nursing theory into my practice. Nursing theory gives a foundation to understand patients and their health problems better. The use of nursing theory provides a framework to evaluate nurses’ interventions on a higher standard (Zaccagnini & White, 2014). Kenney described five steps to follow once the decision to include nursing theory has being made. This paper will explore the process of applying the Kenney’s five steps into my practice.

The two theories that have helped to form my personal perspective on nursing are Erickson; and Rogers. Helen Erickson’s model is based on caring for an individual patient based on their own unique needs and perspective (Nursing Theories and Models, 2017). Erickson’s model took concepts from several other theorists such as Maslow, Padget, Seyle, and Lazarus and combined them to create a nursing model that takes care of each individual patient based on their needs ( Reed, 2017). This theory helps me to be more cognizant of the individual needs of my patient, not all patients regardless of disease process are the same. Each patient may have different underlying factors or circumstances that affect their health and current situation. Rogers’ theory is broader, viewing nursing as both an art and science, promoting health and wellbeing to patients regardless of where they are (Nursing Theories and Models, 2017). The science of nursing involves the knowledge and research of nursing, and the art is applying that science for the betterment of the patient. This theory views an individual as part

Parker, M. E., & Smith, M. C. (2010). Nursing theories & nursing practice (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Co.

When reading any nursing theory, it is very easy to be overwhelmed by the expansive language and details used by each theorist. Some theories appear to contain concepts that are “down to earth” and very logical, while others are very “theoretical” and abstract. By understanding the basic definitions of the nursing paradigms and how they applied to each theory, we can use that information to better understand the sometimes-complex concepts that are being detailed in each nursing theory. We can explore how each theory is different and alike by using these four (4) nursing paradigms: nursing, health, person, and environment.

Neuman systems model. The NSM identifies that any system has boundaries meant to protect a single client, family, or social issue within the system (Neuman & Fawcett, 2011). The model is dynamic with a continuum of variables that influence the stability of the system. The influence, such as stressors, can alter the system or restore the system. A principle of the NSM is optimal wellness represented as the greatest degree of system stability (Neuman & Fawcett, 2011). The NSM theory asserts nursing to care for a complex systsem, requiring an approach to assimilate and adapt into the system.

Utilizing Neuman’s Systems Model as the framework, a random assignment, comparative experimental research design is proposed. Implementation of PR for COPD patients to optimize their health in a disease state would represent a tertiary level of practice intervention per Neuman’s Systems Model. The concepts being explored include, the comparison effect of a nurse led home-based PR program verses a nurse-led primary care office based PR program verse no PR program for patients who have had an acute hospital discharge within the past 15 days. The variables to be measured include hospital readmission for a period of one year after completion of the PR program or 10 weeks post enrollment, lung function defined by the measurement of

My philosophy compares favorably to current trends in nursing theory. Most Grand Nursing Theories are far from prescriptive in their guidance and nurses today view these theories as doctrinaire and pedantic. They often are difficult to put into practice at the bedside. There has been little change in the Grand Nursing Theories in the last 10 years and recent theoretical work focuses on

In relation to the contribution of prescription opioid to opioid crisis, Neuman systems model is applied for positive outcome in practice settings. We may obtain the nursing goal of wellness through retention and attainment of client system stability, which can decrease or prevent opioid addiction and overdose. According to Neuman’s model, the total system interacts with the environment and the flexible line of defense forms the outer barrier to the normal line of defense of the client system (Butts & Rich, 2015). In this clinical problem, state, federal aids, or organizations that control electronic prescription controlled substances should be a flexible line of defense and cushions to serve as a protective buffer system by monitoring ad controlling

The impact of nursing theories continues to provide a framework for guidance for patient centered care. Nurses continue to use these theories to provide beneficial knowledge in advancing their profession. Kearney-Nunnery (2012) describes the function of the conceptual model as a reference point and has been used to supply information to nursing scholars. One of these scholars that uses this model is Betty Neuman with the development of Neuman’s Systems Model. Neuman’s Systems Model refers to the individual, family, group and community as the client system and how they react when confronted with stress (Kearney-Nunnery, 2012). The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding into to Neuman’s Systems Model, how it can improve patient care, and how it is used in nursing practices.