Running head: PATIENT-CENTERED APPROACHES THEORY 1

Patient-Centered Approaches Theory

Name

Institution
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Patient-Centered Approaches Theory

Meaning

The Twenty-One Nursing Problems Theory also referred to as patient-centered nursing

approaches theory states that nursing is based on both the art and science part of it. According to

this model, the attitudes, scholarly competencies, as well as the practical skills of the individual

nurse is put into use to help individuals both the sick and those feeling well to cope with their

health demands (Lusk & Fater, 2013). The theory defined nursing as a comprehensive task that

involves various issues.

According to this model, it is vital that a nurse recognizes the nursing problems that a

patient has. Once this has been done, it allows a nurse to know the appropriate action to take,

particularly the relevant nursing principles to use. Once the type of care that a patient needs has

been found, it needs to be provided continuously until the total needs of the individual are met

(Lusk & Fater, 2013). In some cases, a nurse is forced to alter the total nursing care program to

meet the individual needs of a patient.

As the name suggests, it means that all the services needed are directed towards the

individual needs of a patient. While general knowledge might exist on how to deal with

particular patients, this approach forces a nurse to adopt a more direct strategy that can help in

maintaining a patient's well state of being. The nursing theory can also be used in home care and

in this case, a nurse can offer instructions to patients or their families to help deal with the

limitations that this individual might have. Emotional problems have been found to be a common

problem despite the kind of sickness a patient has. In this case, the model can help a patient limit

the effects of these problems (Lusk & Fater, 2013). In some cases, these nurses have to work

with various health professionals as a means of providing optimum healthcare.

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Origins of the Theory

The widely used theory today in nursing was developed by Faye Glenn Abdellah who is

considered a pioneer in nursing research. She argued that nursing has a typology consisting of

twenty-one elements of focus. When she came up with the model, it was considered a

progressive one because, during this time, nurses were instructed that diagnoses were not a

critical part of care. When she developed the theory, Abdellah was dealing with a patient who

required a nurse to understand her human needs (Kim & Kollak, 2006). One could argue that the

theory was modeled after the individual human needs of the patient with the inventor claiming

that certain specific needs affect the techniques used.

When Abdellah invented the theory, she meant it for use within hospital settings. With

time as the practice grew, proponents of this theory have noted that it can also be adopted in

community surroundings. While she developed this theory she used the term “she” to represent

nurses and “he” for doctors. It implies that when the nursing theory was developed, healthcare

settings had such kinds of specific divisions. While developing the theory she made certain

assumptions, arguing that change can affect the strategy a nurse uses. She also argued that it is

important for individuals to determine the interconnection between social enterprises and social

problems (Kim & Kollak, 2006). Her theory also had a belief that nurses were to receive some

kind of education, a factor that was considered unnecessary during this time.

Usefulness

The twenty-one problems typology has been used in the nursing process in various

instances, including in the assessment phase where the nursing problems identified in a patient

can be used to collect data. Today in nursing, nurses tend to collect pertinent data for all the
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problems they identify (McCormack & McCance, 2011). These problems can either be overt or

covert in nature, thus, determine whether to use a direct or indirect method.

The nursing theory has also been used in the nursing diagnosis problem and has

significantly improved this area. The results from the data collected can help in determining the

nature of problems that a patient has. Once the nurses have identified these particular problems

and group them into certain categories. The step has become consistent with what is currently

being done during the nursing diagnosis. Once the problems have been identified, a nurse can

plan using what are now the established goals (McCormack & McCance, 2011). The goals, in

this case, are important in determining the nursing interventions to use for a particular patient.

Testability

The fact that this nursing model has been adopted all over the world is proof that it has

worked in transforming the nursing practice up to the international standards. Today, nurses are

dealing with patients better because they adopt research in their activities. Her theory can also be

tested using the issue of nurse staffing and patient satisfaction. Abdellah pointed that there is a

critical relationship between the two (Lusk & Fater, 2013). Today, it has been found that

understaffing is a key problem in nursing that has led to negative outcomes in patient satisfaction

because a few nurses cannot meet the individual needs of patients.

Overall Evaluation

The model argues that understanding patient needs relies on learning to know a patient.

Today, one of the key nursing skills is observing the health status of a patient. She also argued

that while doing this, nurses need to sort out pertinent and substantial data. A nurse can only

attain this when one has communication skills needed to know a patient (McCormack &
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McCance, 2011). Application of knowledge is a nursing skill that according to Abdellah because

it allows for testing the various generalizations done during the diagnosis process.
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References

Kim, H., & Kollak, I. (2006). Nursing Theories: Conceptual and Philosophical Foundations,

Second Edition. New York: Springer Publishing Company.

Lusk, J. M., & Fater, K. (2013). A concept analysis of patient-centered care. Nursing Forum,

Volume 48, Issue No. 2, 89-98.

McCormack, B., & McCance, T. (2011). Person-centered Nursing: Theory and Practice. New

York: John Wiley & Sons.