NOLA PENDER THEORY
The introduction of nursing theory has huge impact on nursing practices today and days to come. Imagine having a guideline that directs you on how to handle various situations in your professional? If you are thinking of any guideline in the field of nursing, then it must be the nursing theory. The nursing theory refers to an organized framework with define mechanism which helps and guide the practice of a nurse. Nursing theory can also be defined as propositions, concepts and assumptions that can aid nurses to explain the kind of the disease and predict its behavior over time. There are several theories that a nurse can use to help in handling different situations in the field of nursing as well as handling different kinds of patients. Today, nurses are using these theories in their day to day activities to deliver high-quality patient care (Irimi & Gottschling, 2016). The nursing theories also enable the nurses to have a better working relationship between them and patients which has resulted in better communication and advanced patient care.
Florence Nightingale’s Environmental Theory was the first theory that dates back to 1880 in the field of nursing. This proves how important and crucial nursing theories are having been introduced in such an early time in history. After Florence Nightingale’s Environmental Theory, several theories emerged where several nurses developed their theory basing their argument on the working experiences which have contributed to modern changes in the field of nursing (Irimi & Gottschling, 2016). Among the numerous innovators in the art of theory in nursing, majority of them express the need to observe factors and features that could affect and impact the overall health of the patients. These theorists strive to express their concern on the care of patients which goes beyond the physical illness. Out of many theories I have come across, I find Nola Pender to be more interesting and influential compare to the others and I decided to use it as my subject in this essay. Nola Pender theory proves to us that she gave her patients an environment that was conducive and safe that assured health promotion and care.
Pender’s Health Promotion Model has many benefits as the nursing field is concerned. The best example that I can use to fully explain Pender’s Health Promotion Model is as follows. Imagine having a patient who is overweight and has developed a respiratory-related complication. You then proceed on questioning the lifestyle of the patient. You find out that the patient is a smoker and is used in eating food that is high in calories and proteins. This information about the patient lifestyle will help you have enough information to suggest changes in the patient’s lifestyle, habit and surroundings that will improve the patient’s overall well-being. An overweight patient who is a smoker and feed on excess proteins has a higher chance of developing respiratory diseases (Ramona-Elena & Gottschling, 2016). Getting the patient quitting smoking, feeding on lesser proteins and begin an exercise regimen will not only reduce the respiratory disease but as well lead weight loss of the patient.
The general idea of Nola Pender theory is to influence and encourage people to change their surroundings, habit and lifestyles to prevent the occurrences of diseases that they would have prevented. Her theory emphasizes o preventing rather than curing. This concept of preventing rather than curing is a crucial mechanism that I will do my best to instil in every patient I come across. The main goal of Nola Pender’s theory was to encourage nurses to work beyond their specified obligations. Nurses are encouraged to educate their patients on how to give up their unhealthy practices and replaces them with healthy behavior to prevent health complications.
Nola has much accomplishment in the field of nursing where she held two top positions. Between 1991 and 1993 she was the president of the American Academy of nursing while still holding a position as a member of the research America’s Board of directors. Between 1998 and 2002, Nola was a member of the United States Preventive Task Force. After her retirement, Nola still worked together with other specialists to ensure that the field of nursing is delivering as per expectations of the public. Nola was born on August 16, 1941, in Lansing Michigan.
At this era, many only believed in educating their boy child while the girl child was expected to married after puberty. I strongly believe this was unfair as every child should be given equal rights. Nola parent did unthinkable by educating their daughter to higher learning having her parent strongly believing in higher education for women. At the age of seven, Nola experienced her aunt being administered by the nurses in the hospital. She developed an urge to help the sick and later decided to pursue a career in nursing. 1962, Nola was 21 when she graduated from the school of nursing at Suburban Hospital in Oak Park. Three years later, she did a master’s degree in human growth and development. In 1969, Nola moved to Evanston where she did her PhD in Psychology and education from the Northwestern University.
Nola’s model became and still is a strong model in nursing that encourages all stakeholders in the field of nursing to work together to achieve patient well being that is beyond physical healing. Nola was emphasizing on identify the source of an ailment rather than just treating the ailment. She was encouraging nursing to work beyond the actual role of a nurse. for example, a nurse advising a patient on how to manage his or her finances to have enough money for medicine, food and school fees. Nola theory concentrated on three distinct areas. A patient’s life practices and characteristics, behaviour-specific perceptions and affect and finally behavior outcomes. The theory explains the unique features of each patient. Nola believed that when nurses understand the differences in different patients, they will recognize how these features affect their doings.
Nola’s Health Promotion Model was developed from her interaction with e adolescents and the adult in the field f nursing. Nola’s model has enabled many organisations to come up with campaigns that help to change the lives of others which some of them are not in the field of nursing (Joseph, 2016). For example, a research Unit under Nola’s theory guidance developed a program called ‘Girls on the move‘ that helps to instil healthy living of the girl child in the society.
Being in the field of nursing, am willing to follow the steps of Nola and maybe come up with my Nursing theory. I am delighted on how Nola managed to study in an era when the boy child was given the priority of studying compared to the girl child. In this field of nursing, I will make sure I work beyond my line of duty. I will encourage my patients and their families the appropriate lifestyles and habits that will reduce the chances of health complication. I will also work hard to ensure I become one of the successful nurses as Nola.
Pursuing a career in nursing is a calling as evident in the life Nola. She had a successful career having held top positions in bigger organisations. Nola developed a health Promotion Model which emphasizes on nurses working beyond their line of duty. Nola’s model has been successful in having been used by several organisations and research organization. Finally, I can conclude by saying Nola is one of the nurses that had fully impacted the field of nursing using her model.
Reference
Irimia, R. E., & Gottschling, M. (2016). Taxonomic revision of Rochefortia Sw. (Ehretiaceae, Boraginales). Biodiversity data journal, (4).
Ramona-Elena, I., & Gottschling, M. (2016). Taxonomic Revision of Rochefortia Sw. Biodiversity Data Journal, 4.
Joseph, P. (2016). Conceptual application of Pender’s Health Promotion Model in promotion of adolescent mental health and coping abilities through schoolteachers. International Journal of Innovative Research and Advanced Studies, 3(11), 72-73.