The Living Tree of Nursing Theories
The Living Tree of Nursing Theories is developed using three major behavioural theories, developmental, interactive, and systems theories. The tree provides a framework for nurses to understand various nursing theories. The tree encompasses the trunk, the roots and the branches.
The roots of the tree encompass four meta- paradigms, identified as the person, health, nursing, and the environment. Person refers to the individual or groups which the nurse is associating with, in a medical way. The person can also be referred to as a client or patient (Ellis et al. 2014). Health is described as the ideal level of a person’s capability in relating to the environment. A disabled person who is functioning normally and has adapted to the environment can be considered healthy. Environment refers to the place where therapeutic interactions take place. The environment can be hospitals, freestanding clinics, schools, nursing homes, organizations, or homes. Nursing encompasses developing a strategy for assessment of the person, planning for the diagnosis, evaluation, intervention, and care for the person he/she is interacting within a therapeutic environment.
The branches of the Living Tree of Nursing are the three theories that develop the tree. The branches are the interactive model, the developmental model, and systems model. The interactive model stresses the importance of the interpersonal relationship between the person and the nurse ((Broadbent, 2014). Interactive model major on pointing out interpersonal problems and suggesting the interventions which help to promote the interpersonal relationship between the nurse and the person. The systems model perceives the person as a complex being who react to a world of trouble continuously (Jacob, 2018). The developmental model assumes that the process of growth and maturity, which is directional and has an orderly purpose. At any level of practice, both beginners or advanced, nurses mostly use the root part of the tree since it is the most crucial aspect of practice in the profession.
References
Broadbent, M. (2014). Nursing theories and conceptual frameworks. In Fundamentals of Nursing, 3rd Australian Edition (pp. 40-56). Pearson Education Australia.
Ellis, K. K., Anderson, K. M., & Spencer, J. R. (2015). The Living Family Tree: Bridging the Gap Between Knowledge and Practice in a Family Nurse Practitioner Program. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 11(5), 487-492.
Jacob, S. R. (2018). Theories of Nursing Practice. Contemporary Nursing E-Book: Issues, Trends, & Management, 75.