Nursing
Name
The theory of interpersonal relations
Being a nurse is what I always wanted in my life. This field has allowed me to save lives, offer health services to my patents, and also to improve their way of living. This is all I wanted to be. Nursing covers a lot of things and includes several theories, approaches, philosophies, and beliefs. Under these, nursing is defined in a variety of ways. It is for this reason that nurses hold different thoughts and opinions about nursing. Various researchers conducted studies and came up with theories that help in explaining what nursing is all about. Nursing theories are critical because they help nurses to comprehend and understand their role as nursing professionals. All theories and concepts are vital to the field of nursing. However, in my case, I believe that Peplau’s theory of interpersonal relations best describes what nursing is and what it entails. The theory focuses on how a nurse and patient have to work together for them to achieve specific results. It is a middle-range theory that is most useful and applicable to modern nursing.
To better understand the theory, it is essential to look at the author. Peplau was born in 1909 and is said to be one of the earliest theorists interested in what nursing entails as a profession. Peplau studied nursing in 1931 after which she enrolled for a degree program in Interpersonal
understand more about his or her health issues and learn from such problems so as he or she can develop new behavior patterns. On the other hand, the nurse also develops a better understanding of how universal stressors affect the behaviors and lives of individual patients.
The Peplau theory involves four main phases that are associated with the nurse-patient
relationship. The first one is the orientation stage. Here, the two act as strangers. This stage is
essential because it determines the relationship that will be established between the patient and
the nurse. Here, it is imperative to develop good rapport and trust with the client (Gastmans,
2012). At this phase, the patient talks about the problem that he or she wants the nurse to help in
solving. The second phase is identification. Here, the nurse educates and enlightens the patient.
Here, the main focus is on building respect and finding a way to work together in an attempt to
meet the patient’s needs (Peplau, 1997). The next phase is exploitation which involves the
modification of the patient’s behavior. The reason for this is that it is easy to meet the needs of
the client by modifying behavior. This means that the patient may not entirely depend on the
help of the nurse. The last phase is termination. At this stage, the client becomes able to
I believe in the power of interpersonal relationships in nursing. This is why the Peplau theory
informs my way of organizing my critical thinking and decision making. I always involve my
patients in the process of providing care and addressing their needs. I consider the thoughts of
my clients and their needs before making decisions about their health. I believe that by closely
working with them, we can move in the same direction and achieve positive results at the end. I
always focus on building trust with the patients and ensuring that we respect each other. This is
what I believe is best for both the patient and me as a nurse.
Personal definition of nursing, person, health, and environment
Nursing practice can be defined using four paradigm concepts which include nursing, person,
health, and environment. These are the ones that explain how nursing should function as a
discipline. The four theories point to a holistic view of care in which medical health, as well as
the well-being of an individual, forms the fundamental nature of nursing (Gastmans, 2012).
There are different definitions of the four components of the nursing metaparadigm. However,
the following is my personal definition of nursing, person, health, and environment.
In my view, this concept focuses on nursing interventions or actions. It involves what nurses do
and how they do it. Under this component, there is a focus on delivering optimal health results
for the clients through the establishment of a mutual relationship between the patient and the
caregiver. For this to be achieved there must be a caring and safe environment. The nursing
principle is centered on the nurse as a professional. It applies technology, skills, knowledge,
professional judgment, collaborations, communication, and much more. All these ensure that the
nurse undertakes the duties and responsibilities that are expected in achieving positive health
outcomes (Bandman & Bandman, 2002). It means that this concept focuses more on the delivery
of high-quality health services and the well-being of a patient.
Person
This concept focuses on the patient or the individual who is receiving care. Further, it includes
the family members of the patient together with other groups that are important to him or her. In
giving care, it is essential to consider the social, spiritual, and health care needs of the patient. It
means that the way the person interacts with the various social and physical connections
Further, I believe that this component involves the empowering of the patient to achieve better
management techniques and focus on his well-being. Patients are taught to do this with
self-preservation and dignity. This is important because the patient may not be under the caregiver all
the time. As such, when offering health services to a patient, it is important to consider his
background, beliefs, and overall needs.
Health
Health involves how well the patient is and his access to health care services. This involves the
various aspect of wellness which includes mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and
so on. This component also consists of the personal lifespan as well as the genetic composition
of the patient. In addition to this, the health concept focuses on how all the above aspects are
integrated to achieve optimal health benefits. It means that all these factors are essential in
determining the well-being of a patient. Lastly, this component of the nursing metaparadigm
includes the ability to access healthcare as well as the availability of resources to improve the
well-being of an individual.
This is the last concept of nursing metaparadigm. In most cases, we think that the environment
involves external factors. However, here, I believe that environment includes the internal,
external, as well as the social factors that influence an individual’s health. This involves how a
on his or her wellness. person interacts with the surroundings and the effect such factors have
These include the interactions with family members, friends, physical factors, culture,
technology, geographic locations, and much more (Bandman & Bandman, 2002). However, the most important thing under this component is that an individual can modify his or her
environment to achieve a better health status. This means that an individual can influence his or her wellness.
Two beliefs that influence my nursing practice
Various nursing beliefs and values affect how nurses perform their duties. The two beliefs that guide my practice include beneficence and veracity. Beneficence refers to the act of kindness, mercy, charity that comes from an urge to do good to other people (May, Champion, & Austin, 1991). It involves the moral obligation for healthcare providers to do what is right. With this, I like doing good things, and that is why I chose this profession. I love helping others, especially in areas where patients need more understanding or are fearful of the outcomes. As such, I always do what I believe is right in an attempt to achieve better health outcomes. I always do the right thing and help patients do what is right.
life-threatening situation or lifestyle changes. Therefore, I believe that if I want to retain the trust I have gained from my patients, I need to be honest.
Personal communication styles
As a nurse, I believe that it is essential to have excellent communication skills. This is helpful when communicating with the patient or other healthcare professionals. I am good at
communicating verbally. Also, I like being an active listener. These skills help me in
communicating with various people with whom I interact in my workplace. For instance, I am part of an interdisciplinary team, and our unit holds an IDT meeting every Wednesday for new patients, those returning from other facilities, as well as behavioral and noncompliance issues. Our team is made up of a physician, social worker, chaplain, wound care nurse, dietician, pharmacist, recreation, physical and occupational therapist, a CAN and me as a charge nurse. Also, we invite the patient and a family member to our meetings. These meetings help us to get updates on the progress of the patients and listening to the concerns of the patient or family members (Orem et al., 1995). This is important in improving patient care through
References
Peplau, H. E. (1997). Peplau's theory of interpersonal relations. Nursing science quarterly, 10(4),
162-167.
Gastmans, C. (2012). Interpersonal relations in nursing: a philosophical‐ethical analysis of the
work of Hildegard E. Peplau. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 28(6), 1312-1319.
May, F. E., Champion, V., & Austin, J. K. (1991). Public values and beliefs toward nursing as a
career. Journal of Nursing Education, 30(7), 303-310.
Bandman, E. L., & Bandman, B. (2002). Nursing ethics through the life span.
