Johnson Theory of Nursing

Definition

Johnson's theory of nursing believes that humans are behavioral systems made up of seven subsystems.

Description

Johnson's theory of nursing, also known as the behavioral systems model, was created by Dorothy Johnson. She was born on August 21, 1919 in Georgia. She attended Armstrong Junior College, from which she received her A.A. in 1938, and Vanderbilt University from which she received her B.S.N. in 1942. She also attended Harvard University from which she received her M.P.H. in 1948. She taught pediatric nursing at Vanderbilt University and later at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Johnson believed that humans are behavioral systems made up of seven subsystems. These subsystems are:

• achievement—to deal with goals, goal setting, goal attainment
• affiliative—to form relationships and relate to others
• aggressive/protective—to protect oneself, to respond to threats
• dependency—to obtain feedback about the self, to recognize need for dependence upon others
• eliminative—to eliminate waste, to express feelings
• ingestive—to intake nutrients, to obtain knowledge
• sexual—to develop gender based identity, to have sexual relationships, to procreate

The seven subsystems interact with each other and are all interrelated and interconnected. They are also acted on by external factors. Johnson believed that the environment was constantly acting on the subsystems, and that the environment was made up of everything outside the person, including other people, cultural factors, and environmental factors such as temperature. When the seven subsystems are not all in balance the behavior exhibited by the person will not be optimal. Johnson believed the goal of nursing was to help the patient to restore the subsystems to balance to achieve the best possible functioning behavior.

Johnson believed that there are four possible things that can be wrong with a subsystem and cause it to become out of balance. The first is insufficiency, when the subsystem has not developed fully or does not get enough of something. The second is discrepancy, which is when the subsystem is not working in a way that leads to the optimal goal state. The third is incompatibility, which is when subsystems conflict, and the fourth is dominance, which is when one subsystem is always used even though it might not be the best to lead to the goal state or most functional behavior.

When the nurse diagnoses a problem with a subsystem Johnson believed that the nurse should act to help restore it to balance. This can be done by helping the patient regulate his or her behavior by restricting it, by altering the external or internal environment to lead to balance, or by providing the patient with nurturance, stimulation, and protection to help the patient have the opportunity to restore balance himself or herself.

http://www.novelguide.com/a/discover/genh_0002_0003_0/genh_0002_0003_0_00477.html

read more...

King Theory of Nursing

Definition

The King theory of nursing was developed by Imogene King and encompasses a conceptual framework of interacting systems (personal, interpersonal, and social systems), and a theory of goal attainment based on King's transaction process model.

Description

King's theory of nursing refers to both a conceptual framework and a goal attainment theory developed by Imogene King. King graduated from St. John's Hospital School of Nursing in 1945 with a degree in nursing, and received a Bachelor's of Science degree from St. Louis University, also in nursing, in 1948, and a Master's of Science in Nursing from the same institution in 1957. In 1961 King graduated with a doctor of education degree from Teachers College, Columbia University. Imogene King has taught at many universities including Loyola University in Chicago, Ohio State University, and the University of South Florida. She also has many years of nursing experience including nursing in hospitals, physician's offices, and schools.

The conceptual framework that King developed involves three interacting sets of systems. On the smallest level are personal systems, comprised of individuals. Examples of personal systems are individual nurses and patients. The second level of systems are interpersonal systems, or groups. These are generally small groups. A family is an interpersonal system, and when a nurse and patient interact they also form an interpersonal system. The largest systems are social systems, or societies. Examples of social systems are religious organizations, universities, and hospitals.

The theory of goal attainment, which lies at the heart of King's theory of nursing, exists in the context of her conceptual framework. The essence of goal attainment theory is that the nurse and the patient work together to define and reach goals that they set together. The patient and nurse each perceive, judge, and act, and together the patient and nurse react to each other and interact with each other. At the end of this process of communication and perceiving, if a goal has been set a transaction is said to have occurred. The nurse and patient also decide on a way to work toward the goal that has been decided upon, and put into action the plan that has been agreed upon. King believes that the main function of nursing is to increase or to restore the health of the patient, so then, transactions should occur to set goals related to the health of the patient. After transactions have occurred and goals have been defined by the nurse and patient together, both parties work toward the stated goals. This may involve interactions with other systems, such as other healthcare workers, the patient's family, or larger systems.

After the transaction has occurred, and the goal has been set, King believes that it is important for good documentation to be practiced by the nurse. She believes that documenting the goal can help to streamline the process of goal attainment, making it easier for nurses to communicate with each other and other healthcare workers involved in the process. It also helps to provide a way to determine if the goal is achieved. This assessment of whether or not the goal has been successfully achieved plays an important end stage in King's goal attainment theory.

http://www.novelguide.com/a/discover/genh_0002_0003_0/genh_0002_0003_0_00487.html

read more...

Henderson Theory of Nursing

Definition

The Henderson theory of nursing encompasses a definition of nursing, a description of the function of a nurse, and the enumeration of the 14 components that make up basic nursing care.

Description

The Henderson theory of nursing was developed by Virginia Henderson. She did not believe that she was setting out a theory, and preferred it to be thought of as a definition. Whether it is considered a definition or a theory, it has had a wide influence on concept and practice of nursing.

Virginia Henderson was born on November 30, 1897, in Kansas City, Missouri. She began her nursing education in the U.S. Army School of Nursing during World War I, from which she graduated in 1921. She also received a Bachelors of Science degree in 1932 and a Masters degree in 1934 from Teachers College, Columbia University. She also taught at Teacher's College, and at the Yale School of Nursing. She died March 19, 1996, when she was 98 years old. The Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Library is named in her honor.

The definition of nursing is the fundamental part of Henderson's theory of nursing. Henderson defined nursing as doing things for patients that they would do for themselves if they could, that is if they were physically able or had the required knowledge. Nursing helps the patient become healthy or die peacefully, and also helps people work toward independence, so that they can begin to perform the relevant activities for themselves as quickly as possible. Rather than focus on a particular task, Henderson focused on the patient. She saw how nursing could focus on the patient, and how it was possible to focus on developing a good nurse-patient relationship. This deeply affected her and she believed strongly that patient-focused nursing was the most beneficial kind of nursing for the patient.

Henderson also enumerated the 14 functions she believed to be part of basic nursing care. The nurse should help the patient to perform the following functions:

• eat and drink
• breathe
• move
• sleep
• dress
• work to gain a sense of accomplishment
• maintain normal body temperature
• eliminate wastes
• keep clean
• communicate
• participate in recreation
• worship
• avoid dangers or hurting others
• learn and discover

http://www.novelguide.com/a/discover/genh_0002_0002_0/genh_0002_0002_0_00412.html

read more...