The metaparadigm of nursing is comprised of four parts: person, health, environment, and nursing. This concept is important to nursing theory, because those 4 parts are the key areas of focus when it comes to patient care.
Person
It may seem obvious that person refers to the patient himself or herself, but in this metaparadigm, the person can refer to more than one person, including the patient’s family members and friends. The nurse’s goal when dealing with the person is to nurture the patient and empower him or her to manage their own health to the best of his or her abilities. Nurses should make their patients feel like they truly care about their health and well-being.
Health
The next part of the metaparadigm of nurse theory construction is health. This refers to the patient’s wellness as well as his or her access to healthcare. Patients’ health refers to a large variety of aspects of the person’s wellbeing such as genetic factors, and also includes less obvious factors such as the patients’ intellectual, emotional, and spiritual wellness.
It is important to note that when assessing a patient’s health, health is not an absolute term, but a relative one. For instance, an 80 year old man who can do 5 pushups is likely considered to be in great health, where as an 18 year old man who can only do 5 pushups would typically be viewed as being less healthy compared to the average man his age.
Environment
The environment refers to everything around patients that impacts their illness and recovery. Environment in this instance is not limited to external factors and includes internal and social factors such as mental state, geographic location, culture, and personal relationships. It is very important for the patient to be in an environment that is conducive to his or her recovery.
Nursing
The final component in the metaparadigm of nursing is nursing. Nursing refers to all of the special skills that an individual must acquire to become a nurse including medical knowledge, technical skills, and any hands-on nursing care. While applying these skills, nurses must be sure to show compassion for their patients. A lack of empathy for patients will likely have a detrimental effect on the their health and recovery.
Conclusion
In order to be a complete nurse, an individual must attend to all aspects of the patients’ well-being. If done correctly, a nurse can be sure that he or she is providing the best care possible for the patient.