Application Of Nightingales Theory In Nursing Practice

As the title suggests, this article focuses on applying Nightingale’s Environmental Theory in nursing practice. Nightingale’s theory focuses on the environment. The author claims that theories guide nursing practice by providing a model for a body of knowledge. 

This article has examined a clinical case of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease through Florence Nightingale’s Environmental theory that focuses on various aspects of the environment such as light, ventilation, noise, hygiene, bedding, food and personal cleanliness.

Major assumptions of this theory include natural laws, the idea that people can become perfect, nursing as a distinct aspect of healthcare and providing nursing care by altering the environment that requires education. Nightingale believes that if the environment of the patient is modified according to these canons, it speeds up recovery. 

Nightingale has offered a base to provide holistic care to patients and this theory can be applied today to improve nursing practice. However, people need to be educated at clinical and community level about basic environmental hygiene.

  • Kamau, S & Rotich, R. (August 2015). Application of Florence Nightingale’s Model of Nursing and the Environment in the management of Multiple Drug Resistant

Tuberculosis Infected Patients in the Kenyan Setting. Open Access Library Journal. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280882235_

Theories aim at guiding nursing practice. The Heartland National Tuberculosis Center states that it is challenging for nurses who are new to Tuberculosis control and prevention to provide care to patients. A gap between nursing theories for practice as taught in the classroom and actual nursing practice was observed.

This study aimed to determine if Nightingale’s theory can be applied to nursing care of drug resistant tuberculosis infected patients in Kenya. Nurses who work in resource limited settings have been using the medical model that could not respond to several of their issues associated with the care of tuberculosis infected patients. 

According to Nightingale’s Theory of Nursing, nurses can alter the environment of patients to provide the best conditions for healing. The basic concepts in the theory are ventilation, clean water, drainage, cleanliness, light, nursing aid, manipulation of environment and nursing observation.

Nursing theories form the base of evidence-based practice in today’s world thus nurses in Kenya too should adopt a theory. This study is a review which applies Nightingale’s theory of Nursing on drug resistant tuberculosis infected patients in Kenya. Data collection is an important aspect of a research study because it allows researchers to test hypotheses and determine outcomes. Data collection methods may differ but honesty and accurate collection remain significant.

It has been found that environmental changes such as ventilation, quarantine and proper administration of drugs improved the health of tuberculosis patients. Authors have concluded Nightingale’s nursing theory guides nursing care for patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis for improving nursing practice and quality of care.

This is a theoretical and reflective study which aims to examine the environmental theory of Florence Nightingale according to Johnson and Weber’s model. According to this theory, the environment needs to be balanced to prevent disease or to speed up the healing process. She stresses that the environment must be maintained to facilitate healing and living processes such as cleaning, ventilation, heat, light, noise, smell and food to ensure recovery.

Theory is analyzed on the basis of boundaries, meaning, concepts, and development of propositions, assumptions and knowledge for explaining and predicting concepts that influence nursing practice. Authors have concluded that the theory has presented clear meaning of ideas, clear boundaries, 90 percent understanding, fundamental ideas, developed ideas, hypothesis and variables for understanding and explaining propositions. Therefore this theory can be applied to improve the practice of nursing by changing the environment.

Part 2

Nightingale’s Theory of Nursing focuses on altering the environment to improve patient outcomes. However, people need to be educated regarding the application of this theory. I believe Nightingale’s nursing theory will have a strong influence on my nursing practice. Since I am interested in family nursing therefore I will be working with families and communities. Therefore, I will need to understand the environment of patients and the community on the whole to ensure their well-being. For instance, the biggest issue is pollution in cities therefore for asthmatic patients;

I would recommend moving to the suburbs if the symptoms are too severe or modify their surroundings in their homes such as removing carpets or pets and opening windows for ventilation. I will record the medical history of patients and recommend modifications according to the nature of their disease.

During the patient’s stay in the hospital, I will observe the influence of the environment on the patient and create a plan that the patient will be encouraged to follow after being discharged from the hospital. This plan will include the use of transportation, eating and sleeping habits etc.

I will educate people about the influence of the environment on their health and how it can be modified to promote wellbeing. I believe that the application of this model to nursing practice will allow me to deliver quality care to people.