Chapter 4 Nursing Fundamentals
Domain
The perspective of a profession. *It provides the subject, central concepts, values and beliefs,
phenomena of interest,and central problems of a discipline.*
Paradigm
A pattern of thought that is useful in describing the domain of a discipline.
A paradigm links the knowledge of science, philosophy, and theories accepted and applied by the
discipline. The paradigm of nursing includes four links: the person, health, environment/situation, and
nursing.
Nursing paradigm
Directs the activity of the nursing profession, including knowledge development, philosophy, theory,
educational experience, research, and practice. The paradigm of nursing includes four links: the person,
health, environment/situation, and nursing.
Person
The recipient of nursing care, including individual patients, groups, families, and communities.
The person is central to the nursing care you provide.
Health
, Has different meanings for each patient, the clinical setting, and the health care profession. It is dynamic
and continuously changing.
*our challenge as a nurse is to provide the best possible care based on the patient's level of health and
health care needs at the time of care delivery.*
Environment/situation
Includes all possible conditions affecting patients and the settings in which their health care needs occur.
*Interaction between patient and environment has positive and negative effects on the person's level of
health and health care needs. Factors in the home, school, workplace, or community all influence a
patient's level of health and health care needs.*
Nursing
The diagnosis and treatment of human responses to actual or potential health problems.
*A nurse does not medically diagnose a patient's health condition as heart failure. However, a nurse will
assess a patient's response to the decrease in activity tolerance as a result of the disease and develop
nursing diagnoses of fatigue, activity intolerance, and ineffective coping.*
Nursing theory
A conceptualization of some aspect of nursing that describes, explains, predicts, or prescribes nursing
care.
Theory has value in helping nursing design interventions.
Theory
Contains a set of concepts, definitions, and assumption or propositions that explain a phenomenon.
Phenomenon
The term, description, or label given to describe an idea or responses about an event, a situation, a
process, a group of events, or a group of situations.
Examples of phenomena of nursing include caring, self-care, and patient responses to stress.
Domain
The perspective of a profession. *It provides the subject, central concepts, values and beliefs,
phenomena of interest,and central problems of a discipline.*
Paradigm
A pattern of thought that is useful in describing the domain of a discipline.
A paradigm links the knowledge of science, philosophy, and theories accepted and applied by the
discipline. The paradigm of nursing includes four links: the person, health, environment/situation, and
nursing.
Nursing paradigm
Directs the activity of the nursing profession, including knowledge development, philosophy, theory,
educational experience, research, and practice. The paradigm of nursing includes four links: the person,
health, environment/situation, and nursing.
Person
The recipient of nursing care, including individual patients, groups, families, and communities.
The person is central to the nursing care you provide.
Health
, Has different meanings for each patient, the clinical setting, and the health care profession. It is dynamic
and continuously changing.
*our challenge as a nurse is to provide the best possible care based on the patient's level of health and
health care needs at the time of care delivery.*
Environment/situation
Includes all possible conditions affecting patients and the settings in which their health care needs occur.
*Interaction between patient and environment has positive and negative effects on the person's level of
health and health care needs. Factors in the home, school, workplace, or community all influence a
patient's level of health and health care needs.*
Nursing
The diagnosis and treatment of human responses to actual or potential health problems.
*A nurse does not medically diagnose a patient's health condition as heart failure. However, a nurse will
assess a patient's response to the decrease in activity tolerance as a result of the disease and develop
nursing diagnoses of fatigue, activity intolerance, and ineffective coping.*
Nursing theory
A conceptualization of some aspect of nursing that describes, explains, predicts, or prescribes nursing
care.
Theory has value in helping nursing design interventions.
Theory
Contains a set of concepts, definitions, and assumption or propositions that explain a phenomenon.
Phenomenon
The term, description, or label given to describe an idea or responses about an event, a situation, a
process, a group of events, or a group of situations.
Examples of phenomena of nursing include caring, self-care, and patient responses to stress.
