Epulis during Pregnancy

ABSTRACT

Nursing is a practise which requires dedication, determination, hardworking and well trained nurses who should be conversant with issues affecting the community. Nursing practise require one to know so many things on the environment and how they affect our health and our wellbeing. As a result many theorist have come up with different theories to explain how various factors are affecting the wellbeing of people. This paper discusess the some those nursing theories.

Theorist such as Virginia Henderson have come up to explain theory such as the need theory. Another theory which has contributed mostly to the nursing practise and it still applied till today is the Environmental theory which was proposed by Florence Nightingale. This theory states that nurses should ensure cleanliness,  pure drinking water to patients to avoid patents from getting waterborne diseases, effective drainage system  and finally to ensure that patient are living in a quiet or noise free environment with fresh air. In doing this the nurse are contributing to the wellbeing of a patient and developing their lives, as unsanitary condition possess health issues (Alligood M.R, 2002). This theory will be useful to students who are practising nursing as they will be conversant on what is required of them in this field. Unhygienic conditions really affects many people’s lives by leading to spread of infectious diseases which mostly are contributed to poor environmental status. Communicable diseases are mainly caused by unhygienic environment where there is no fresh air or pure clean water to drink, hence these individuals end up getting sick. People should be educated about ways of maintaining a health and clean environment for the benefit of their health (George B. Julia, 2010).

Environmental theory was developed by Florence nightingale in the year 1820-1910. This theory incorporated the restoration of the health status. In this theory she stated that “nursing is an act of utilizing the environment of a patient in order to assist him or her recover” (Nightingale, 1860). In her theory it stated that external factors surrounding the patient may affect his development, biological and physiological processes. She also introduce some of the environmental factors which may affect a patient life. Pure fresh air, to ensure that patient drink pure water as contaminated water can cause epidemic diseases. Effectiveness of drainage system is another environmental factor that need to be looked at. If the drainage systems are not working well then can cause an eruption of a disease. Cleanliness is another greater part of nursing where the nurses are encourage to keep the environment clean at all time to prevent bleeding of germs which may cause an outbreak of a disease. Finally light is crucial to a patient live and health especially the direct sunlight. Hence any deficiency from any of these factors can affect the health status of a patient. Another point that is emphasized by this theory is the provision of a quiet or noise free and also warm environment to the patients. Furthermore attending to the dietary need of a patient is very important.  This can be done by assessing the time of food intake and evaluating its effects on a patient  (Nightingale, 1860).

This theory has been applied by theorist such as Florence and has proven to be effective. This theory was used during the Crimean War when she and her nurses attended to the injured soldiers by taking care of them and attending to their immediate need (Barbara Kozier, 2004 p.g 38). During this time communicable diseases and spread of infection were rampant in the early period. Till today this practise of environmental configuration based on a patient’s health condition is still practised.

Nursing theories are very important to nursing students as they can be able to understand what is really required of them. These theories help students understand their career more and understand what can be done at a particular moment in case of an occurrence.  The environmental theory can be applied in many ways in my area of studying as a nurse. I can apply this theory when dealing with patients who are infected with communicable diseases by ensuring that the windows are left open to allow fresh air to enter so as to minimize the spread of this disease. Furthermore I can use this theory so as to prevent infectious diseases from spreading. This can be done by ensuring that the drainage system are properly working, maintaining a clean environment to ensure there is no bleeding place for germs and ensuring that the patients get access to clean and safe water for drinking purposes. When one incorporate all the aspects of the environmental theory he or she can be able to develop well and have a good health. Also I will use this theory in my area of practise as a nurse by ensuring that patients who need a noise free environment are given this environment so as to help them recover better and faster without destructions.

After 5 years of practising nursing, I see myself opening a health care hospital where I will be giving services to patients at a lower cost, so as to ensure that more people get these services which are crucial to their lives. I also see myself developing programs relating to the health of the community. Such programs include offering education to the community on how to deal with health issues and how to avoid communicable disease and spread on infections. I would mostly major my programs in the remote areas where the cleanliness and hygiene level is low and some of these people are illiterate and the health care where they get treated are far from their homes. Hence offering this services to the community for free will be a great benefit to them and also to my career.

In conclusion the environmental theory is very important in nursing practise. This is because it educate the nurses on how to deal with diseases that are mostly caused by negligence and unhygienic conditions. This theory emphasizes more on the environmental aspect to be analysed and to be properly maintained in order to ensure that the health of a patients improves. Factors such as cleanliness, fresh air, pure water and maintaining an effective drainage system are among the factors which are mostly emphasized by the author (Afaf, 2005). As a nurse all this factors should be embraced and practised so as to ensure that we give our patients quality services and maintain their good health. Finally the community should be educated about the needs to keep their environment clean and ensure that their surrounding is hygienic in order to reduce the spread of diseases which are as a result of poor environmental status.

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