No. 15 To promote
the development of productive interpersonal relationship
By: Grace Orunmuyiwa
To Abdellah, Nursing is a service to
individual, families and society. The goal of nursing is the fullest physical,
emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual functioning of the client which
pertains to holistic care. Abdellah averred that Nursing is based on an art and
science that moulds the attitude, intellectual competence and technical skills
of the individual nurse into the desire and ability to help people, sick or well,
cope with their health needs.
This means that nursing is a body of
knowledge which can mould the individual’s attitude to becoming an intellectual
competent nurse who has the ability to help people, sick or well.
That means for the nurse to be able to
use Abdellah’s frame work for the assessment and plan of her duty, she must be
competent and knowledgeable.
Anyway let us consider the use of
Abdellah’s typology of 21 nursing problems – specifically, looking at number 15
as it affects our care of our clients and their recovery.
This states: to promote the
development of productive interpersonal relationship.
This is very necessary especially
those of us who work with very ill and chronic patient - ranging from CKD,
Acute renal failure, and even some induced kidney disease. Most of these
patients need their families and significant others to be with them to
encourage them before such procedures that will last not less than four hours
so as a nurse who works in the renal dialysis unit. Abdellah’s model of nursing
can equip me with specific guide line as to how I can help better understand
and manage these patients with good care and grace – by at least allowing their
family members and significant others to come in and see them even if it is for
few minutes.
I would like to cite another case of
one of my patients who never relaxes during her sessions of dialysis. But as
soon as she hears her husband’s voice, she will start smiling and relax and can
even sleep. Thus some patients many a
times will relax and finish their section of dialysis only when a nurse or
doctor touches and pats on their back. This explains the development of
productive inter personal relationships and it,s good effect on our very ill
patients.
Thirdly, in the natural parlance, if
you are in a state of dilemma and you see your relation, you just feel that God
has sent you a relief. Also when you are in trouble, you naturally will request
for a close family member or other significant others – this interpersonal
relationship, exchange of ideas and a sigh /huge of relief.
Even in our day to day work as
ordinary hospital workers, I have seen patients who are being wheeled to the
theatre and they request for their wife/husband to be allowed to see them,
otherwise they will not go. As soon as you allow their loved one to see them,
they will huge a sigh of relieve and can make such comment like “ I can go now
to the theatre and come back”. Some of them will hug them tightly, some will
shed tears of joy and of relief while some will express feeling of goodness and
of joy – like I feel good and on top of the world.
Abdellaah averred that the promotion
of the development of productive interpersonal relationships – allows the
patient’s significant others to stay with the patient before and after the
procedure. This we can see from the examples and instances given above that it
allows for bonding, expression of love, joy, care and promotes interpersonal
relationship.
After allowing their family members
and significant others to see them, that nurse who carried out that procedure
of allowing patient to bond and love is also rewarded with a smile and a good
kind word from both the patient and his relations.
CONCLUSION: The use of Abdellah’s
concept of health, in nursing has been proved to be of good result especially
in the area of caring for the very ill and chronic patients who need one
invasive, procedure or another life saving/life maintenance procedure to exist.
This is because many a times they need the support of their family members and that of the significant others.
Reference:
1. Abdellah
F. G. & Levine E. (1965) Better Patient Care Through Nursing Research. New
York: Macmillan
2. George
J. (1995) Nursing Theories: The Base for Professional Nursing Practice 3rd
edition Norwalk CN: Appleton and Large
3. George
J. (2002) Nursing Theories: The Base for Professional Nursing Practice. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Prentice – Hall inc.
4. http://www.Nursingtheories.blogspot.com/2009/07
nice i love it
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