Three different theories are included in the self-care model of Dorthea Orem. These theories include the theory of nursing systems, the theory of self-care deficit, and the theory of self-care. As noted by Younas (2017), the theory of the nursing system explains how nurses use various systems to support the delivery of quality care to patients. The self-care deficit theory explains that there are instances whereby self-care needs outweigh self-care ability. On the other hand, self-care theory explains the importance of taking care of ourselves. Although Orem’s self-care theory assumes that all patients have common needs, in the ambulatory settings, patients are responsible for their care and there is self-reliance. Nonetheless, continued education, assessment, and monitoring are needed for self-reliance. Notably, care is delivered in a fast manner in the ambulatory surgical center. Patients remain in these settings for three to six hours. Hence, the focus of the nurse in this case must be on the psychological needs of the patients about the surgery. As a nurse, I should develop a good rapport with the patients to connect with them and be compassionate in providing high-quality care.
Watson’s theory of caring is used to support the experience of nurses by developing their behaviors and attitudes. In the theory, ten caring factors are outlined to promote holistic approaches to care. It is important to acknowledge that when theory is connected with practice, it is used to improve the satisfaction of the patients, improves the connection of the patients and nurses, improves the quality of care, and enhances the satisfaction of the nurses. According to Brousseau et al. (2017), it is important to provide patients with self-care education to improve their health outcomes even after they have been discharged. Compassionate attitudes should be shown to both the patients and nurses. As a nurse leader, I understand that showing compassionate and caring attitudes to the nurses is necessary for the delivery of care. This is because it makes them feel loved and they apply their potentials in the delivery of care. In my practice, I think I am a transformational leader because I utilize self-care theory to educate, motivate, and inspire nurses to deliver high- quality care to the patients. Moreover, I use the theory to build collaboration and teamwork in all areas of our organization. Transformational leadership ensures that nurses are self- motivated and self-directed.
In the current health care environment, there are various values, skills, and qualities that nurses must possess to provide quality and holistic care. The most important aspect of nurses is the ability to care. This is because caring is value, skill, and quality. Caring, as defined by Durkin et al. (2018) refers to the ability to care that drives the values, skills, and qualities of nurses. There are various values that a caring nurse should possess. These values include compassion, dignity, commitment, and courage among others. A nurse is said to be caring if he or she possesses skills like teamwork, proficiency, competence, cultural humility, effective time management, and effective communication among others. Additionally, nurses are said to be caring in they possess qualities such as mutual respect, kindness, trustworthiness, critical thinking, flexibility, and empathy among others. As a nurse, I must be able to self-reflect and identify some of my strengths and weaknesses that need to be developed to improve the quality of my practice.
If I have effective communication skills, I will listen keenly to the issues affecting my patients and I will provide the best solutions to these problems. As a diligent nurse, I will be determined to work even for extra hours to ensure that patients receive the best care. As nurses, we should have effective critical thinking skills and we should be confident in our work. According to Wadsworth et al. (2017), effective critical thinking skills are important because they help nurses to make effective decision skills whenever they are faced with difficult tasks. On the other hand, confidence in our job is important because it helps us work independently without needing supervision. Nurses must portray high standards of professionalism in their practice and they must adhere to the code of ethics. Moreover, as nurses, we have a common goal of improving the outcomes of the patients. Hence, we should adopt teamwork and collaboration since we are all different and we bring different sets of values, skills, and qualities to the table to deliver quality care to the patients.
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