The nursing metaparadigm concept is a theoretical framework comprising the fundamental concepts and principles of nursing practice (Nikfarid et al., 2018). It gives an all-inclusive and organized view of nursing and guides nurses to understand and deal with complex issues regarding patient care. Four interconnected domains make up the nursing metaparadigm: health, person, nursing and environment. This paper will examine the metaparadigm nursing concept where the four domains will be defined, two institutions will be analyzed, summarised, and then a reflection will be made.
Definition of the Four Domains
The first domain is the person, which is an individual that receives care. Florence Nightingale stressed the holistic nature of the person, where the physical body and social and psychological dimensions were to be considered (Pfettscher, 2021). Health is the second domain, the overall well-being comprising the mental, physical and social dimensions. Health does not only look at the absence of the disease but the general well-being of a person. Dorothea Orem, with Orem’s Self-Care Deficit theory, stressed the role of a person in keeping their health through self-care activities (Ali, 2018). Also, Betty Neuman with Neuman’s Systems Model was of the idea that health is a continuum; hence, an individual’s overall system needs stability.
The nursing domain entails diagnosing and treating human responses to real and possible health issues. Nursing comprises the art and science of caring for persons, groups, families and communities. Virginia Henderson, with Henderson’s Nursing Need theory, focuses on enabling patients to be as self-sufficient as possible to get the best possible results when discharged (Khan, 2023). Also, Jean Watson developed Watson’s Theory of Human Caring, which is interested in the role of the nurse-patient relationship and the transformative power of caring. Lastly, the environment is the internal and external aspects influencing the health and well-being of people. The environment comprises the social, economic, cultural and physical elements. Florence Nightingale developed an environmental theory emphasising the importance of a clean and supportive environment in promoting health and well-being.
Therefore, I can define the four domains of nursing metaparadigm as follows. A person is the individual who receives care. Environment is the internal and external factors surrounding a person and play a role in one’s health. Nursing is the skills and efforts directed to an individual in restoring their health and keeping them healthy. Health is the overall well-being of a person of interest. Because I believe that an individual receiving care and their interactions with internal and external factors, my philosophy as a nurse is to promote and care for individuals and support them through health and illness in order to ensure their overall well-being. The four domains fit well in my nursing philosophy in that each domain has a role in ensuring that the outcomes of the nursing practice are maximized.
Analysis of the Two Institutions
The mission of Miami Dade College Benjamin Leon School of Nursing (BLSON) is “to change lives through accessible, high-quality, evidence-based education.” I will compare this with Johns Hopkins. Johns Hopkins Medicine’s mission is to enhance the community’s and the world’s health by setting the standard of excellence in research, clinical care and medical education. Therefore, based on the mission of these two institutions, one of the similarities is that they are both interested in education that improves nursing practice. However, one notable difference is the approach to nursing. Johns Hopkins Medicine tends to have a broad view of its mission, whereas BLSON needs to disclose the scope of its services explicitly.
Summary
The main point of this text is the concept of the nursing metaparadigm, which is the theoretical framework that entails the basic concepts and principles of nursing practice. The nursing metaparadigm comprises four domains: person, an individual receiving care; environment; and internal and external factors affecting an individual’s health. Health is the overall well-being of an individual. Nursing is promoting and caring for people and supporting them through health and illness. My nursing philosophy matches up with the philosophy of Johns Hopkins Medicine in that, as a nurse, I promote and care for individuals and support them through health and illness. I will improve the community’s health, which is part of Johns Hopkins Medicine’s philosophy. The conclusion about my nursing philosophy is that I will promote and care for individuals and support them through health and illness without favouritism.
Reflection
I experienced an “a-ha” moment when working on this assignment. I realized that understanding the four domains of the nursing metaparadigm and their interconnectedness is crucial to any nurse who aspires to excel. What I learned about myself is that I can easily connect with patients, and this can enhance service delivery. My nursing philosophy will guide me to serve all people without favouritism.
References
Ali, B. H. I. (2018). Application of Orem self care deficit theory on psychiatric patient. Annals of Nursing and Practice, 5(1), 1–3.
Khan, K. (2023). COMPARISON OF TWO NURSING THEORIES: VIRGINIA HENDERSON’S” NEED THEORY” AND” PEACEFUL END OF LIFE THEORY”. Journal on Nursing, 13(1).
Nikfarid, L., Hekmat, N., Vedad, A., & Rajabi, A. (2018). The main nursing metaparadigm concepts in human caring theory and Persian mysticism: a comparative study. Journal of medical ethics and history of medicine, 11.
Pfettscher, S. A. (2021). Florence Nightingale: Modern nursing. Nursing Theorists and Their Work E-Book, 52.