Nurse's Role

Several nurse theorists have already defined nursing. All of their theories has been tried and tested and it has affected our utilization of nursing services or the standards of care we give to our patients:

“…what nursing has to do…is to put the patient in the best condition for nature to act upon him.” – Florence Nightingale

“The care circle explains the role of nurses, and focused on performing that noble task of nurturing the patients, meaning the component of this model is the “motherly” care provided by nurses, which may include limited to provision of comfort measures, provision of patient teaching activities and helping the patient meet their needs where help is needed.” – Lydia Hall

All of these can be summed up in one word…COMFORT. Comfort is a concept that has a strong association with nursing. The term itself represented a relaxed, healthy, peaceful, and individualized condition. Nurses traditionally provide comfort to patients and their families through interventions that can be called comfort measures. The intentional comforting actions of nurses strengthen patients and their families. When patients and families are strengthened by actions of health care personnel (nurses), they can better engage in health seeking behaviors. 

Reference: 

Kolcaba, K. (2010, May 17). The comfort line: Frequently asked questions. Retrieved from The Comfort Line website: http://www.thecomfortline.com/FAQ.html

Comfort Care in Various Healthcare Disciplines

Kolcaba’s comfort theory is not relevant only in the nursing field, but also engages the other healthcare disciplines. When providers of health care are driven to the same goal of making comfort available, the needs of the patient is adequately met. Furthermore, improvements in health seeking behaviors as well as institutional integrity is experienced. The following case sample illustrates comfort care continuity across the various healthcare fields.

Mr. S. is a 45-year-old Canadian man who has just been admitted to the ICU postoperative cardiac surgery. He has had an uneventful coronary artery bypass graft with no complications in the operating room. He is intubated and placed on complete mechanical ventilation. His vital signs are: blood pressure (BP) 150/90 mm Hg, heart rate 86 beats per minute, respiratory rate 12 breaths per minute, and temperature 35.3[degrees]C.

The surgeon caring for Mr. S. is familiar with Kolcaba's comfort theory and structures the orders accordingly. The target systolic BP for Mr. S. is less than 130 mm Hg and the surgeon's postoperative orders include BP medications and intravenous morphine sulfate for pain. In addition, the surgeon prescribes an nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, ketorolac, to be administered to the patient once it has been determined that they are not bleeding excessively and have acceptable renal function. This close attention to treatment of pain represents a comfort intervention instituted by the surgeon that not only addresses a particular healthcare need of the patient but also recognizes the importance the surgeon has placed on of the relief form of comfort. There is a standing order in place for warming patients postoperative coronary artery bypass graft.