Nursing theory (Posts)

 Florence Nightingale was one of the first nurses to document the impact of the built environment on patients, and she understood that these environmental aspects significantly contributed to health outcomes. Nightingale’s theory can be applied to the concept of environment when preventing HAPI’s in that the surface patient’s lay on and how often they are turned directly impacts their skin and risks of pressure injuries. Pressure injuries are major health, safety and quality of care issues for patients and healthcare organizations (Latimer, S. Chapoyer, W. Thalib, L. Mclnnes, E. Bucknall, T. Gillespie, B, 2019) and therefore it is important to know how to prevent them. One-way Nightingale’s theory of do no harm can be applied to the concept of this environment is by making sure patients are being turned every 2 hours, and that nurses are rotating their positions. Changing the positions of patients who are unable to do so themselves is the responsibility of nursing staff, and therefore an environmental cause. The second way is by reducing linens, pads and briefs used in the hospital setting. Excess padding can lead to more pressure sores, therefore this another environmental cause.

     We can also use Nightingale’s theory to address the major environmental problem described in the trailer, “An Inconvenient Truth.” This video describes that the 10 hottest years ever measured have all occurred in the past 14 years, and that we are causing global warning. This is not a political issue, but a moral issue (An Inconvenient Truth Trailer, 2006). Nightingale’s theory is to do no harm, and this video is portraying that society is harming this world. To address this major environmental problem, Nightingale’s theory would suggest that we focus on environmental management by driving more fuel-efficient cars, riding public transport to decrease gas, and decreasing the amount of food that is wasted each day. These ideas would all help improve global warning, thus leading to cooler temperatures. 

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