Class 502 Unit 4 Comment 1

Purpose: Comment the Discussion (Class 502 Unit 4 Comment 1

Thing to Remember:

Answer this discussion with opinions/ideas creatively and clearly. Supports post using several outside, peer-reviewed sources.

1 References, find resources that are 5 years or less

No errors with APA format 6 Edition

To Comment

The Synergy Model (SM) is a common nursing theory that provides a strong framework for nursing care. It involves seeing every person and family as different, while also seeing every person and family as similar, in terms of health and wellness needs (Montgomery, Sutton, & Pare, 2017). The goal of the SM theory is to reach the best possible health by blending the healthcare environment, the nurse's ability and the needs of the patient.

The Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) is a non-nursing theory that describes behavior as ever-changing due to the interactions of a person's physical and social surroundings, a person's beliefs and attitudes, and a person's actions (Joseph, Ainsworth, Mathis, Hooker, & Keller, 2017). A central part of the SCT is self-efficacy, which is the belief in one's own ability to meet a goal. Self-efficacy determines what actions a person takes, what results that person anticipates, and how that person will persevere when faced with obstacles (Mailey, Phillips, Dlugonski, & Conroy, 2016).

There are many ways practitioners bring these two separate theories together to provide meaningful patient care. For example, in a palliative care setting a practitioner can use the SM theory to assume her patient has basic needs for physical care and pain control, while knowing at the same time he is unique, having been affected by his past experiences. Because of his uniqueness, the practitioner knows that a cookie cutter plan of care will not be effective. Based on the SCT model, she also knows that his physical and social surroundings will affect his needs. As the patient's spouse is no longer able to care for him at home and he now resides in an assisted care living facility, the practitioner is now prompted to re-evaluate his plan of care.

Another example of implementing the SM theory along with the SCT theory can be seen in a practitioner's interaction with an infant's mother in a pediatric primary care clinic. Following the SM theory, the practitioner sees the basic wellness needs of an infant to receive her scheduled vaccinations. At the same time, the practitioner can see the SCT. The mother notes her concern that vaccinations might cause harm, even autism. The mother has self-efficacy at work and feels strongly about her goal of having a healthy baby. Due to her knowledge of the SCT, the practitioner is capable of understanding where the mother is coming from and can then help develop a plan that the mother can support- such as implementing a delayed vaccination schedule.

Both the synergy model and the social cognitive theories provide insight to the practitioner which allows her to develop and carry out a healthcare plan that the patient and family can support. These theories help guide the practitioner to provide meaningful patient care no matter the specifics of a situation.

References

Joseph, R., Ainsworth, B., Mathis, L., Hooker, S., & Keller, C. (2017). Utility of social cognitive theory in intervention design for promoting physical activity among African-American women: A qualitative study. American Journal of Health Behavior, 41(5), 518-533. doi: 10.5993/AJHB.41.5.1

Mailey, E., Phillips, S., Dlugonski, D., & Conroy, D. (2016). Overcoming barriers to exercise among parents: A social cognitive theory perspective. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 39(4), 599-609. doi: 10.1007/s10865-016-9744-8

Montgomery, S., Sutton, A., & Pare, J. (2017). Rural nursing and synergy. Online Journal of Rural Nursing & Health Care, 17(1), 87-99. doi: 10.14574/ojrnhc.v17i1.431