Application of Concepts from Watson’s Theory of Caring 

Application of Concepts from Watson’s Theory of Caring 

Nursing theories form the foundation of nursing science. All nursing interventions implemented by nurses must follow the theoretical foundations of nursing. The views offer a framework that guides nurses in their day-to-day practice. The theoretical framework of nursing theories suggests and directs nursing practice. They also teach nurses to handle any obstacles and barriers they may face when providing nursing care. There are three main categories of nursing theories. They include grand nursing theories, mid-range nursing theories, and nursing practice theories. The great nursing theories are broad and offer insights into nursing practice (Alligood, 2021). Mid-range nursing theories are simple and straightforward and guide nursing strategy protocols (Alligood, 2021). Practice-level approaches have limited scope and are used for specific nursing situations (Alligood, 2021). Common nursing theories include environmental theory, self-care deficit theory, and the theory of human caring.

Outcome of Nursing Practice that Can Be Improved

The rate of falls in geriatric patients aged sixty-five years and above is the nursing practice outcome selected. This healthcare outcome requires implementing a quality improvement project in hospitals to reduce the risk of falls. Hospital falls are the second leading cause of unintentional mortalities globally (de Souza et al., 2019). Patient falls negatively outcomes on patient safety and negatively impact the healthcare delivery industry. It increases mortality, increases hospitalization, and decreases the quality of life. Geriatric patients are particularly at a higher risk of suffering accidental falls. They are frail and have many chronic conditions, such as dementia, which reduce their cognition levels. The national benchmark for falls in the United States is a rate of 3.44 falls/1000 patients, with approximately 25% of falls being injurious (Venema et al., 2019). Hospital falls are expensive, and they cost the hospital financially. Hospital falls cost $ 7000 per injury, and it is one of the reasons why reimbursements are not done (Venema et al., 2019).

Clinical Nursing Theory

Concept A

Geriatric patients aged 65 years and above are debilitated. Due to old age, the human body undergoes physiological and anatomical deterioration. This puts these patients at risk of suffering from many healthcare conditions. They also suffer from chronic healthcare conditions such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, stroke, and arthritis, among others. These patients also suffer from psychiatric illnesses. They may suffer from neurocognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. These conditions reduce the cognitive functioning of these patients, resulting in memory loss and lack of coordination (Tiwari et al., 2016). These symptoms increase the risk of geriatric patients falling, especially when ambulating around hospital rooms. This Concept will be measured by collecting data from self-reporting and incident reporting in hospitals.

Concept B

Risk assessment of falls among hospitalized patients indicated that geriatric patients aged sixty-five years and above are at higher risk of having unintentional falls in hospitals. This is even worse in healthcare facilities with many geriatric patients, such as nursing homes. Many risk assessment tools can be applied. The one that will be used for geriatric patients is St Thomas’s risk assessment tool. This tool has five components: a history of falls, visual impairment, agitation, transfer and mobility, and incontinence (Castellini et al., 2017). Geriatric patients will suffer from injuries during unintentional falls in hospitals. These injuries can result in healthcare complications such as stroke, concussion, fractures, and brain hemorrhage (de Souza et al., 2019). Risk for falls will be measured with evidence-based tools such as St. Thomas.

Proposition

The relationship between Concept A and Concept is direct proportionality. Concept An immediate results in Concept B. Geriatric patients are Concept A while the risk of falls is Concept B. Geriatric patients are at a higher risk of falls. This is because of old age and issues related to old age, such as poor cognition and physical impairments. For research purposes, the independent variable is geriatric patients aged sixty-five years and above. The dependent variable is an unintentional fall episode in a hospital. The accidental fall episode is dependent since it occurs due to old age. Its occurrence depends on many aspects. Fall prevention strategies aim to reduce the rate of unintentional falls (dependent variable)

The clinical nursing theory developed for this paper is that the age of sixty-five years and above is a risk factor for unintentional falls in hospitals.