Good example of health belief model essay

As a nurse, understanding health education helps one to solve many medical challenges facing patients. Unless people understand key concepts about their health, it is, however, the role of nurses and other stakeholders in the health care sector to ensure that people understand these concepts.

Part 1

In my nursing experience, I had the opportunity to interact with a patient who was suffering from lung cancer. The patient who was a chain smoker believed that death is inevitable, and his fate was already predetermined long before he started suffering from lung cancer. He did not believe that his smoking habit has resulted to lung cancer, and he quoted names of people who had started smoking before him and were still healthy. It was challenging to explain to the [patient how his smoking habit had affected his lungs and contributed to the rapid spread of the lung cancer. Rehabilitation did not seem to help much since the patient believed that his destiny in life was already predetermined, and nothing could save his life.
This patient was suffering from lung cancer but did not believe that such a behavior would lead to lung cancer. If I had applied the health belief model, I would have changed the perspective, which would have helped the patient and maybe reduced the rate at which the cancer was spreading. The patient was convinced that his smoking habit had no effect on his health condition, and it was natural for anybody to get sick. An understanding of the health belief model would have enabled me to convince the patient to stick to his rehabilitation program(Newman, 2007); nicotine addiction is a strong one that takes time for an addict to stop(Corcoran, 2007). Teaching the patient on the health effects of nicotine on individual health would have been a suitable approach in helping the patient to quit smoking.

Part 2

Question 1
Patient discharge needs to be well addressed by nurses to avoid readmission cases, there are different theories used in training nurses on patient discharge; these theories also apply in other areas since nursing is a process with patient discharge being on the final stages of this process(Parker & Smith, 2010). The theories used in teaching patient discharge include the practice theory; this theory explains how nurses are supposed to fulfill the goals of patient discharge. There is also the general system theory; this theory gives nurses a better understanding of human health at different stages of a disease; a nurse is able to discharge a patient at the right time. Using the Grand theory a nurse is able to understand how treatment works and the best time that a patient should be discharged (Peate, 2010).

Question 2

Implementing education and nursing theories is a key approach towards delivery of quality health care. In many clinical situations, nurses are faced by various challenges that require the implementation of various nursing theories to develop solutions. Nursing theories enable nurses to improve their skills, which results to quality health care delivery (Kleef & Werquin, 2013). Nurses in management level can use the education and nursing theories to motivate the staff and improve the working environment. There are barriers that exist in the implementation of change in the clinical environment; these barriers can be avoided by applying the theories of nursing in implementation of change (Kim, 2006). Nursing is a practice that requires continuous learning, implementation of the learning theories is one of the best approaches in appreciating the role of education in nursing. A nurse can only develop if he/she understands the different theories involved in practice, which are guiding principles in nursing.

References

Kim, H. S. (2006). Nursing theories conceptual & philosophical foundations (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Springer Pub. Co.
Kleef, J., & Werquin, P. (2013). PLAR in Nursing: Implications of Situated Learning, Communities of Practice and Consequential Transition Theories for Recognition. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 14(4), 651-669.
Newman, D. (2007). Nursing Theories: Conceptual and Philosophical Foundations.. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 57(6), 668-668.
Parker, M. E., & Smith, M. C. (2010). Nursing theories and nursing practice (3rd ed.). Philadelphia: F. A. Davis Co..
Peate, I. (2010). Pioneering Theories in NursingPioneering Theories in Nursing. Nursing Standard, 24(43), 30-30.
Russell, P. (2010). Cognitive and Behavioral Theories in Clinical PracticeCognitive and Behavioral Theories in Clinical Practice. Nursing Standard, 24(37), 30-30.
Corcoran, N. (2007). Communicating health strategies for health promotion. Los Angeles: SAGE.