Nightingale And Kolcaba's Nursing Theory

Throughout my professional career and my education, I have had the pleasure of learning about many different theorists. Having said this, there are two theorists that I feel are shaping my own personal nursing philosophy. These two theorists are Florence Nightingale and Katharine Kolcaba. The theories are Nightingale’s Environmental Theory and Kolcaba’s Theory of Comfort. Florence Nightingale’s Environmental Theory was created from the results of her direct observations during the Crimean War. Nightingale witnessed a connection between the patients who passed away and their environment. The foundation for the theory is that the patient’s environment must be altered in to order to directly change his or her health. In order for a nurse to create the optimal conditions for a patient to heal, the nurse must alter the patient’s environment. The major concepts of the theory are also Nightingale’s Canons. They are ventilation and warming, light and noise, cleanliness of the area, health of the house, bed and bedding, personal cleanliness, variety, offering hope and …show more content…
Both theories are patient-care theories. These theories focus on the care of the patient, rather than the individual nurse, the nursing process and the relationship between the nurse and the patient (Nursing-Theory.Org, n.d.). Nightingale emphasizes the importance of the patient’s environment, which will in turn help the patient’s body to heal itself. Kolcaba highlights the importance of the patients comfort. The goal of good nursing care is to make sure that the patient is comfortable. A patient’s environment must be comfortable in order for the healing process to begin. A patient must have all the seven canons addressed in order for the patient to be comfortable. Essentially, Kolcaba’s theory is a “useful middle range theory that addresses Nightingale's environmental principles of providing care” (Shu Hua, 2017, p.

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