ANursing Theory and
Model
for Occupational
Health Nursing
Shirley
L.
Baughn,
R.N., M.S., C.O.H.N.
Mrs. Baughn is astaff nurse at Whirlpool
Corporation, Evansville, Indiana.
Duri ng recent years nursing has been struggling to
establish itself as a
scientific
discipline, with its
own
scientific
body of knowledge. An important,
essential factor in the growth of any
discipline
is the
development of theory. A theory is a scientifically
acceptable general principle
which
governs practice.
Atheory may also be proposed to explain observed
facts.
In the interval of the past few years, much has been
written in the nursing literature pertaining to nursing
theory, and , more basic,about nursing concepts.
Concepts are necessary both to serve as a broad
foundation for nursing practice and to provide a
theoretical basis for research into nursing practice.
All
theories of nursing have underlying basic
assumptions
which
are arrived at after considering
different aspects of a specific
concept
The theory of
nursing pursued in this study has been formu lated
after
seriously
considering
the
concepts
and
assumptions in regard to man, stress, adaptation,
nursing, and healttVweliness.
Man is a biopsychosocial
cuitural
being who can be
located at any given time somewhere along the
continuum
of health-illness-wellness.
High-level
weIIness involves adirection in progress toward a
higher potential of functioning. Any concept of
nursing must begin with the recipient of nursing care,
which is man. The basic needs of man are the
ingredients of high-level wellness for the individual.
Man cannot live without experiencing some degree
of stress all the time. Stress plays a major role
in intensifying patients' actions and reactions to
Occupational Health Nursing, January 1977
environmental stimuli. Stress can be a beneficial
experience whereby apatient learns ways of coping
with future stressful situations. Some individuals are
better equipped to cope with stress than others.
According
to adaptation theory, man is an organism
in
constant
interaction
with
his
changing
environment To respond positively to environmental
changes, man must
adapt
Man's adaptation may
either decrease or increase his successful functioning
as an individual.
Nursing is an open system reacting with the patient
and his environment The unique function of the nurse
is to assist the individual,
sick
or well, in the
performance of those activities contributing to health
or its recovery. The practice of
clinical
nursing is
goa~directed,
deliberatively carried out. and patient-
centered. One of the functions of nursing is to support
and promote patient adaptation. This
will
involve the
two factors of assessment and intervention. In her
assessment of the patient. the nurse
will
recognize his
position on the health-iIIness-wellness continuum and
will
determine the effectiveness of the coping
mechanisms which he is using to adapt to his
situation. Next. the nurse
will
intervene appropriately
to promote the patient's adaptation.
Exploration
of
the
foregoing
concepts
and
assumptions led to the formulation of the following
theory of nursing which,although developed within
the framework of an industrial setting
with
the primary
goal being to retain ahealthy worker at the optimum
level of health, is both general and specific enough to
apply to
all
areas of nursing practice. Nursing is an
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