Ernestine Wiedenbach Helping Art of Clinical Nursing

Ernestine Wiedenbach

August 18, 1900 - March 8, 1998

BIOGRAPHY

• Born on August 18, 1900, in Hamburg, Germany

• Bachelor of Arts from Wellesley College in 1922

• Registered Nurse’s license from the John Hopkins School of Nursing in

1925.

• Masters of Arts from Teachers College, Columbia University in 1934.

• Certificate in nurse-midwifery from the Maternity Center Association

School for Nurse-Midwives in New York In 1946

• Assistant professor of Obstetric nursing in 1954

• Associate professor and was the director of the major in maternal and

newborn health nursing.

• Died on March 8, 1998.

Nursing

is the practice of identifying the

needs and behavior of a client. Nurses

ascribe to an explicit philosophy. Basic

to this are:

(1) Reverence for the gift of life;

(2) Respect for the dignity, worth,

autonomy, and individuality of each

human being; and

(3) Resolution to act dynamically in

relation to one’s beliefs.

Person

In her theory, a person may be a nurse or

a patient who is endowed with a unique

potential to develop self-sustaining

resources. People generally tend towards

independence and fulfillment of

responsibilities. Self-awareness and self-

acceptance are essential to personal

integrity and self-worth.

Person

May be a nurse or a patient who is endowed with a unique potential to develop self sustaining resources

Health

Not defined

Nursing

Is the practice of identifying the needs of a patient through observation of symptoms, behavior of the patient, finding what causes those symptoms, assessing If the patient is able to resolve the discomfort and determining the need for help from the nurse or other health care team

Environment

Conglomerate of objects, policies, settings, atmosphere, time, human beings, happenings (past, current, or anticipated) that are dynamic, unpredictable, exhilarating, baffling and disruptive

Philosophy

attitude or belief towards life

Essential Components of Philosophy Reverence for life

Respect for the dignity, worth, autonomy, and Individuality of each human being Resolution to act on personally and professionally held beliefs

Purpose

which the nurse wants to accomplish through her actions

Art of Nursing

understanding the patients needs, developing goals and actions intended to enhance the patient's ability and directing the activities related to the medical plan to improve the patient's condition

Practice

consists of the observable nursing actions affected by beliefs and feelings about meeting the patient's need for help

THE HELPING ART OF NURSING

: PRESCRIPTIVE THEORY

central purpose

which

the practitioner recognizes

as essential to the

discipline.

prescription

or the

fulfillment of central

purpose.

realities

in the

immediate situation that

influence the central

purpose

The Patient

Any person who has entered the healthcare system and is receiving help of some king, such

as care, teaching, or advice; n

A Need-for-Help

“Any measure or action required and desired by the patient that has the potential to restore

or extend the ability to cope with the demand implicit in his situation”. It is crucial to the

nursing profession that a need for help be based on the individual perception of his own

situation.

Nurse

is a functioning human being. The nurse not only acts but thinks and feels as well.

For the nurse whose action is directed toward the achievement of a specific purpose,

thoughts and feelings have a disciplined role to play.

Practice

Weidenbach believed strongly in patient care. The practice of nursing involves

identifying a patient’s need for help, administering the help that is required and

determining whether or not the actions were helpful to the patient. Practice is also the

act of performing nursing tasks related to patient care.

Education

1. It is responsible for the preparation of future practitioners of nursing.

2. It arranges for nursing students to gain experience in clinical areas of the hospital

or in the homes of patients.

3. Its representatives may function in the clinical area and work closely with the staff.

4. It offers educational opportunities to the nurse for special or advance study.

Research

In Weidenbach’s theory, the focus of nursing research is related to the

patient’s response to the healthcare experience. Her theory promotes

family relationships, control factors that disable conditions, and use

healthcare practices. For instance, Weidenbach’s concept of need-for-

help was used as a focus for doctoral research that was completed in

1988.

CLARITY.

The concepts and their definitions are clear and consistent all throughout, although Weidenbach presented various components and subcomponents, making the

SIMPLICITY.

Overall, the theory is simple due to its various components with complementary subcomponents. The idea if these concepts are clear and easy to follow because they are achievable and realistic in nature.

GENERALITY.

The theory has a broad scope, and it does not require any special knowledge beyond what is expected of the nursing profession. It can be applied by any nurse and is not nursing-specialty specific. The theory applies specifically to the planning and implementation phase of the patient-centered care plans based on

ACCESSIBILITY.

Since the theory is patient-centered, the actions related to the concepts of the theory can be altered to meet the patient’s needs. And since one of the sources of the theory is Weidenbach’s personal clinical experience, assumptions and concepts are clinically relevant.

IMPORTANCE.

Weidenbach’s theory fulfills the purpose for which it was developed –

to describe professional practice