According to Meleis (2011), “The Nursing Theory is a conceptualization of some aspect of nursing that describes, explains, predicts, or prescribes nursing care” (as cited in Potter, P. A., Perry, A. G., Hall, A., & Stockert, P. A.). This theory is the framework for all nurses. The purpose of this theory is to allow nurses to not only to be healers, but teachers and comforters as well. As a nurse, research and education should be a life long commitment. We should incorporate the nursing theory into our daily lives as we are dealing with patients. The purpose of this paper is to inform the reader on why the famous theorist, Florence Nightingale, developed the environmental theory, its significance, and why it is still important to us today. …show more content…
If Nightingale had not developed this theory, many people over the last 150 years would have had an increased risk of diseases or illness. The process of bathing in and drinking clean water, breathing pure air, and being exposed to bright and cheery spaces is still a method of nursing today. Clean water is beneficial not only for drinking purposes, but also for hand washing to help avoid spreading bacteria or viruses. The clean air allows for a lower risk of allergies and asthma. Also, providing a patient with a bright and airy room, rather than a dark room can relieve some of the patient’s anxieties. The environmental theory is most definitely applicable to all parts of nursing practice today, as it is the basis to a healthy life.
Summary
Nightingale’s environmental theory has influenced the world of nursing significantly. She has set an example for all nurses. Not only did she discover how sanitation could affect our health, but she also portrayed a sense of compassion that we should all display towards our patients. Her ultimate goal was to heal the patients as whole, which is still our goal