Nursing Theory Lecture 6: Faye Glenn Abdellah

Faye Glenn Abdellah 

(1960) 

Twenty One Nursing Problems 

Twenty One Nursing Problems 
• Nursing is broadly grouped into 21 problem areas to guide care and promote the use of nursing judgement.
• Introduced Patient – Centered Approaches to Nursing Model She defined nursing as service to individual and families; therefore the society. Furthermore, she conceptualized nursing as an art and a science that molds the attitudes, intellectual competencies and technical skills of the individual nurse into the desire and ability to help people, sick or well, and cope with their health needs.

21 Nursing Problems 
1. To maintain good hygiene.
2. To promote optimal activity; exercise, rest and sleep.
3. To promote safety.
4. To maintain good body mechanics
5. To facilitate the maintenance of a supply of oxygen
6. To facilitate maintenance of nutrition
7. To facilitate maintenance of elimination
8. To facilitate the maintenance of fluid and electrolyte balance
9. To recognize the physiologic response of the body to disease conditions
10. To facilitate the maintenance of regulatory mechanisms and functions
11. To facilitate the maintenance of sensory functions
12. To identify and accept positive and negative expressions, feelings and reactions
13. To identify and accept the interrelatedness of emotions and illness.
14. To facilitate the maintenance of effective verbal and non-verbal communication
15. To promote the development of productive interpersonal relationship
16. To facilitate progress toward achievement of personal spiritual goals
17. To create and maintain a therapeutic environment
18. To facilitate awareness of self as an individual with varying needs.
19. To accept the optimum possible goals
20. To use community resources as an aid in resolving problems arising from illness.
21. To understand the role of social problems as influencing factors


Metaparadigm 

Person 
• The recipients of nursing care having physical, emotional, and sociologic needs that may be overt or covert.

Environment 
• Not clearly defined. Some discussion indicates that clients interact with their environment, of which nurse is a part.

Health 
• A state when the individual has no unmet needs and no anticipated or actual impairment.

Nursing 
• Broadly grouped in “21 nursing problems,” which center around needs for hygiene, comfort, activity, rest, safety, oxygen, nutrition, elimination, hydration, physical and emotional health promotion, interpersonal relationships, and development of self-awareness. Nursing care is doing something for an individual