Lydia Halls Theory: Evaluation And Analysis Of Concept (Essay Sample)

Lydia Hall’s Theory: Evaluation and analysis of concept
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Lydia Hall's Theory: Evaluation and analysis of concept
Lydia Hall utilized her nursing experiences and knowledge of psychiatry as a framework to formulate the Care, Core and Cure Theory. This paper evaluates and analyzes the Care, Cure, Core Theory conceptualized by Lydia Hall. The theory is also widely recognized as the Three Cs of Lydia Hall.
Scope
According to this theory, nursing care could be delivered on 3 interlocking levels: core/patient, care/body, and cure/disease. The theory defines nursing as care that is performed by trained nurses. Care focuses on maintaining quality life and optimal health from birth to end of life (George, 2012). Care is ongoing matrix of teaching and learning.
Assumptions
According to the Care, Cure, Core Theory, the energy and motivation that is needed for healing to occur exist within the individual patient, and not in the healthcare team. Moreover, the 3 facets of care, cure and core interact, and the circles that represent them change size, depending on the individual patient’s course of progress (Hall, 2013). Furthermore, the 3 aspects of nursing have to be considered as interrelated albeit functioning independently.
Theoretical definitions
Lydia Hall’s Care, Cure, Core Theory has 3 interconnected but independent circles: the cure, the care, and the core. The core refers to the patient or individual to whom nursing care is needed and directed. It is worth mentioning that the core/patient has specific goals not set by anyone else, but by herself or himself (Alligood & Tomey, 2010). The core behaves consistent with her own feelings and value systems. This entails the therapeutic use of self, and is shared with other healthcare team members. In essence, the core gives emphasis to the patient’s intellectual, spiritual, emotional and social needs in relation to community, institution, family and the world (George, 2012). This enables the patient to orally express his/her feelings as regards the illness process and its effects using reflective technique.
Figure 1: Lydia Hall’s Care, Cure, Core Theory (Hall, 2013).


The cure refers to the attention that medical professionals give to patients. The cure circle, according to the theory, is shared by nurses with other medical professionals, for instance physical therapists and doctors. They include actions or interventions that are geared on curing the patient from whatever sickness that she/he suffers from. George (2012) stated that cure involves the therapeutic and pathological sciences and focuses on the patient and patient’s family members through the medical care.
Lastly, the care circle according to Lydia Hall’s theory addresses the role that nurses play, which is to perform the noble task of nurturing their patient and providing motherly care to patients. This motherly care that nurses provide to their patients might include assisting the patient to meet his/her needs when the patient needs the help, provision of patient teaching activities or patient instruction, and provision of comfort measures (Alligood & Tomey, 2010). In addition, the nurse’s role includes provision of bodily care for the patients and assisting patients to carry out such fundamental everyday biological functions as dressing, elimination, bathing and eating (Hall, 2013). When the nurse provides this care, his/her goal is certainly the comfort of the patient.
Other concepts of this theory are individual, health and nursing. Individual is understood as a person aged at least sixteen years who has a long-term illness. Health refers to a state of self-awareness with conscious selection of behaviours. Nursing entails participating in the cure, core and care facets of patient care. The sole function of nurses is care (Hall, 2013).
From this theory, it is apparent that the nurse is always present in each of the 3 circles. However, the nurse plays the biggest role in the care circle where she or he acts as a professional to help the client meet his/her needs and achieve a sense of balance. The theory highlights the entire patient; it does not only look at one aspect. It depends on all the 3 aspects of care, cure and core working together.
Strengths
The Care, Cure, Core Theory is totally and simply logical. The theory could be considered as the philosophy of nursing. Secondly, the 3 Cs as described in the theory are very unique. The nurse is present in each of the 3 circles, though the focus of the role of nurses is on the care circle.
Weaknesses
Since the theory specifies that it can only be applied to people aged sixteen years and above, that is, adult patients, nurses who are faced with paediatric patients cannot use it. The other weakness is that the idea of a patient aggregate, for instance having communities and patients’ families as the focus of nursing practice is ...