Nursing Concept (Research Paper Sample)

Nursing Concept
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Introduction
Herth (1990) carries out a descriptive study using Dimond’s Bereavement Adaptation Model where he investigates the relationship between concurrent losses, hope, coping style and grief resolution. In regards to Wonghongkul et al. (2000), their study examines the uncertainty in illness theory, the theory of the stress of appraisal and coping as well as the perspective of hope in a correlational study. Carretta, Ridner and Dietrich (2014) report the powerful influence hope has on living. In their pilot study, data is collected to compare three measures of hope as well as a hopelessness measure, later examining their interaction with an anxiety measure.
The concept of hope involves a future-oriented expectation where individuals expect to attain goals valued by the person or developing important relationships as well as maintaining them. In this case, Carretta, Ridner and Dietrich (2014) link hope to happiness, achievement, perseverance as well as health that all affect mental stress, behavioral and physical health. In agreement with Wonghongkul et al. (2000), uncertainties in diseases forms one of the key experiences that each cancer survivor has to face. In this case, the ability to adopt stress appraisal and coping is documented to have a positive influence on well-being. This paper will thus serve the purpose of analyzing the three literature sources on the influence hope, anxiety and uncertainty have on treatment outcomes in terms of disease recovery.
Comparison of the studies
The study by Wonghongkul et al. (2000) works on three conceptual frameworks including the uncertainty in illness theory by Mishel, Herth’s perspective of hope as well as Lazarus and Folkman’s stress appraisal and coping theory. In Mishel’s framework, information is availed concerning the effects that uncertainty poses on several types of appraisal that in turn influence the coping strategies used. The hope concept, Lazarus and Folkman’s theory and Mishel’s theory are created in a multidimensional of hope in which the belief of positive desired outcome being a reality has a feeling of confidence in the patient’s recovery. The concept of coping relates to the ability of the affected to deal with the demands imposed on them by the transaction between the environment and person.
Carretta, Ridner and Dietrich (2014) insinuate that the more hope possessed by an individual, the better the individual can undertake adaptive coping strategies. Higher levels of hope are associated with reduced psychological distress vital to success in psychotherapy. Qualitative research previously carried out report readiness behaviors as important in recovery from sexual assault indicating that hope is a key component of healing. In studies on individuals with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) they reported higher hope with the higher perceived social support obtained from friends and family. Besides, in studies that examined hope in traumatic health events such as cancer or impending surgery, dispositional hope acts as a facilitator for psychological outcomes.
In reference to Carretta, Ridner and Dietrich (2014), interventions for traumatic conditions are targeted at raising hope that also alleviates symptoms of anxiety. Hope is thus one of the powerful factors in emotional healing occurring in a continuum of hopelessness and hopefulness. Measurements on these factors are made according to Beck Hopelessness Scale, Synder Hope Scale as well as Hearth Hope Index and Miller Hope Scale.
In reference to Herth (1990), previous studies in grief resolution were limited to loss of conjugal in persons older than 65 years. Older persons are herein perceived to experience conjugal loss differently from younger individuals and thus higher morbidity, and mortality rates arise subsequently. Men are indicated to experience bereavement in a different manner from women with the risk of emotional and physical deterioration being greater in bereaved males. In regards to Herth (1990), most studies are centered on the spouse within the first year after the loss of conjugal whereby the bereavement period in older persons extends over several years.
Hope is also conceptualized as a factor that can affect coping and individual appraisal. In the study, Wonghongkul et al. (2000) define uncertainty as a factor that can influence hope. Their research works on a conceptual framework in which the uncertainty surrounding breast cancer survivors affects stress appraisal in turn affecting the use of coping strategies. Demographic variables such as age and years of education are incorporated in this framework to study how uncertainty and coping strategies are influenced.
Reflection
Herth (1990) investigates the relationship between hope, coping style in a hospital, hospice or nursing home settings and the effect hope has on grief resolution. In this case, conjugal bereavement is studied as a complicated life experience that creates significant adaptive challenges on the surviving spouse. Grief resolution is made up of complicated tasks in which enormous demands are placed on the coping skills of the patient. This is key in elderly persons who experience the loss of their lifetime mates. Nurses are at this moment requested to use their strategic position to assist the grieving elder patients. The study thus gives findings concerning the importance of hope level, setting as well as the various styles of coping in grief resolution.
A similar subject is echoed by Carretta, Ridner and Dietrich (2014) who visualize hope as a universal concept with significant influence on people’s lives. The difference between this perspective and the one offered by Herth (1990) is the fact that the latter narrows down on a hospice setting. Herth (1990) studies the effects of hope in grief resolution. On the other hand, Carretta, Ridner and Dietrich (2014) relate more to comparisons on three measures of hope and one on hopelessness, as well as their interactions with measures of anxiety. Hope in this case is defined as a future-oriented expectation whereby a person wishes to attain valuable goals and develop and nurture important relationships.
There exists a similarity between the concept presented by Carretta, Ridner and Dietrich (2014) and Herth (1990). Hope is portrayed as a link to more happiness, perseverance and good health. In this case, these qualities of hope buffer the effects stress poses on mental, physical and behavioral health. The study by Carretta, Ridner and Dietrich (2014) lies within a current context whereby lifestyle conditions such as cancer and old age are increasingly being reported. This explains why the study deploys a theoretical framework incorporating interventions made on posttraumatic stress disorder (PSTD) scenarios. While testing their hypothesis, their methodology considers variables such as level of education and ethnicity that are key elements characterizing current global co...