Verified Document

Nola Pender Theory Health Promotion: Background, Theoretical Essay

Nola Pender theory Health promotion: background, Theoretical assertions propositions, concepts, Relevant nursing practice. Nola Pender's health promotion model

Nola Pender's health promotion model

Nola Pender's model of health promotion was intended to address what Pender saw as a deficit in existing nursing theories, namely the failure to promote wellness as well as cure sickness. The Pender model defines health as a positive and dynamic state, not merely the absence of disease. Pender identifies her rubric as a model, rather than a meta-theory, and states that it is complementary to a variety of nursing disciplines and perspectives. "The model focuses on following three areas: individual characteristics and experiences; behavior-specific cognitions and affect; behavioral outcomes" (Health promotion model, 2011, Nursing Theories). Health may mean different things for different people at different life stages. 'Health' for a young, athletic adolescent may be defined in a different manner than for someone at the end of their life. "Health promoting behaviors should result in improved health, enhanced functional ability and better quality of life at all stages of development" (Health promotion model, 2011, Nursing Theories).

Theoretical assertions and propositions

Pender's model assumes a constant state of interaction between the complex psychology of the individual and the external environment. It is assumed that individuals have a responsibility and a desire to regulate and govern their own health-related behaviors and can promote their own wellness. However, the theory also allows for the fact that individuals possess "biopsychosocial complexity" which may affect their ability to sustain their state of health (Health promotion model, 2011, Nursing Theories). Biopsychosocial complexity also allows individuals to change their environment. Even a family with, for...

Individuals are changed by the environment (as can be seen in the dramatic increase in weight amongst a large percentage Americans, because of changes in the food system, infrastructure and lifestyle) but patients can also change the environment. By progressively transforming their environment they transform themselves over time. Getting a gym membership, buying healthy food, throwing away all cigarettes in the home, are simple examples of proactive steps the individual can take to improve health, even if there may be a family history of heart disease, diabetes or certain cancers.
Another assumption of the model which is critical in terms of its conception of 'nursing' is that "health professionals constitute a part of the interpersonal environment, which exerts influence on persons throughout their life span" (Health promotion model, 2011, Nursing Theories). But the health professional is always a facilitator, more than the primary initiator of the change, according to Pender. "Self-initiated reconfiguration of person-environment interactive patterns is essential to behavior change" (Health promotion model, 2011, Nursing Theories). Being told, for example, that it is necessary to eat fewer calories and move more to weigh less is not enough, there must be a motivational desire on the part of the individual to enjoy the benefits and changes that will result.

The health professional can encourage the individual to perceive the benefits gained from health changes and overcome perceived barriers. For example, if a person says: "I can't lose weight and improve my health because I have no time and no money to buy healthy food," the nurse can change that perception by showing the individual how to create household…

Sources used in this document:
References

Health promotion model. (2011, January). Nursing Theories. Retrieved March 11, 2011 at http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/health_promotion_model.html
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Theories of Nola Pender
Words: 1450 Length: 5 Document Type: Literature Review

Nola Pender - Background and Overview Dr. Nola Pender is credited with developing the Health Promotion Model, which is internationally adopted for education, practice and research. In the course of her career as researcher, Dr. Pender tested the Health Promotion Model on adolescents and adults. She also formulated the "Girls on the Move" program with the aid of her research group, and started intervention studies into the Health Promotion Model's usefulness

Nursing Theorist Nola Pender
Words: 1288 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Nursing Theorist Nola Pender: One of the significant roles of nurses in their daily activities is to assist patients to learn to take care of themselves and make decisions and choices that promote their health. The reason nurses help patients to learn to take care of themselves is that patient's participation in their own self-care helps in preventing illnesses and diseases and ensure that they have improved overall health. As a

Health Promotion Theory Description and
Words: 1506 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Pender's is a theory of preventive medicine, for the healthy rather than the chronically ill. However, in an age where lifestyle-related disease are on the rise, it can provide an important function, particularly for nurses facing an epidemic of pre-diabetic and diabetic adolescents reared on poor diets and little physical activity. Some might protest that the genetic component to even Type II Diabetes, or obesity in general, might be

Pender the Founder of the
Words: 870 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

(Pender, 2003, "Biographical Sketch") Thus Pender's early nursing concerns, reflected in her HPM, have become more and more relevant to such contemporary health concerns. Identification of the central focus and major principal of theory Pender's Health Promotion Model incorporates nursing and behavioral science perspectives. ("Assumptions and Theoretical Propositions of the Health Promotion Model (HPM)" 2003, Source: Pender, 2002) it assumes a positive view of humanity, and states that while individuals attempt

Use of Two Nursing Theories
Words: 3370 Length: 10 Document Type: Essay

Nursing Practice The nursing field comprises different theories that are used to govern nursing practice through offering different perspectives and views of phenomena. A theory can be defined as the development of a link between concepts that create a certain view of a phenomenon (Jackson, n.d.). The theories in the nursing field focus on issues that are relevant to enhancing patient care, overall nursing practice, and nursing education. Moreover, these

Leininger's Transcultural Theory
Words: 2483 Length: 8 Document Type: Essay

Nursing Theory Madeleine Leininger's Theory of Cultural Care: Background. Leininger's Theory of Cultural Care began during the 1950s, when she developed a fascination with anthropology. While she was studying at the University of Cincinnati, she discussed this fascination and how it might influence her work as a professional nurse with visiting professor Margaret Mead (Munoz, 2012). Particularly, she was interested in acknowledging cultural differentiation factors in her nursing practice. She found many

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now