Professional PresenceDifferent Models of Health and Healing

Models of health and healing influence patient attitudes and lifestyle, and also impact health seeking and healthcare behaviors. Often, the concept of healing a patient has will come from cultural or religious beliefs However, healthcare workers also operate within their own models of health and healing, which could conflict with those of their patients. When nurses become more aware of the different models, they can better communicate with patients about healthcare issues.

Physical Body: The Mechanistic View

The rise of empiricism and the triumphs of modern science gave rise to the view that the body itself can be treated as a discreet system. Although the mechanistic view can be traced back as far as Asclepiades, it was never fully accepted as a viable model of health and healing until the 20th century (Curtis & Gaylord, 2004, p. 8). The mechanistic view predominates throughout the Western world, but even then, traditional and religious beliefs often interact with, overlap, or interfere with the view that the physical body can or should be treated without regard for the mind, one’s spiritual beliefs, or contextual variables. While some healthcare scenarios certainly do call for a mechanistic view, allowing for quick and effective responses to emergency situations in particular, long-term healthcare and preventive medicine require a more holistic view of what it means to be human. A human being is more than just a collection of cells.

Biopsychosocial Model

The biopsychosocial model of health and healing is unique in that it does not necessarily take into account the religious, spiritual, or superstitious dimensions of healthcare that affect some models, while also going far beyond the physical body. According to this view, health and wellbeing are a function of multiple variables interacting at once. The biopsychosocial model is systemic, calling upon the healthcare worker and the patient to understand not just the physical body but also “the psychological, behavioral, and social dimensions that contribute to illness related events,” (Henriques, 2015, p. 1). By eliminating attention on the religious dimension, this model precludes superstition and irrational belief and yet as Henriques (2015) also points out, biopsychosocial models do not adequately inform treatment options. The biopsychosocial model does, however, show how factors like worldview, cognitive patterns, attitudes, stress, socioeconomic status, race, and any number of other variables do impact both health status and health behaviors.

The Models Applied to Professional Practice

I am open to a number of different models of health and healing, and understand that my own beliefs will differ from that of my colleagues and my patients. My attitudes toward health and healing fluctuate, and I seem to use different models depending on the situation. For example, I will treat a patient in an emergency room using the physical body or mechanistic...

For long term practice and chronic health concerns, I switch to either a biopsychosocial model or to a mind-body-spirit model. Both the biopsychosocial model and the mind-body-spirit model have deepened my practice and strengthened my ability to communicate with people from different backgrounds. I have become far more respectful of patients who believe in the power of prayer for healing, as well as patients who believe in the tenets of Eastern medicine. As long as I inform them about their choices and options, and tell them about evidence-based practice recommendations, their attitudes and beliefs towards health can coexist within a diverse framework of health and healing.
Role of Professional Presence on Professional Practice

I am learning how to be more mindful in my nursing practice. Especially when working with patients, I have been developing better listening skills that allow me to be more present with them. For example, I do not just listen to their words while doing other things—even if those other things are related to their medical care. Instead, I watch their body language and listen closely to their voice to detect emotional states. Doing this makes me more mindful of how the patient perceives the care, and whether there is more we can do as a healthcare team to ease their discomfort or clarify what we are doing. Professional presence, or mindfulness, should be considered a core competency of nurses because of how important it is for reducing medical errors and improving patient outcomes.

Personality Preferences

Results of Keirsey Temperament Personality Test

The results of my test show I am one of the Guardians, stalwart leaders who help uphold the structures, institutions, and laws of society. Guardians like me also support others to be the pillars of our collective social institutions.

Analysis of Results

Alignment with Relationships

Being a guardian helps me to establish honest, open, and trusting relationships with others. I am especially effective in the workplace environment, where I can promote harmony by supporting others while upholding the traditions of the institution.

Alignment with Activities

Being a guardian means I take punctuality and organization seriously, which aligns with my professional duties. When I perform activities, I do so meticulously and with great attention to formality and procedural rules.

Alignment with Career Choices

I have been drawn to careers that have a guardian role: healthcare administration and other positions in which I can shine as a transformational leader who empowers others to reach our shared goals together.

Challenges with Opposite Personality Types

Guardians like me can clash with iconoclasts and idealists. We prefer to maintain order, rather than to challenge or upset the status quo. Therefore, we will disagree with those who prefer…