When is nursing care indicated (Nursing-theory.org, n.d.)?

Lewin’s Theory consists of three stages – Unfreezing, change, and refreeze. The initial stage of unfreezing involves finding a process which is no longer productive and needs to be changed. The second stage in Lewin’s Theory is the change. This is the step most people would find difficult. It actually involves a change which is not always easy. The last step in the process is the refreeze. This stage is when the new process becomes a standard of practice (Currentnursing.com, 2011).

The Adaptation Model of Nursing, developed by Sister Callista Roy in 1976, involves asking three questions: Who is the focus of nursing care? What is the target of nursing care? When is nursing care indicated (Nursing-theory.org, n.d.)? By asking these three question Sister Roy is taking on the patient in a holistic manner. She recognizes the basic needs of the human while also taking into consideration their social integrity. She also understands that the roles change often throughout one’s lifetime and that the nursing care provided needs to adapt or change along with it. She recognizes that nursing should not be rigid but instead we are nurses should remain fluid, continually changing and adapting to our patient’s needs holistically.

For my evidence-based practice (EBP) I would choose to use Lewin’s Theory. This change recognizes that something is needing change which would be the lack of education regarding lead prevention, changing how the parents and families are being educated, and then refreezing this change to make it standard practice. But I also would like to combine these two practices and recognize the fact that nursing is fluid. While the changed practice may work initially, it is always important to take a step back and revisit the practice in question later. Healthcare practices and interventions change daily and because of this, we need to be open to change.

When I was talking with my mentor, she said she did not use a specific nursing practice. She said she was a “go with the flow” kind of person and just adapted to things as they needed it (V. Mouser, personal communication, 2019). She said when she realized a patient was not understanding her or needed to be told things in a different way, she would change her tactic and try to figure out what worked best for her and her patients. If I were to analyze this statement, it would seem to me she was using the Adaptation Model of Nursing but just did not know it.