Evidence suggests that patients do better when their expectations

Week 13(comfort)
Evidence suggests that patients do better when their expectations about specific benefits of nursing care are discussed and met. Design a “comfort contract” whereby patients or their surrogates designate an expected level of postsurgical overall comfort, and also where they can specify chronic discomforts and interventions that they use at home for relief.
Topics
• Historical Background
• Definition of Theory Concepts
• Description of Theory: Major Components and Their Relationships
• Research Application for the Theory of Comfort
• Instruments Used in Empirical Testing
• Summary
Weekly Objectives
By the end of this lesson, the learner will:
• Research applications for the theory of comfort
• Discuss instruments used in empirical testing for “comfort”
Student Learning Outcomes (Outcomes 3 & 5)
After completing this course, the learner should be able to:
• Examine the influence that nursing models and theories have upon research and practice.
• Apply nursing theory or theories to nursing research.
End of Program Outcomes:
• Create effective interdisciplinary organizational and systems leadership in the care of clients in diverse healthcare settings.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of clinical prevention interventions that affect individual and population-based health outcomes, perform risk assessments, and design plans or programs of care
• Relate knowledge of illness and disease management to providing evidence-based care to clients, communities, and vulnerable populations in an evolving healthcare delivery system.

Historical Background:
The Theory of Comfort was first introduced by Katharine Kolcaba in 1991. She was a nursing professor who recognized the importance of comfort as a basic human need that is central to nursing practice. Kolcaba’s theory has evolved over time and is now widely accepted as a nursing theory that can be applied to a wide range of patient populations.

Definition of Theory Concepts:
Kolcaba’s Theory of Comfort is based on three core concepts: comfort, comfort measures, and comfort care. Comfort is defined as the immediate experience of being strengthened by having the needs for relief, ease, and transcendence met in four contexts of experience: physical, psychospiritual, environmental, and sociocultural. Comfort measures are the interventions used to address discomfort in each of these contexts, while comfort care refers to the holistic approach to patient care that focuses on promoting comfort as a primary goal.

Description of Theory: Major Components and Their Relationships:
The theory of comfort is based on the assumption that the experience of comfort is essential to the healing process. Kolcaba proposed that comfort is a basic human need, and that it can be facilitated through the use of comfort measures and comfort care. Comfort measures include physical, psycho-spiritual, environmental, and sociocultural interventions, while comfort care involves a holistic approach to patient care that focuses on promoting comfort as a primary goal.

Research Application for the Theory of Comfort:
The theory of comfort has been applied to a wide range of patient populations, including pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients. Research has demonstrated that the use of comfort measures can lead to improved patient outcomes, including reduced pain and anxiety, improved sleep, and enhanced quality of life. The theory of comfort has also been applied to end-of-life care, where comfort care is a central component of hospice and palliative care.

Instruments Used in Empirical Testing:
A number of instruments have been developed to measure comfort and the effectiveness of comfort measures. These include the Comfort Quality Scale, the Comfort Behavior Scale, and the Comfort Scale. These instruments are used to assess patient comfort levels, identify areas of discomfort, and evaluate the effectiveness of comfort measures.

Summary:
The Theory of Comfort is a nursing theory that emphasizes the importance of comfort as a basic human need. Comfort measures and comfort care are central components of this theory, which has been applied to a wide range of patient populations. Research has demonstrated that the use of comfort measures can lead to improved patient outcomes, and a number of instruments have been developed to measure comfort and evaluate the effectiveness of comfort measures.