NUR109 Fundamentals
 Health-Illness Continuum
 Discuss the definition of health, incorporating the health-illness
continuum.
 Describe health promotion, wellness, and illness prevention
activities. Include the nurse’s role with each area.
 Describe types of risk factors associated with health and illness.
 Discuss risk factor modification and changing health behaviors.
 Differentiate between acute and chronic illness.
 Describe variables influencing illness behavior.
 Discuss the “sick role,” illness perspective, and adaptation to
illness.
 Describe the stages of hospitalization.
 A dynamic state of complete physical, mental, and social
well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity
 A state of being that people define in relation to their own
values, personality, and lifestyle
Health Belief Model
 Pts perception of
susceptibility
 Perception of
seriousness of threat
 Likelihood of
preventative action.
Based on perceptions
of benefits/barriers
to action
Health Promotion
 Individual
characteristics and
experiences
 Behavior-specific
knowledge and effect
 Behavior &
commitment to
change
 Maslow’s Hierarchy of
Needs
 Tries to understand
interrelationships of
basic human needs
 Holistic Health Model
 Attempts to create
conditions that promote
optimal health
Internal
 Developmental stage
 Intellectual background
 Perception of function
 Emotions
 Spirituality
External
 Family practices
 Socioeconomic factors
 Cultural background
 Health Promotion
 Example?
 Wellness
 Example?
 Illness Prevention
 Example?
 Promotion Strategies
 Passive
 Active
 Primary Prevention
 True prevention that lowers the chances that a disease will develop
 Secondary Prevention
 Focuses on those who have health problems or illnesses and are at
risk for developing complications or worsening conditions
 Tertiary Prevention
 Occurs when a defect or disability is permanent or irreversible
 Variables that increase the vulnerability of an
individual or a group to an illness or accident
 Risk factors:
 Genetic and physiological factors
 Age
 Environment
 Lifestyle
 Types:
 Modifiable
 Non-modifiable
Transtheoretical
Change Model
 Precontemplation
 Contemplation
 Preparation
 Action
 Maintenance
 Relapse
 Patient Teaching: Lifestyle Changes
 Objective

Patient will reduce health risks related to poor
lifestyle habits through behavior change.
 Teaching strategies
Active listening
 Ask about perceived barriers
 Assist pt to set goals
 Reinforce change process

 Evaluation
Pt to track adherence
 Provide positive reinforcement

 A state in which a person’s physical, emotional,
intellectual, social, developmental, or spiritual
functioning is diminished or impaired
 Acute Illness
 Short duration and severe
 Chronic Illness
 Persists longer than 6 months
 How people monitor their bodies and define and interpret
their symptoms
 Variables influencing illness and illness behavior
 Internal Variables: Perception of illness and nature of illness
 External Variables: Visibility of symptoms, social group, cultural
background, economics, and accessibility to health care
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Onset of symptoms
Assumption of sick
role
Seeking medical
care
Dependency
Recovery &
Rehabilitation
 Anxiety
 Anger
 Denial
 Shock
 Withdrawal
 Overwhelmed
 Stabilization
 Adaptation
Holistic and Compassionate Care
 Define holistic and compassionate care.
 Discuss how holistic and compassionate care is incorporated
into the care of a patient.
 Discuss the role that caring plays in building a nurse-patient
relationship.
 Discuss the potential implications when nurses’ perceptions
of caring differ from the patients’ perception of caring.
 Describe ways to express caring through presence and touch.
 Describe the therapeutic benefit of listening to patients.
 See Me, Nurse (3:46)
 “Nursing is a pivotal health
care profession highly
valued for its knowledge,
skills and caring in
improving the health status
of the individual, family
and the community.” (ANA,
2002)
A Day In the Life: Nursing at
Michigan (15:19)
 Knowledge
 Skills
 Attitudes
 “When patients sense that health care providers are sensitive,
sympathetic, compassionate, and interested in them as people,
they usually become active partners in the plan of care.”
 “Patients indicated that they did not perceive any cultural bias
when they perceived nurses to be caring.”
 “Patients associated excellent nursing care with attentiveness,
partnership, individualization, rapport and caring.”
 Perception of Nurse Caring, Skills, and
Knowledge Based on Appearance
 Journal Article by Thomas, Ehret,
and Ellis
 Dental Consumer’s Perceptions of
Dental Hygienists with Visible
Tattoos
 Journal Article by Verissimo, Tolle, McCombs, and
Arndt
 Brené Brown on Empathy (2:53)
 Providing Presence
 Touch
 Listening
 Knowing the Patient
 Spiritual Caring
 Relieving Pain and Suffering
 Family Care
 Providing presence is a person-to-person encounter conveying
a closeness and sense of caring.
 Presence involves “being there” and “being with.”
 Nursing presence is the connectedness between a nurse and a
patient.
 Establishing presence strengthens your ability to provide
effective patient-centered care.
 Provides comfort
 Creates a connection
 Noncontact touch
 Contact touch
Task-oriented touch
 Caring touch
 Protective touch

 Because touch conveys many messages, use it with
discretion.
 Necessary for meaningful interactions with patients.
 True listening leads to knowing and responding to what really
matters to a patient and family.
 To listen effectively you need to silence yourself and listen
with an open mind.
 Through active listening you begin to truly know your
patients and what is important to them.
 The core of clinical decision making and patient-centered
care
 Two elements that facilitate knowing are continuity of care
and clinical expertise.
 Factors of knowing include:
 Time
 Continuity of care
 Teamwork of the nursing staff
 Trust
 Experience
 Holistic Caring (1:14)
 Compassionate Caring (3:16)
 Potter, P. A., Perry, A. G., Stockert, P. A., & Hall, A. M. (2021).
Fundamentals of nursing (10th ed.). St. Louis, MI: Elsevier.