identify the nursing theory used to frame the nursing research. analyze the selected nursing theory and describe how the theory applies to nursing's metaparadigm, including each of the following: person health environment nursing

The Theory-Practice Gap and Nursing Research

Article: Estridge, K. M., Morris, D. L., Kolcaba, K., & Winkelman, C. (2018). Comfort and Fluid Retention in Adult Patients Receiving Hemodialysis. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 45(1), 25-33.

 The nursing theory used by the article to frame the nursing research is Kolcaba’s Comfort Theory.  The theory maintains that comfort is vital for all those requiring healthcare needs. The theory defines comfort using domains like transcendence, relief, and ease in cultural, environmental, psycho-spiritual, and physical contexts. According to Estridge et al. (2018), increased comfort improves compliance with fluid restriction and health-seeking behavior in individuals receiving hemodialysis. Other positive outcomes associated with comfort are reduced dialysis time, enhanced adherence, reduced nursing hours and dialysate usage, and improved patients’ lived experiences. Institutions also benefit because of reduced mortality and co-morbidity rates.

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How Comfort Theory Applies to Nursing Metaparadigm

The four nursing metaparadigm includes person, health, environment, and nursing.  The metaparadigm person revolves around individuals receiving care, including their culture, spirituality, relatives, and socioeconomic status.  The comfort theory applies to this paradigm by considering the patients’ sociocultural and psycho-spiritual contexts while receiving hemodialysis. The environment considers the patients’ external and internal factors while providing care. The theory applies to this metaparadigm by considering the patient’s environmental context when providing care.  The health metaparadigm focuses on the patient’s wellness and health. The theory meets this metaparadigm by reducing dialysis time, enhancing treatment adherence, and improving the patients’ lived experiences by providing comfort. 

The nursing metaparadigm revolves around nurses applying their skills and knowledge when providing patient care. The metaparadigm also entails the character of the nurse providing care to the patient. The Comfort theory highlights nurses’ role in providing patients with comfort during hemodialysis treatment. The nurses ensure that patients do not retain fluid to shorten the dialysis treatment duration because fluid retention is associated with prolonged dialysis treatment and increased discomfort (Estridge et al., 2018). Nurses should also resolve patient discomforts because unresolved discomforts undermine patients’ adherence to the dialysis process.