Nursing leaders' and nurses' view of health. 1995

S Herberts, and K Eriksson
Department of Caring Science, Abo Akademi University, Vasa, Finland.

This study is part of a scientific project, 'Multidimensional Health', the main goal of which is to introduce a broad view on health into health care and nursing. The purpose of this study is to examine the view of health among nursing leaders and members of caring staff and to compare it to that of patients (a previous study in the project). The study is based on K. Eriksson's theory of caring and its view of the human being with a body, soul and spirit, and health as a dynamic process concerning all aspects of human life. An inquiry form with open questions that brought to the fore various aspects and dimensions of health was filled in by 20 nursing leaders and was used in interviewing 49 nurses. According to the results many aspects of life are contained in the concept 'health'. Health is above all an experience of well-being. Ways of promoting one's health are described in terms of various 'healthy' living habits and preventive measures. A supporting and humane attitude is hoped for in others. There is unanimity that feelings affect health. Belief may have a positive influence on health. The meaning of life is connected with health. Even suffering is part of health. In interpreting the answers we assume three dimensions of health. 'Health as behaviour' connects health with living in a healthy way. 'Health as being' would mean a state of health and is characterized by a search for some kind of balance in one's inner state. 'Health as becoming', growing towards health, means that a person becomes whole on a higher level of integration.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007857 Leadership The function of directing or controlling the actions or attitudes of an individual or group with more or less willing acquiescence of the followers. Influentials
D009042 Motivation Those factors which cause an organism to behave or act in either a goal-seeking or satisfying manner. They may be influenced by physiological drives or by external stimuli. Incentives,Disincentives,Expectations,Disincentive,Expectation,Incentive,Motivations
D009718 Nurse Administrators Nurses professionally qualified in administration. Nurse Executives,Nurse Managers,Administrator, Nurse,Administrators, Nurse,Executive, Nurse,Executives, Nurse,Manager, Nurse,Managers, Nurse,Nurse Administrator,Nurse Executive,Nurse Manager
D009740 Nursing Staff Personnel who provide nursing service to patients in an organized facility, institution, or agency. Nursing Staffs,Staff, Nursing,Staffs, Nursing
D009742 Nursing Theory Concepts, definitions, and propositions applied to the study of various phenomena which pertain to nursing and nursing research. Theory, Nursing,Nursing Theories,Theories, Nursing
D011795 Surveys and Questionnaires Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions. Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D004645 Empathy An individual's objective and insightful awareness of the feelings and behavior of another person. It should be distinguished from sympathy, which is usually nonobjective and noncritical. It includes caring, which is the demonstration of an awareness of and a concern for the good of others. (From Bioethics Thesaurus, 1992) Caring,Compassion
D006293 Health Promotion Encouraging consumer behaviors most likely to optimize health potentials (physical and psychosocial) through health information, preventive programs, and access to medical care. Health Campaigns,Promotion of Health,Wellness Programs,Promotional Items,Campaign, Health,Campaigns, Health,Health Campaign,Health Promotions,Item, Promotional,Items, Promotional,Program, Wellness,Programs, Wellness,Promotion, Health,Promotional Item,Promotions, Health,Wellness Program
D006694 Holistic Health Health as viewed from the perspective that humans function as complete, integrated units rather than as aggregates of separate parts. Holistic Medicine,Holistic Therapies,Medicine, Holistic,Whole Person Health,Wholistic Health,Medicine, Wholistic,Wholistic Health Care,Wholistic Medicine,Wholistic Therapies,Care, Wholistic Health,Health Care, Wholistic,Health, Holistic,Health, Whole Person,Health, Wholistic,Holistic Therapy,Person Health, Whole,Therapies, Holistic,Therapies, Wholistic,Therapy, Holistic,Therapy, Wholistic,Wholistic Therapy
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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