Page 687 - alligood 8th edition_Neat

668 UNIT V Middle Range Nursing Theories

TABLE 33-1 Taxonomic Structure of Comfort Needs for Case Study
Context of Comfort Relief Ease Transcendence

Physical Aching back Restlessness and anxiety Patient thinking, “What will
Early strong contractions happen to my family and
to my babies?”
Psychospiritual Anxiety and tension Uncertainty about prognosis Need for emotional and
spiritual support
Environmental Roommate is a primigravida Lack of privacy Need for calm, familiar
Room is small, clean, Telephone in room environmental elements
and pleasant Feeling of confinement and accessibility of
with bed rest distraction
Sociocultural Absence of family and Family not present Need for support from
culturally sensitive care Language barriers family or significant other
Need for information and
consultation

TABLE 33-2 Comfort Care Actions and Interventions
Type of Comfort Care Action or Intervention Example

Standard comfort interventions Vital signs
Laboratory test results
Patient assessment
Medications and treatments
Social worker
Coaching Emotional support
Reassurance
Education
Listening
Clergy
Comfort food for the soul Energy therapy such as healing touch if it is culturally acceptable
Music therapy or guided imagery (patient’s choice of music)
Spending time
Personal connections
Reduction of environmental stimuli

CRITICAL THINKING ACTIVITIES
1. If you were asked to diagram your practice, what 3. There is some evidence that comfort is a universal
concepts would you include? Where is comfort in need. Identify a way you met a comfort need for
your diagram? someone you cared for recently. Would this com-
2. Select a patient, and apply the Theory of Comfort in fort intervention work in another culture? Why or
your nursing practice. How did the theory impact why not?
your style of practice? Where are your comfort mea-
sures in the taxonomic structure? (See Figure 33–1.)