Neuman Health Care Systems Model:
Preventative Care for Mr. H
The Neuman Health Care Systems Model was created by Betty M. Neuman in an effort to help nursing students focus on wellness for the client system (McHolm & Geib, 1998). In order to create wellness for a client system, the nursing students use an Assessment and Analysis Tool, which will help in identifying Mr. H’s problems (McHolm & Geib, 1998).
First, a nurse must find out Mr. H’s profile and define his stressors. This must be done by the nurse and by the concerns expressed by the client (NeumanSystemsModel.org, 2011). It is clear that stressors in this 72-year-old widower’s life are affecting his overall health. Recent changes in his life, such as the loss of his wife of 45 years, are a factor in his health changes. It is good that Mr. H is still trying to maintain his normal activity before his wife’s passing, like his small farm in Passaic County, New Jersey. However, as he has been bruised by his work in the harvest, it might be best he have assistance, especially after he has been diagnosed with a heart condition: Atrial fibrillation. There is potential that he might be suffering mental health issues after his loss as he has forgotten a family dinner, and is having trouble with his medicine and the checkbook, which are two things his late wife took care of.
It is clear that Mr. H and his children are concerned for his overall health after the passing of his wife. Potentially, Mr. H has forgetfulness, bruising, and low blood pressure. He is taking medicines, but is not sure what each is for. With his low blood pressure and mix of medicines, Mr. H might be creating a deadly concoction, as low blood pressure alone may cause issues with the heart, brain, and other body parts not receiving enough blood (A.D.A.M., 2011). It will be importantly for Mr. H to obtain medical records from his primary care doctor in order to assess why he is taking his current medicines. This will assist our facility in determining what might be causing Mr. H’s symptoms.
The Newman Health Care Systems Model also focuses on identifying internal, external, and created stressors in order to fix them to produce overall wellness. These can be separated into actual stressors or potential stressors (McHolm & Geib, 1998). Mr. H has serious actual internal stressors: his heart has atrial fibrillation, low blood pressure, fatigue, and contusions. Each of these internal stressors could be related to each other, and some of them could be related to other stressors in Mr. H’s life. Clear actual external stressors that Mr. H currently has pertain to duties his wife did before her passing. He has expressed concern about the balancing of his checkbook, as well as not being sure as to why he is taking his four medications. Potential internal stressors that Mr. H may have could be those that trigger emotions about his late wife, as stress has been known to effect a person’s memory. As for potential external stressors, Mr. H might be feeling fatigued due to having to maintain and harvest his small farm on his own. As it is just him, his help on the farm has decreased by fifty percent.
The first most important analysis to initiate is what his medicines are commonly used to treat and what common symptoms of each of these medicines may be. After research, it has been found that Warfarin is prescribed for Mr. H’s atrial fibrillation. The only symptom that could have resulted from this medication was bruising and weakness (NCBI, 2008). Lipitor is a drug that helps a patient reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and assists in keeping cholesterol low. Its common side effects include: Weakness, lack of energy, and extreme tiredness (NCBI, 2010). Lasix is used to reduce swelling and fluid retention, or to treat high blood pressure. It may cause weakness, confusion, and unusual bruising (NCBI, 2008). Finally, Metoprolol is used to decrease blood pressure. It can cause tiredness or an irregular heart beat (NCBI, 2010).
There are many roles the facility must provide to Mr. H in order to meet short-term goals. It is important to let Mr. H know what the purposes of his medicines are an encourage him to take them regularly. Next, it will be important to counsel Mr. H. By acting as a counselor, we may better provide emotional, intellectual, and psychological support. Mr. H has shown a lack of interest in going to his primary care due to distance, traffic, and his energy level. Because he is in such significant need of medical assistance, it is important to act as a change agent. The facility may either help him or assist him to find a closer location or transportation to his current medical facility.
Education will be important for Mr. H. As his daughter has begun her research online, it will benefit the family to utilize internet sources for his health. The internet will help in searching side effects and purposes of his medicine and tell him how to find doctors closer to his location or services to provide transportation to his doctor’s office. If on the internet frequently, the family may look up new research on his conditions and medications in order to keep a close watch on his overall health.
In Passaic County, New Jersey, Mr. H has numerous resources he may use. There are a number of medical centers and hospitals he may utilize to best benefit his needs with his blood pressure, heart condition, emotions after his wife’s death, and bruising. At each hospital or medical center in the county, there are specialists in each of these areas. It is important for nurses to treat each patient differently by identifying their specific internal, external, and created stressors, and find ways to relieve the stressors to create better wellness for their patient.
References
A.D.A.M. (2011). Hypotension. Retrieved January 21, 2011 from https://health.google.com/health/ref/Hypotension.
McHolm, F.A. & Geib, K.M. (1998, January-March). Nursing diagnosis: Application of the Neuman systems model of teaching health assessment and nursing process. Retrieved January 21, 2011 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3836/is_199801/ai_n8792656/?tag=content;col1
NCBI. (2010, July 1). Pubmed health – Atorvastatin. Retrieved January 20, 2010 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH
NCBI. (2008, September 1). Pubmed health — Furosemide. Retrieved January 20, 2010 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000791
NCBI. (2010, July 1). Pubmed health — Metoprolol. Retrieved January 21, 2010 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000795.
NCBI. (2008, September 1). Pubmed health — Warfarin. Retrieved January 21, 2011 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000634.
NeumanSystemsModel.org. (2011). Welcome to the Neuman systems model nursing theory Betty
Neuman website. Retrieved January 21, 2011 from http://www.neumansystemsmodel.org/index.html.
