Shaping Nursing Practice Through The Concepts of Health, Illness and Wellness

Shaping Nursing Practice Through The Concepts of Health, Illness and Wellness Ryan Auger University of New Hampshire

Shaping Nursing Practice Through The Concepts of Health, Illness and Wellness Abstract Nursing today is a combination of ideas and practices that have been formed over the years. Many major factors such as Health, Wellness, and Illness have all attributed to what nursing has become and give it a basis for what it is today. Keywords: Health, Wellness, Illness

Nursing as a whole, is devised and comprised of an array of concepts and philosophies. These ideas have been formed and developed since the creation of nursing, and focus around major keystones. Three major ideas contributing to this are health, wellness, and illness. Health can be described as the general and overall physical condition of something. Wellness is the mental and physical soundness of that health. Illness is characterized by bad condition, disease or illness that causes ailment to said health. Although these three terms all stand for different things, their relationship makes them formative in their nature as foundational principles of nursing. Using the readings Health, well-being and wellness: An anthropological eco-systemic approach. (Kirsten, van der Walt & Viljoen, 2009), and Failing Bodies: Body Image and Multiple Chronic Conditions in Later Life (Clarke, L.H., Giffin, M, 2008) I further understood and developed my ideas of definitions of these terms. In the reading Health, well-being and wellness: An anthropological eco-systemic approach. (Kirsten, van der Walt & Viljoen, 2009), health is defined as the state of being free from illness or injury (Kirsten, 2009), and also perceive their bodies both in terms of aesthetics and physical functioning (Clarke, 2008).

Shaping Nursing Practice Through The Concepts of Health, Illness and Wellness Wellness can be defined as the condition of the body, and the degree to which it is free from illness, or the state of being well (Kirsten, 2009) as well as, proper harmony and balance resulting from promoting the well-being of all the different facets, constitutive elements or domains of existence of a person (Kirsten, 2009). Finally illness can be described as normative discontent (Clarke, 2008), or as described by an interviewed person I want to keep away from others and not display. I dont want to indicate a weakness . . . I dont want people to know that I

have to depend upon certain things to keep me going (Clarke, 2008). This shows the inability to care for ones self. In a collaborative fashion these ideas are contributing to nursing in a way that integrates all dimensions of care from maintenance of health and wellness to understanding the withering condition of an ill patient. Health is something that people are classified under or as being. Your health is determined by your wellness, which is the maintenance of yourself with the absence of any ailment or illness in a way that promotes longevity and wholesome life. As nurses our job is to promote, and educate people in a way that will create optimal wellness, which will circumvent illness and lead to good health. We need to apply our best skills in a way that will benefit permanence of our patients and make us good nurses. Seeing how all concepts from wellness to illness are linked is crucial in looking at the big picture regarding health. Although they are completely opposite ends of the spectrum they are directly related in that they are interdependent on each other. If the equilibrium is shifted they create different scenarios for nurses. Overall nurses deal with these concepts on a daily basis with the patients they are

Shaping Nursing Practice Through The Concepts of Health, Illness and Wellness

caring for and it is our job to make sure that health is good, wellbeing is encouraged, and illness is prevented or treated.

Work Cited Clarke, L.H., Giffin, M. (2008). Failing Bodies: Body Image and Multiple Chronic Conditions in Later Life. Qualitative Health Research, 18; 1084 DOI: 10.1177/1049732308320113

Kirsten, T.G.J.C., Van der Walt, H.J.L. & Viljoen, C.T. 2009. Health, well- being and wellness: An anthropological eco-systemic approach. Health SA Gesondheid 14(1), Art. #407, 7 pages. DOI: 10.4102/hsag.v14i1.407