History of the theorist

 Faye Glenn Abdellah was born in new York city.

 She began her nursing career in 1942 when she received her diploma in nursing from Fitkin
memorial school of nursing in Neptune.

 In 1945,she received her BS ,in1947 her MA and in 1955 her EdD from teachers college,columbia
university, New York city.

 She appointed as chief nursing officer of the united states public health service in 1970 and as
concurrent deputy surgeon general in 1982,she retired in 1989

 She used the problem solving approach as the basis for her typology.

 Her typology of nursing problems was first published in1960 in patient-centered approaches to
nursing.

 In 1973,she refined some of her beliefs about nursing

 Concepts used by abdellah

1.NURSING(service to individual)

Acc to her, nursing is based on an art and science that mould the attitudes, intellectual
competencies, and technical skills of the individual nurse into the desire and ability to help
people, sick or well, cope with their health needs and may be carried out under general or
specific medical direction.

2.HEALTH

a) Health is dynamic pattern of functioning there is a continued interaction with the

internal and external forces, that result in the optimal use of necessary resources that
serve to minimize vulnerabilities.
b) Emphasis should be placed upon prevention and rehabilitation.
c) Performing Nsg services through a holistic approach to the client

3.NURSING PROBLEMS

a) Nursing problem presented by a client is a condition faced by the client or client’s family
that the nurse through the performance .The problem can be either an overt or covert
nursing problem.
b) An overt nursing problem is an apparent condition faced by the patient or family, which the
nurse can assist him or them to meet through the performance of her professional
functions.
 c) The covert nursing problem is a concealed or hidden condition faced, by the patient or
family, which the nurse can assist him or them to meet through the performance of her
professional functions
d) The identification and classification of problems was called the ‘typology of nursing
problems.

 Abdellah typology was divided into three areas

 1.The physical ,sociological and emotional needs of the patient.

Resource to Role of social

Hygiene and
Vitamin acceptance resolve problem in
physical comfort
illness
problem
Activity and
Awareness of self rest

Therapeutic Safety
environment
21
spirtuality NURSI Body mechanics
NG
Interpersonal PROBL
relationship EMS oxygenation
communicatio
n Nutrition
Emotions and
illness
interrelationship
s Elimination
Feelings and Fluid and
reactions electrolyte
Sensory regulatory mechanism
Response to disease
functions

 ABDELLAH’S THEORY AND THE FOUR MAJOR CONCEPTS

1.NURSING

a) Nursing is a helping profession. In Abdellah’s model, nursing care is doing something to

or for the person or providing information to the person with the goals of meeting
needs, increasing or restoring self-help ability, or alleviating impairment.
b) Nursing is broadly grouped into the 21 problem areas to guide care and promote use of
nursing judgment.
c) She considers nursing to be comprehensive service that is based on art and science and
aims to help people, sick or well, cope with their health needs.

2. Person

a) Is the recipient of nursing care

b) A being having physical ,emotional and sociological needs
 c) Include families as well as individuals
d) Is capable of learning and of self help of varying degrees

Typology and nursing problem is said to be evolve from the recognition of a need for patient
centered approach to nursing.

3.Environment-

a) Environment is least discussed concept in her model

b) She also states that if nurses reaction to the patient is hostile or negative ,the
atmosphere in the room may be hostile or negative.

4.Health

a) Is not specifically defined by abdellah ,but she refers to health needs and a healthy state
of mind and body .The client’s continued health is the purpose of nursing.
b) Is viewed as a state that exclude illness
c) Can also be described as a state in which the person has no unmet need and not
anticipated or actual impairment.

1.ASSESSMENT PHASE

 Nursing problems provide guidelines for the collection of data.

 A principle underlying the problem solving approach is that for each identified problem,
pertinent data are collected.

 The overt or covert nature of the problems necessitates a direct or indirect approach,
respectively.

2. NURSING DIAGNOSIS

 The results of data collection would determine the client’s specific overt or covert problems.

 These specific problems would be grouped under one or more of the broader nursing problems.

 This step is consistent with that involved in nursing diagnosis

3. PLANNING PHASE

 The statements of nursing problems most closely resemble goal statements. Therefore, once the
problem has been diagnosed, the

 Given that these problems are called nursing problems, then it becomes reasonable to conclude
that these goals are basically nursing goals.

4. IMPLEMENTATION
 Using the goals as the framework, a plan is developed and appropriate nursing interventions are
determined.

5. EVALUATION

 According to the American Nurses’ Association Standards of Nursing Practice, the plan is
evaluated in terms of the client’s progress or lack of progress toward the achievement of the
stated goals.

 This would be extremely difficult if not impossible to do for Abdellah’s nursing problem
approach since it has been determined that the goals are nursing goals, not the client goals.

 Thus, the most appropriate evaluation would be the nurse progress or lack of progress toward
the achievement of the

 LIMITATIONS

 Very strong nursing centered orientation

 Little emphasis on what the client is to achieve

 Her framework is inconsistent with the concept of holism

Potential problems might be overlooked

 DELIMITATIONS

 The patient centered approach was constructed to be useful to nursing practice, with impetus
for it being nursing education.

 Abdellah’s publications on nursing education began with her dissertation; her interest in
education for nurses continues into the present.

 Abdellah has also published on nursing, nursing research, and public policy related to nursing in
several international publications. She has been a strong advocate for improving nursing
practice through nursing research

 Application of Abdellah’s theory

 Mrs. Mary James is a forty two years old women admitted in ICU after Road side accident
having head injury and altered level of consciousness
pt’s need nursing diagnosis Nursing interventions

1.Hygiene and physical 1.Impaired oral mucous 1.Mouth care with

discomfort membrane r/t to absence of kMno4*2hrly given
2.Activity and rest pharyngeal reflex and altered
fluid intake 1.Side rails provided to the
3.Safety 3.Risk of injury r/t to patient prevent fallings
decreased level of 2.Clean dry and wrinkle free
consciousness bed to prevent bed sores
1.Passive exercises of legs and
arms done
4.Body mechanics 4.Impaired physical mobility 2.2hrly position changing
r/t to prolonged bed rest or
ALOC
5.oxygenation 5.Ineffective airway clearance 1.2hrly suctioning done
related to ALOC 2.Nebulization done *4hrly

6.Nutrition 6.Impaired nutrition status 1.NG feeding *2 hrly

7.Elimination
8.Fluid and electrolyte
r/t to metabolic changes and
inadequate intake
7.Impaired urinary
elimination pattern r/t to
incontinence or retention
8.Deficient fluid volume r/t to
inability to take in fluids by
1.Catheterization is done
2.Catheter care provided *2
hrly
1.Hydration status of pt is
assessed by skin turgor

2.Maintain intake and

9.Response to disease
10.Regulatory mechanism
11.Sensory functions
12.Feeling and reactions
13.Emotions and illness
relationship
14.Communication
15.Interpersonal
relationship
16.Spirituality
17.Therapeutic environment
18.Awareness of self
19.Vitamin acceptance
20.Resource to resolve
problem
21.Role of social problem in
illness
10.Ineffective
thermoregulation r/t to
damage to hypothalamic
center
11.Disturbed sensory
perception r/t to neurologic
impairment
Not applicable to the pt
Not applicable to the pt
Interrupted health process r/t
to health crisis
output chart
1.TPR checked * 2 hrly
2.BP checked*2 hrly
1.Orients the pt to time place
at least once every 8 hrs
2.Touch the pt and spends
enough time with pt.
1.Clarify information about
the pt’s condition to relatives
pt’s need nursing diagnosis Nursing intervention

1.Hygiene and physical discomfort 1.Impaired oral mucous membrane r/t to 1.Mouth care with kMn
2.Activity and rest absence of pharyngeal reflex and altered 1.Side rails provided to
3.Safety fluid intake fallings
4.Body mechanics 3.Risk of injury r/t to decreased level of 2.Clean dry and wrinkl
5.oxygenation consciousness bed sores
6.Nutrition 4.Impaired physical mobility r/t to prolonged 1.Passive exercises of le
7.Elimination bed rest or ALOC 2.2hrly position changi
8.Fluid and electrolyte 5.Ineffective airway clearance related to 1.2hrly suctioning done
9.Response to disease ALOC 2.Nebulization done *4
6.Impaired nutrition status r/t to metabolic 1.NG feeding *2 hrly
changes and inadequate intake 1.Catheterization is don
7.Impaired urinary elimination pattern r/t to 2.Catheter care provide
incontinence or retention 1.Hydration status of pt
8.Deficient fluid volume r/t to inability to turgor
take in fluids by mouth 2.Maintain intake and
