Katherine Kolcaba
Comfort Theory: Katherine Kolcaba
Background
Background
The Comfort Theory is a nursing theory that was first developed in
the 1990’s by Katherine Kolcaba.
Comfort Theory is middle range theory for health practice,
education, and research.
Kolcaba’s theory has the potential to place comfort once again in
the forefront of healthcare.
Key Concepts
Kolcaba described comfort as existing in 3 forms:
1. Relief – If a specific comfort
needs of a patient are met, for example, the relief of postoperative pain by
administering prescribed analgesia, the individual experiences comfort in the
relief sense.
2. Ease – If
the patient is in a
comfortable state of contentment, the person experiences comfort in the ease
sense.
3. Transcendence - the state of comfort in which patients are
able to rise above their challenges.
Described 4 context in which patient comfort can occur:
1. Physical
2. Psychospiritual
3. Environmental
4. Sociocultural
Image from http://www.thecomfortline.com
Major Concepts
1.Person/Patient
- Patients can be considered as individuals, families,
institutions or communities in need of health care
2.Nursing
- Nursing is described as the process of assessing the patient’s
comfort needs, developing and implementing appropriate nursing interventions,
and evaluating patient comfort following nursing intervention.
- Intentional assessment of comfort need, the design of comfort
measures to address those needs, and the reassessment of comfort levels after
implementation.
- Assessment may be either objective, such as in the observation
or subjective, such as asking the patient is comfortable.
3.Health
- Health is considered to be optimal functioning, as defined by
the patient, group, family or community
4.Environment
- Any aspect of the patient, family, or institutional surroundings
that can be manipulated by a nurse or loved one to enhance comfort.
References
Nursing Theories (Online) available at http://currentnursing.com
Accessed: September 14, 2016
Comfort Line (Online)
available at http://www.thecomfortline.com Accessed: September 14, 2016
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