Nursing Theories and Research: HIV/AIDS, Self-Care Theory Application

This assignment delves into the realm of nursing theories and their practical application, specifically in the context of HIV/AIDS research. The student begins by defining nursing theory as a framework of concepts and beliefs that guide nursing practice, emphasizing its importance for student nurses in providing better patient care, fostering effective communication, and enhancing the professional status of nurses. The assignment then explores various teaching strategies for nursing theories, advocating for active student participation through classroom activities like debates and presentations, as well as the integration of simulation education and case-based learning to enhance understanding and clinical competence. Furthermore, the student proposes a research project focusing on HIV/AIDS, utilizing Dorothea Orem's Self-Care Theory to emphasize the importance of self-awareness and preventive measures. The project highlights how self-care theory can empower individuals to take precautions, thereby influencing their families and communities. The assignment concludes with a bibliography citing relevant sources.

1.
Nursing theory can be defined as a set of concepts, beliefs, policies or prepositions derived from
different nursing models to help or guide the practice of nursing. These theories help nursing
student and nurses to develop better nursing practices, knowledges and to take care of their
patients properly in a better way.
There are various common nursing theories which is very important for any nursing
undergraduates or students practicing nursing professionally. These are as follows:
 The importance of having nursing theories in practicing students as it helps them to
understand in providing better patient care, better understanding or communication
between the patient’s and their relatives and also to enhance the professional status of
nurses (Aliakbari, 2015)
 It is important to learn as it provides guidelines or direction in practicing nursing by
explicitly describing theories. It also provides foundations to nursing students to know
more about nursing students to know more about nursing and in which direction it should
develop in future.
 The main objective of nursing is to care which is abstract i.e. cannot be measured.
Therefore, it is important to have theories to explain what the actual role of nurses.
The strategies I would use to teach nursing theories to students are as follows:
 The active participation of both students and teachers through different classroom
activities like debate, presentations, group discussions, etc. can be one of the effective to
learn the theories (Michaela Miertová, 2013).
 The introduction of simulation education is vital as enacting real-world case help student
to improve their knowledge, clinical competence and boost their confident handling
critical cases.
 Problem or case-based learning can also be one of the effective strategy in which student
gets opportunity to understand the actual clinical problems or cases and how they can
apply themselves in those situations.

2.
I would like to research on one of the most studied sexually transmitted disease in both men and
women i.e. HIV AIDS. To design the research project, I would choose theory called Self care
theory. People should highly be aware of HIV AIDS and should know to take care of themselves
and their family members. Self-awareness is important to keep ourselves safe from many
diseases. If a person has knowledge about HIV they will definitely take precautions to avoid such
diseases.
Self-Care theory is characterized by completely developed human structures and sound mind and
healthy body functioning. If a person on his own maintains healthy behavior then he or she also
influences and guides the members of his family and friends (Dorothea Orem's Self-Care
Theory, 2012). HIV AIDS spreads through unprotected sex with the infected person, coming in
contact with blood, vaginal fluid or semen of infected person, sharing needles with them. So, in
this case self-care theory can be very effective for people to avoid such activities to stay safe
from HIV AIDS (Cateno, 2006).
If individual is aware about any diseases then according to the self-care theory he or she will
definitely take precaution and will never indulge in activities that affects their health. This also
influences his family member to practice in safety and healthy behaviors. Hence if a disease is
dealt at micro level it will definitely help to avoid disease at the high levels.
Bibliography
Aliakbari, P. (2015). Learning theories application in nursing education. NCBI.
Cateno, P. (2006). Self-care and HIV/AIDS patients: nursing care systematization.
NCBI.
Dorothea Orem's Self-Care Theory. (2012, Feb 4). Retrieved from Nursing Theories:
http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/self_care_deficit_theory.html
Michaela Miertová, M. L. (2013, 12 2). INNOVATIVE TEACHING
METHODS:IN THE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF NURSES – SIMULATION
EDUCATION. Institute of Nursing, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, 55-
60.