Identifying and Analyzing Relevant Theories and Models in Nursing

This report analyzes three nursing theories—systems, adaptive, and self-care models—in the context of a client experiencing mental health issues stemming from a sexual problem, specifically the wife's infidelity. The report identifies the systems theory as the most effective due to its focus on stress and stressors, crucial to understanding the client's situation. It explores how neuroscience contributes to understanding the client's responses through regulatory and cognitive systems. Furthermore, the report highlights the family systems theory's importance in understanding the family's role in an individual's competence and quality of life and how it relates to interventions for human sexuality. The report concludes by emphasizing the relevance of these theories in addressing the client's needs and improving overall well-being.

Running head: RELEVANT THEORIES AND MODELS 1
Unit 6 Assignment: Identifying Relevant Theories and Models
Learner Name
COUN 5225
Date
Professor Name

RELEVANT THEORIES AND MODELS 2
Identifying relevant theories and models
A nursing model or theory is a set of stipulated ideologies that give specialists a way of
determining a strategy of care, evaluating the successes, and addressing any issues that may
arise. Nursing theories are usually named after the nurses who first promulgated them, and the
theories recognize, describe, and clarify a variety of the concepts of nursing (Fawthrop, 2015).
The purpose of this paper is to identify nursing theories and models in relation to a case
study of a client undergoing mental health issues due to a sexual problem. In light of this, this
paper reviews three theories that may be appropriate in addressing the client’s sexual problem
and how neuroscience has contributed to the understanding of the client’s problem. Additionally,
the paper singles out and discusses the most appropriate nursing theory that signifies the client’s
situation. Finally, the paper identifies and explains a systems perspective that gives an
understanding of the family and other theories and major models of family and related
interventions pertaining to human sexuality.
Theory Identification
The following three theories are appropriate for understanding and addressing the client’s
sexual needs:
The Systems Theory
The systems theory was promulgated by Betty Neuman (Aronowitz & Fawcett, 2016).
The systems theory views human beings as whole individuals, who are multidimensional beings,
and whose systems are in constant interaction with the environment. They have socio-cultural,
developmental, physiological, spiritual, and psychological survival factors. According to
Neuman & Fawcett (2012) the theory explains that the structure of human beings consists of the
line of resistance, both the flexible and normal lines of defense, and the central survival core. The

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stressors that affect or destabilize the system are grouped into intra personal, extra personal, and
interpersonal and the preventive measures undertaken by nurses are grouped into primary,
secondary, and tertiary.
The systems theory is appropriate for understanding the client sexual needs since the
theory majorly highlights issues dealing with stress and stressors. The client’s sexual problem
has been brought about by the infidelity of the wife. The client is therefore stressed up and
cannot perform his normal duties both at work and at home. The client is also experiencing
instances of headache, the client has been affected emotionally and cries often, and the client
cannot concentrate effectively.
The adaptive theory
The adaptive systems theory was conceptualized by Callista Roy (Masters, 2015). The
adaptive theory approaches human beings as open systems which are interacting with the
environment. The theory talks about a stimulus or an environmental information which can be
contextual, residual, or focal. The stimuli usually call for adaptive responses which include;
interdependence, self-concept, physiological needs, and role function. Roy (2014) explains that
the cognitive and the regulatory are necessary for analysis and adaptation of the stimuli. Nurses
therefore, support the patients by either reducing, maintaining, or increasing stimuli (Masters,
2015).
In light of the client’s sexual problem, the adaptive theory is similarly appropriate for
understanding the problem. The stimuli in the client’s case is the unfaithful wife who is the cause
of all the problems of the client which now calls for the response. The client is responding in
various ways such as excessive drinking of alcohol, crying, difficulty in decision making on who

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to share with his problem in the family, and experiencing headaches. The responses are due to
the cognitive and regulatory subsystems.
The self-care model
The self -care model was initiated by Dorothea Orem (Murphy & Smith, 2013). This
theory is grounded on the assumption that human beings are born independent and have the
ability of self-care. The theory is further based on three other sub theories which include; self-
care deficit theory, theory of nursing systems, and self-care theory. Self-care fundamentals are
therapeutic, developmental, and universal. According to the self-care theory, nurses assist
patients by doing for them, helping them, and teaching them. Human beings are able to acquire
skills needed for self-care and are aided by the nurses who aims at achieving maximum self-care
(McKenna, 2014).
With regards to the client, the self-care model is effective in understanding his sexual
problem. In this case, the client is already experiencing very difficult situations and the body
systems have been affected. The patient is not able to make sound decisions and he is engaging
in very dangerous activities. This model enables to understand that the patient has to know the
reason why he has to perform certain activities such as concentrating at work and avoiding
excessive drinking.
Neuroscience Influence
Neuroscience enables us understand how the body reacts to stimuli and also how the
body copes with stimuli. The regulatory system enables us understand how the client copes with
stimuli by endocrine, chemical, and neural responses (Meaney, 2015). The regulatory system
responds to both the external and internal stimuli. In the client’s case, the regulatory system is
responding by causing headache.

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The cognitive system similarly responds to both internal and external stimuli. The
cognitive system leads to responses such as decision making, emotions, solving of problems,
attention and memory (Luber et al., 2017). This system enables us understand why the client is
crying, why he is having nightmares and visions of the wife having sex with the other man, and
why he has resorted to excessive drinking more than the normal.
Most Effective Theory for Identified Case
From the discussions above, the theory that is most effective for the client’s sexual
problem is the systems theory. The systems theory is the most effective theory to describe the
client’s case because the client is dealing with a stressful situation which his wife’s infidelity and
the client is responding in numerous ways (Lowry, 2012). Stressors can be in any form ranging
from forces that come from the inside of a person such as motivations, can be between
individuals such as expectations in duties, and may come from outside of individuals such as
unemployment. In the case of the client, the stressor is from the infidelity of the wife who has not
been faithful in her duty as a wife (Fawcett & Desanto-Madeya, 2013).
The systems theory also highlights that the body has survival factors that enable them
cope with the stressors. The survival factors include the central survival core, the normal line of
defense, the flexible line of defense, and the line of resistance (Fawcett & Desanto-Madeya,
2013). The body system become imbalanced when the stressors infiltrate the normal line of
defense. In such a case, the nurses intervene by provide preventive measures. In the case of the
client, the body system has already been weakened and the survival factors can no longer provide
defense and that is the reason he is at the hospital seeking for help. During this time, the nurses
uses the tertiary prevention which uses education to strengthen the resistance of the client
(Lowry, 2012).

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Systems perspective
According to Brown (2016) the systems perspective that provides an understanding of the
family and other system theories is the family systems theory. This theory was conceptualized by
Bowen. This system focuses on home and family of an individual and explains that multiple
environmental factors influence competence and performance and that family is the first and
most important of all (Brown, 2016). The impact of family is complex and it is not just one sided
but reciprocal, and when one part is not functioning properly, the whole family is affected.
Bowen explains that families are different in nature, some are small, some extended, some with
one parent, others with two parents, and others with grandparents (Haefner, 2014).
The family systems theory incorporates other theories and models that conceptualize
families in different ways. Some of these theories include the developmental task theory, the
conflict theory, and the circumplex model. According to Haefner (2014) the family system theory
enables us to understand a person’s competence by providing intuitions into what contributing to
an individual’s good performance and similarly, what is compromising the person’s level of
competence. When family systems are better understood, interventions such as pertaining to
human sexuality can be designed and executed to boost competence and quality of life (Brown,
2016).
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are three theories that help us understand the client’s sexual problem;
the systems theory, the adaptation theory, and the self-care model. Most appropriately, is the
systems theory which is based on stress adaptation since the client is trying to cope with stress.
In this case study, neuroscience has enabled us understand the behavior of the client due to the
stressful situation by understanding how the cognitive and the regulatory system respond to

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stimuli which is the stress (Im, 2015). The family systems theory has also enabled us understand
how family is essential in understanding an individual’s behavior with regards to quality of life
and competence, and that better understanding of family systems leads to better interventions and
implementation of solutions to boost quality of life. (Im, 2015).

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References
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Brown, J. (2016). Commentary: Separations: A Personal Account of Bowen Family Systems
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Im, E. (2015). The current status of theory evaluation in nursing. Journal Of Advanced
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Lowry, L. (2012). A Qualitative Descriptive Study of Spirituality Guided by the Neuman
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new paradigm for imaging-guided intervention’’. Neuroimage, 151, 65-71. doi:
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