Content area
Full text
Abstract
Hollstic patient-centred care (PCC) is often regarded as the quintessence of nursing practice. However, closer examination reveals that provision of care for patients with a physical illness or disability is centred around their compromised physical condition rather than their Individual needs. Often, little attention is given to `total care' and negotiation with the patient is largely excluded. This Is evident in the continued use of medical models of care and the assumption that physical needs are the priority for practice. This article presents an alternative - the PCC model. This Is a multiprofessional, reflective model which facilitates an unbiased and non presumptuous approach, thereby overriding the tendency of healthcare professionals to rely on paternalistic and habitual practice. It empowers patients, allowing them to determine their own needs, and encourages reflection, self-awareness and personal and professional growth in the healthcare professionals who adopt It. Although the model was devised and piloted within a hospice it has the potential to be adapted for use In any healthcare setting.
Holistic care incorporates all aspects of the individual: the mind, body and spirit. It gives equal weight to each of these elements while accepting that when either the mind, body or spirit are compromised, there will inevitably be an imbalance in the other elements. Being `patient centred' when providing holistic care is dependent upon the healthcare professional's (HCP's) willingness to encourage the individual to determine his/her own needs. If the patient is unable to communicate his/her needs or wishes as a result of physical, mental or spiritual ill-health then an alternative must be sought. In such instances it may be necessary to rely upon relatives, partners or friends who, by the nature of their relationship with the patient, possess an understanding of the patient's beliefs and values.
Bearing in mind that every HCP is also an individual in his/her own right, it is important to acknowledge that the quality of care given is dependent on the HCP's state of mind, body and spirit. Nordman et al (1998) state that caring begins with suffering, and describe nurses as `co-actors' in the drama of suffering. The patient perceives this as understanding, which enables him/her to experience such suffering as meaningful. Benner and Wrubel (1989) also acknowledge this relationship through...