Design a “comfort contract” whereby patients or their surrogates designate an expected level of postsurgical overall comfort, and also where they can specify chronic discomforts and interventions that they use at home for relief.

The selected Student Learning Outcome for this discussion is:

Examine the influence that nursing models and theories have upon research and practice.

Nursing models and theories play an essential role in guiding nursing research and practice. These models and theories provide a framework that helps nurses to understand and analyze the complex nature of healthcare and patient needs. In the context of the discussion topic, the use of a “comfort contract” is an example of how nursing theories can be applied to practice.

The comfort contract can be designed based on nursing theories such as comfort theory and self-care theory. Comfort theory emphasizes the importance of comfort as a fundamental aspect of nursing care. This theory recognizes that comfort is multidimensional and can be affected by physical, psychological, social, and spiritual factors. The self-care theory emphasizes the role of patients in managing their own health and well-being. This theory emphasizes that patients have the ability to identify their own needs, make decisions about their care, and take action to meet their needs.

The comfort contract can be designed to incorporate these theories by allowing patients or their surrogates to identify their specific comfort needs and the interventions that they use to manage their own comfort. This approach emphasizes patient-centered care, which recognizes that patients are experts in their own care and should be involved in decision-making about their care.

In conclusion, nursing models and theories have a significant influence on nursing research and practice. The use of a comfort contract is an example of how nursing theories can be applied to practice to improve patient-centered care. By using a comfort contract, patients or their surrogates can identify their specific comfort needs and the interventions that they use to manage their own comfort, thereby improving overall patient outcomes.