Choosing a nursing theory that resonates and embodies my personal values, beliefs and nursing practice is imperative to the advancement of my nursing practice and lifelong development. Katharine Kolcaba’s Comfort Theory is a middle-range theory that has been my personal favorite since learning about her almost five years ago as I embarked on a new collaborative journey when opening a new hospital from the ground up in my own community. The opportunity of choosing a nursing theorist to guide our practice was given to all the employees during the three month orientation prior to opening our doors. Collectively, non-clinical and clinical staff alike were vetted with the important duty of choosing this guiding path, one that was not taken lightly. Kolcaba’s Comfort Theory follows the original guiding principles that the …show more content…
The thought of providing care with comfort seems natural and effortless, yet it can be difficult to find in healthcare today. Before the holistic environment of healthcare that is needed for our patients can be provided, a rebirth of care with comfort must be utilized and presented at the forefront of healthcare reform. If the focus of true healing, proactive and preventative healthcare is born, the Comfort Theory must be fully integrated into all aspects of nursing.
This holistic trend seen within nursing, was the basis for the Comfort Theory, as Kolcaba describes comfort as living in three forms: ease, relief and transcendence. There are also 4 different contexts that the comfort of the patient can occur: psychospiritual, physical, environmental, and sociocultural (Krinsky, Murillo, & Johnson, 2014). Kolcaba’s Comfort Theory truly embodies my personal values and beliefs both personally and professionally. My belief in God, family, and my calling to help others is my foundation, my daily inspiration