What is health to a patient with cancer?
In order to examine and understand the role of nurses within healthcare and what brings them to be described as ‘healthcare professionals’, a definition of ‘health’ must first be established. There is no universally agreed definition of health (Waugh et al. 2008); possibly the most widely used definition comes from The World Health Organisation (WHO) (1948); they defined health as “being the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity (p. 100). This definition moved away from the notion that being healthy is simply about the absence of illness, it provided a holistic view of health (Lewis, 2011). However, there has been some criticism that this definition is limited and out-dated; it does …show more content…
Health as a continuum places a greater emphasis on individuals changing health and health needs over time. Health can be placed along a spectrum- ‘The Illness-Wellness Continuum’ (Travis, 1972) - (Appendix A). At the left side the person is no longer alive and leading to this are degrees of illness; at the right side the person has a high level of wellness and degrees of wellness lead up to this. The Illness-Wellness Continuum has been a useful tool in emphasising that in the absence of physical illness, an individual can still suffer from conditions affecting their mental health- indicating a lack of wellness (Dever, 1997). The Illness-Wellness Continuum is a holistic approach to health, taking into account the interaction of social, biological, and psychological factors; it views the person as a whole rather than the sum of parts. The Holistic Model differs from the Social Model in that it focuses on the individual rather than the social structures that influence the individual (Chronin de Chavez, 2005; Earle,
In order to examine and understand the role of nurses within healthcare and what brings them to be described as ‘healthcare professionals’, a definition of ‘health’ must first be established. There is no universally agreed definition of health (Waugh et al. 2008); possibly the most widely used definition comes from The World Health Organisation (WHO) (1948); they defined health as “being the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity (p. 100). This definition moved away from the notion that being healthy is simply about the absence of illness, it provided a holistic view of health (Lewis, 2011). However, there has been some criticism that this definition is limited and out-dated; it does …show more content…
Health as a continuum places a greater emphasis on individuals changing health and health needs over time. Health can be placed along a spectrum- ‘The Illness-Wellness Continuum’ (Travis, 1972) - (Appendix A). At the left side the person is no longer alive and leading to this are degrees of illness; at the right side the person has a high level of wellness and degrees of wellness lead up to this. The Illness-Wellness Continuum has been a useful tool in emphasising that in the absence of physical illness, an individual can still suffer from conditions affecting their mental health- indicating a lack of wellness (Dever, 1997). The Illness-Wellness Continuum is a holistic approach to health, taking into account the interaction of social, biological, and psychological factors; it views the person as a whole rather than the sum of parts. The Holistic Model differs from the Social Model in that it focuses on the individual rather than the social structures that influence the individual (Chronin de Chavez, 2005; Earle,