Kolcaba’s Theory of Comfort
Katy Hess
Lewis-Clark State College
Kolcaba’s Theory of Comfort Nursing theories have been an integral part of developing the standards and principles that are used in today’s nursing. Nursing theories are a foundation where policies and protocols are taken and applied in hospitals. Standards of care are made from various nursing theories. The basis of nursing has been taken from nurse theorists, through research and science, have developed these theories that nurses use on a daily basis. The theorist I chose for this paper is Katharine Kolcaba. Katharine Kolcaba’s theory is the Theory of Comfort. This paper will go into more detail about her and how she developed this theory. The paper will also dive deeper …show more content…
1). Katharine Kolcaba developed this theory when she conducted a concept analysis of comfort that examined literature from many disciplines such as medicine, psychology, nursing, psychiatry, ergonomics, and English (Petiprin, n.d., para. 2). After Kolcaba created the three forms of comfort and the four contexts of holistic human experience, she comprised a structural guide that was made to help with assessment, measurement, and evaluation of patient comfort (Petiprin, n.d., para. 2). According to Kolcaba, patient comfort is the result of holistic nursing art (Petiprin, n.d., para. 2). Holistic nursing has been around for a long time. What is unique about Kolcaba’s Theory of Comfort is the concept analysis of comfort. She developed two dimensions to this holistic comfort theory. Kolcaba took the already known ideas and concepts of comfort and used research and science to create a taxonomic structure that can be a guide for nurses in how to apply holistic comfort measures to patients (Koehn, 2000, p. …show more content…
These three forms are relief, ease, and transcendence (Petiprin, n.d., para. 2). In the theory, these three forms of comfort are addressed in four contexts including physical, psychospiritual, sociocultural, and environmental (as cited in Masters, 2014, p. 73). Kolcaba believes comfort is more than being without pain or physical discomfort (as cited in Masters, 2014, p. 73). Physical comfort involves bodily sensations and maintaining homeostasis (as cited in Masters, 2014, p. 73). Psychospiritual comfort includes self-awareness to one’s self-worth, value, one’s purpose in life, sexuality, and one’s relationship or belief in a higher power (as cited in Masters, 2014, p. 73). Sociocultural comfort pertains to interpersonal, relationships with family, societal relationships, and cultural customs (as cited in Masters, 2014, p. 73). Environmental comfort is described as the external surroundings of the person, which involves light, noise, color, temperature, ambience, and natural versus synthetic elements (as cited in Masters, 2014, p. 73). As cited in Masters, comfort care involves three components including meeting the comfort needs of patients in a timely manner while being sensitive and empathetic, and having the intent to comfort the patient (2014, p. 74). Comfort measures are to be interventions that are specifically designed to increase patients’ and/or families’ comfort (as cited in
Katy Hess
Lewis-Clark State College
Kolcaba’s Theory of Comfort Nursing theories have been an integral part of developing the standards and principles that are used in today’s nursing. Nursing theories are a foundation where policies and protocols are taken and applied in hospitals. Standards of care are made from various nursing theories. The basis of nursing has been taken from nurse theorists, through research and science, have developed these theories that nurses use on a daily basis. The theorist I chose for this paper is Katharine Kolcaba. Katharine Kolcaba’s theory is the Theory of Comfort. This paper will go into more detail about her and how she developed this theory. The paper will also dive deeper …show more content…
1). Katharine Kolcaba developed this theory when she conducted a concept analysis of comfort that examined literature from many disciplines such as medicine, psychology, nursing, psychiatry, ergonomics, and English (Petiprin, n.d., para. 2). After Kolcaba created the three forms of comfort and the four contexts of holistic human experience, she comprised a structural guide that was made to help with assessment, measurement, and evaluation of patient comfort (Petiprin, n.d., para. 2). According to Kolcaba, patient comfort is the result of holistic nursing art (Petiprin, n.d., para. 2). Holistic nursing has been around for a long time. What is unique about Kolcaba’s Theory of Comfort is the concept analysis of comfort. She developed two dimensions to this holistic comfort theory. Kolcaba took the already known ideas and concepts of comfort and used research and science to create a taxonomic structure that can be a guide for nurses in how to apply holistic comfort measures to patients (Koehn, 2000, p. …show more content…
These three forms are relief, ease, and transcendence (Petiprin, n.d., para. 2). In the theory, these three forms of comfort are addressed in four contexts including physical, psychospiritual, sociocultural, and environmental (as cited in Masters, 2014, p. 73). Kolcaba believes comfort is more than being without pain or physical discomfort (as cited in Masters, 2014, p. 73). Physical comfort involves bodily sensations and maintaining homeostasis (as cited in Masters, 2014, p. 73). Psychospiritual comfort includes self-awareness to one’s self-worth, value, one’s purpose in life, sexuality, and one’s relationship or belief in a higher power (as cited in Masters, 2014, p. 73). Sociocultural comfort pertains to interpersonal, relationships with family, societal relationships, and cultural customs (as cited in Masters, 2014, p. 73). Environmental comfort is described as the external surroundings of the person, which involves light, noise, color, temperature, ambience, and natural versus synthetic elements (as cited in Masters, 2014, p. 73). As cited in Masters, comfort care involves three components including meeting the comfort needs of patients in a timely manner while being sensitive and empathetic, and having the intent to comfort the patient (2014, p. 74). Comfort measures are to be interventions that are specifically designed to increase patients’ and/or families’ comfort (as cited in