In nursing practice, there are many different approaches to the patient. Levine’s conservational theory focuses on an individual approach to preserving the patient’s condition with the least effort (Gonzalo, 2021). This approach forms four main concepts of this method, divided into two parts: conservation of energy and integrity. Within the framework of the latter concept, three types are distinguished: structural, personal, and social integrity. The first principle demonstrates the basis of this theory as the need for a balance between the patient’s energy received and expended to maintain a healthy state (Gonzalo, 2021). The other three components aim to meet the patient’s needs and maintain their position. Structural integrity reflects the need to keep the body intact, personal — to satisfy personal ambitions, and social — to preserve a person’s role in society (Gonzalo, 2021). It should be noted that all the designated principles are focused on different aspects of human activity.
Nevertheless, there is a clear connection between them, expressed by the author herself. According to her, the patient interacts with all these principles in a series of life events while the environment and person change (Gonzalo, 2021). Simultaneously, the concepts are interconnected at the practical implementation level: for example, energy conservation is impossible without considering structural integrity. Thus, the relational statements of this theory are based on the fact that the nurse should become part of the patient’s environment and pay attention to each of the aspects of their life.
This approach, first of all, reflects the value of the patient’s desires and emphasizes the need to perceive their environment most integrally. Nurses are encouraged to focus their attention on four main components, each of which reflects the main interests of a person: from basic physical to social. Since this theory is entirely focused on the patient, it is possible to create the most comfortable environment for them through cooperation, which is the fundamental principle of this method. According to research, the application of the principles of Levine’s theory allows patients with advanced-stage cancer to be provided with both psychological and physical assistance in adapting to their condition (Ingrit, 2019). Other studies show that this personalized approach is beneficial when patients have energy conservation issues (Nurhidayah et al., 2019). Therefore, creating the most comfortable environment by taking into account personal needs is the primary value of this theory.
References
Gonzalo, A. (2021). Myra Estrin Levine: The conservation model of nursing. Nurselabs. Web.
Ingrit, B.L. (2019). The application of Levine’s and Kolcaba’s theories in the nursing care of patients with the third stadium of cervical cancer. Indonesian Journal of Nursing Practices, 3(2), 75-81. Web.
Nurhidayah, I., Pahria, T., Hidayati, N. O., & Nuraeni, A. (2019). The application of Levine’s conservation model on nursing care of children with cancer experiencing chemotherapy-induced mucositis in Indonesia. KnE Life Sciences, 448-462. Web.