The Betty Neuman Systems Model applied to practice: a client with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

The importance of nursing theories and models for the growth and development of the profession of nursing is widely acknowledged. The variety of nursing phenomena and situations demands some flexibility in the choice of specific conceptualizations to be used. This paper demonstrates the goodness of fit of the Betty Neuman Systems Model to the care of clients with multiple sclerosis. An adapted assessment tool, based on Neuman's tool, but more useful in the acute care medical setting, is used to gather data related to a woman with recently diagnosed multiple sclerosis. A nursing care plan illustrating the use of Neuman's model is generated, implemented and evaluated. The Neuman Model is demonstrated to be useful and effective in the implementation of the nursing process in this case.

Application of the Betty Neuman systems model in the nursing care of patients/clients with multiple sclerosis

“…11 A wide variety of situations and phenomena make a certain degree of flexibility necessary in the selection of the models and nursing theories according to the circumstances. 12 The Betty Neuman systems model is one theory that provides guidance at three levels of prevention. 13…”

“…An individual organism is said to have a central “core” of basic survival mechanisms, such as temperature control, ego, and organ function. 12 The core is protected by lines of defence. The outer layer is the flexible line of defence, and is variable, responding to the particular stressor.…”

Modifying Stressors Using Betty Neuman System Modeling in Coronary Artery Bypass Graft: a Randomized Clinical Trial

“…For instance, Knight studied the effectiveness of the Neuman model on a multiple sclerosis patient, and its results reported favorable effects. 30 Ross and Bourbonnai also examined the efficacy of this model in patients with myocardial perfusion. 31 The evaluation of stressors and nurses and the patients' understandings of these stressors are different from each other.…”

Socio-demography and psychosis symptom severity among male schizophrenia – Diagnosed patients of MOH Mental Health Facilities, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; a correlational study

“…This study looked at this same behavioral phenomenon called Schizophrenia having Psychosis as its primary debilitating symptom where one explanation can't be easily afforded but at the very least a conjugation of explanations to shed possible light into its understanding. A person is a complicated entity (or a system) whose entirety rests on the facts that a multitude of factors (subsystems) may be identified each one a living dynamic condition in itself possibly affecting and affected by other factors (internally and/or externally) (Knight, 1990). Betty Neuman's Systems model asserts a number of assumptions that greatly influences the foundation within which this study progresses from.…”