Theory of Comfort by Katharine Kolcaba 

The theory of comfort, a paper to be submitted in 24 hours by Katharine Kolcaba

1. Introduce yourself

Theorist identification, including brief biographical information (achievements, awards, careers, research effort)

Katharine Kolcaba, a nurse theorist and nursing researcher who created the Theory of Comfort. Kolcaba was born in 1944 and earned her nursing degree from St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing in Cleveland, Ohio. She earned her Bachelor of Science of Nursing at the University of Akron. A Master of Science of Nursing was obtained from Case Western Reserve University. And a PhD of Nursing, from the University of Akron. Kolcaba has worked as a nurse, a teacher, and a administrator. She wrote the Theory of Comfort which has been widely adopted in both nursing education and practice. Kolcaba received numerous accolades for her work, including the Midwest Nursing Research Society’s Distinguished Contribution to Nursing Research Award and induction into the Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame.

2. Analyse the basic concepts and relationships within theory

a) Briefly discuss the theory’s core concepts

Katharine Kocaba’s The Theory of Comfort is a nursing concept that emphasizes comfort. Kolcaba defines the concept of comfort as being achieved when physical, mental, spiritual, social, cultural, and environment needs are met. This theory is composed of three major components: relief (or ease), transcendence, and comfort. Relief is the state of comfort that is achieved when a patient’s physical or psychological discomfort is eased. Ease is the state of comfort that is achieved when a patient’s needs are met, and they feel calm and content. Transcendence is the state of comfort that is achieved when a patient’s needs are met, and they are able to rise above their current state of discomfort and find meaning or purpose in their experience.

Kolcaba also identified the four different types of comfort. These are physical, psychospiritual and sociocultural. Physical comfort refers to the patient’s physical state, such as pain or discomfort from illness or injury. Psychospiritual comfort refers to the patient’s psychological and spiritual state, such as fear, anxiety, or spiritual distress. Sociocultural comfort refers to the patient’s cultural and social needs, such as the need for social support or communication. Environmental comfort refers to the patient’s physical environment, such as noise levels or temperature.

For this section, use a secondary resource that covers your selected nursing theory. You must include a minimum 3 nursing references (only 1 from an article source such as a text or secondary source).

According to McEwen and Wills (2019), Kolcaba’s Theory of Comfort is a middle-range nursing theory that focuses on holistic patient care. The theory is based on the premise that comfort is a basic human need and that meeting the patient’s comfort needs can promote healing, reduce stress, and improve patient outcomes. The authors state that the theory has been used in a variety of clinical settings and that it provides a framework for nursing practice that emphasizes the importance of addressing the patient’s physical, psychospiritual, sociocultural, and environmental needs.

3. Relevance

If any of the described authors are personal (connecting the theorist with the theory), then this is relevant.

My personal life is irrelevant to my artificial intelligence model.

A) Reliability to Healthcare and Clients (Connect the Theory to Today’s Healthcare)

Today, the Theory of Comfort is still relevant. It emphasizes the importance of addressing the patient’s holistic needs and provides a framework for providing patient-centered care.