Abdellah's 21 Nursing Problem Theory

INTRODUCTION  Abdellah gave the theory of 21 nursing problems in

1960 focusing on those who are hospitalized and also who are in community.  She believed that nursing is based on an art and science that mould the attitudes, intellectual competencies, and technical skills of the individual nurse into the desire and ability to help people, sick or well, cope with their health needs.  She identified 10 steps to identify the clients problems and 11 nursing skills to develop a treatment typology.

10 steps to identify the client’s problem  Learn to know the patient.  Sort out relevant and significant data.  Make generalizations about available data in relation

to similar nursing problems presented by other patients.  Identify the therapeutic plan.  Test generalizations with the patient and make additional generalizations.  Validate the patients conclusions about his nursing problems.

 Continue to observe and evaluate the patient over a period

of time to identify any attitudes and clues affecting his behavior.  Explore the patient’s and family’s reaction to the therapeutic plan and involve them in the plan.  Identify how the nurses feel about the patient’s nursing problems.  Discuss and develop a comprehensive nursing care plan.

11 Nursing Skills           

Observation of health status. Skills of communication. Application of knowledge. Teaching of patients and families. Planning and organization of work. Use of resource materials. Use of personal resources. Problem solving. Direction of work to others. Therapeutic use of the self. Nursing procedures.

21 Nursing Problems  Divided into 3 major categories:  Physical, sociological, and emotional needs of clients.  Types of interpersonal relationships between the nurse

and the patent.  Common elements of client care.  21 nursing problems identified are the following:-

Basic To All Patients  To maintain good hygiene and physical comfort.  To promote optimal activity, exercise, rest and sleep.  To promote safety through the prevention of accidents,

injury, or other trauma and through the prevention of the spread of infection.  To maintain good body mechanics and prevent and correct deformities.

Sustenal Care Needs  To facilitate the maintenance of a supply of oxygen to all      

body cells. To facilitate the maintenance of nutrition of all body cells. To facilitate the maintenance of elimination. To facilitate the maintenance of fluid and electrolyte balance. To recognize the physiological responses of the body to disease conditions. To facilitate the maintenance of regulatory mechanisms and functions. To facilitate the maintenance of sensory function.

Remedial Care Needs  To identify and accept positive and negative expressions,

feelings and reactions.  To identify and accept the interrelatedness of emotions and organic illness.  To facilitate the maintenance of effective verbal and non verbal communication.  To promote the development of productive interpersonal relationships.

 To facilitate progress toward achievement of personal

spiritual goals.  To create and or maintain a therapeutic environment.  To facilitate awareness of self as an individual with varying physical, emotional and developmental needs.

Restorative Care Needs  To accept the optimum possible goals in the light of

limitations, physical and emotional.  To use community resources as an aid in resolving problems arising from illness.  To understand the role of social problems as influencing factors in the case of illness.

PARADIGM OF THEORY  Person – she describe people as having physical, emotional

and sociological needs. Patient is described as the only justification for the existence of nursing.  Society or Environment – it is included in planning for optimum health on local, state, national and international levels. The environment is the home or community from which the patient comes.

 Health – she describes health as a state mutually exclusive

of illness.  Nursing – Nursing is a helping profession. Nursing care is doing something to or for the person or providing information to the person with the goals of meeting needs, increasing or restoring self help ability, or alleviating impairment.

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