Definitions
Meleis’s theory of nursing transitions proposes that assisting people to manage life transitions is a key function of nursing. |
Transition |
‘The passage or movement from one state, condition or place to another’ |
Transitions often require a person to incorporate new knowledge, to alter behavior, and therefore to change the definition of self in the new social context
Transitional Conditions
Personal: |
Community: Availability or lack of can inhibit or facilitate transitions |
Society: Our sociocultural environment shapes the transition experience. |
Mrs. Sweet
She holds many personal beliefs and values, such as traditional medicine. She has a community, but it seems she isn't connected with the resources which can help her daily life. Her sociocultural environment also plays against her because of past and current racism, so her idea of healthcare is greatly influenced by that.
Conditions: Personal
Meanings |
Cultural Beliefs & Attitudes |
Socioeconomic Status |
Preparation & Knowledge |
Nature of Transitions
Types |
Patterns |
Properties |
These things can be things that stop or move the transition forward.
Nature: Types of Transitions
Developmental |
A woman becoming a mother |
Situational |
An elderly person moving from home to a nursing home. |
Health/Illness |
Recovery, chronic illness, |
Organizational |
transfers from one facility or unit to another. |
These events are considered significant in a person's life and when they are most vulnerable mentally and physically. It's important to consider these transitions and make them as smooth as possible.
Nature: Patterns of Transition
Single |
Multiple |
Sequential |
Simultaneous |
Related |
Unrelated |
Transitions tend to have common patterns.
Many people will experience more than one of these factors at the same time during a transition.
Nature: Properties of Transition
Awareness |
Perception, Knowledge, and recognition of going through a transition. |
Engagement |
Awareness can influence how much a person engages in the transition. Are they involved in their transition or resistant to it? Here we can consider how Mrs.Sweet even though she doesn't know much about the wellness center, she wanted to come to visit because the curiosity got the best of her. She came because she is looking for some change in her life. |
Change & Difference |
How does the person deal with transition? do the changes scare them? COnsider their comfort. When we were interviewing Mrs.Sweet for example, we all had to change our agendas to ensure her comfort in a new experience for her. |
Time Span |
We shouldn't put time constraints on transitions. The time it takes for someone to transition is very fluid, and throughout the transition it can change quickly. We can for example refer this back to Mrs.Sweet saying "I don't know you". She was reluctant to share about herself at first, but as soon as a common ground was found, she changed her mind with how open was to change. |
Critical Points & Events |
These are you could call "life changing" events, such as death, birth, marriage, diagnosis, graduating. Mrs. Sweets critical point could be residential school for example, or the death of her husband. A lot changed for her at these peak points. |
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Mrs. Sweet It seems like Mrs.Sweet knows she is going through some changes. She knows that the wellness center is new and situating herself in that environment puts her in a transitionary phase of getting to know western medicine and healthcare. |
Her engagement is volatile, sometimes she is receptive, and other times she is reserved. This was all depending on the type of questions we asked her. This all effects the time span for her transition. Her transitioning is also effecting change and identity because even though she is interested in the new wellness center she wants to retain her identity as an indigenous person. |
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Patterns of Response
Process Indicators |
Outcome Indicators |
If a person is engaged and interacting, they gain that confidence to go through a transition positively and develop ways to cope and solve problems during the process.
Response: Process Indicators
Feeling Connected |
- Making new contacts and maintaining old contacts |
- Continuity in healthcare professionals, and trust to ask questions. |
Interacting |
- By interacting the response to the transition is addressed and acknowledged. You can give holistic care in this environment. |
Located & Being Situated |
- Being ble to understand and justify how everything came to be in the transition and owning it. |
Developing Confidence & Coping |
- Involves a sense of wisdom by having to experience and live through a transition |
- Having this knowledge and understanding the transition process empowers the patient to be confident in overcoming problems |
- This wisdom also helps patients recognize coping mechanisms during the difficult times of transition. |
Response: Outcome Indicators
Mastery |
- Comfort with behavior required in a new situation. |
- Starting to make own decisions and taking control of the situation. |
- Starting to make own decisions and taking control of the situation. |
Fluid Integrative Identities |
- Formulating a new identity around the transition. Becoming "bicultural" and not just "monocultural" |
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