Faye abdellah patient-centered approach to nursing theory

Faye Abdellah develop what she called the “21 Nursing Problems Theory.” Her theory suggested that nurses could help with the diagnosis process through their job duties. At the time, the Abdellah nursing theory was thought to be progressive because it suggested nurses take on a role in patient care that wasn’t part of their official duties.

The 21 “problems” of the theory aren’t actually problems. Ten of then are steps that nurses can use to identify the health concerns of a patient. The other 11 items are specific nursing skills that must be used to make a proper diagnosis.

What Are the 10 Steps to Identify a Health Concern?

1. Nurses must first get to know the patient before a determination of their health can be obtained.

2. Data from the patient must be properly sorted and categorized so significant data points can be identified.

3. Generalizations can be made from the available data based on the past experiences of the nurse.

4. A Abdellah’s 21 Nursing Problems Theory.