Synergy Theory Utilization and Application
QUESTION
Analyze and evaluate the synergy theory. Identify the application of the synergy theory into clinical practice.
1. Components of the theory
Discuss the major concepts of the theory
Philosophical basis or worldview change, advancing health
2. Structural aspects of the theory
Discuss the framework of the theory.
3. Identify an area of your practice where this theory could be applicable
What question does the theory help to answer?
Describe the area of interest in relation to the theory/theoretical model.
Is it appropriate for the practice setting and is it applicable?
Discuss the strength and weakness of the theory. If there is weakness, discuss what makes it
difficult to be used in practice.
4. Use of theory in clinical practice.
What literature review reveals
5. Evaluation of theory
Is this theory used to understand and apply into practice?
What difficulties did you encounter or would anticipate encountering in using this theory?
What would make this theory more usable or applicable to practice?
Synergy Theory Utilization and Application
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Synergy Theory Utilization and Application
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Synergy Theory Utilization and Application
Components of the theory
Synergy theory is a care model that sustains patient-centered care by focusing on nurses’ competencies and patients’ characteristics to achieve the best possible patient-nurse related outcomes. The concept of the theory is that the patients’ needs drive the characteristics and competencies for nurses (“AACN synergy model,” n.d.). Synergy ensues when the characteristics of patients and families are matched with the competencies of the nurse.
The philosophical basis of the model is that all patients have similar needs they experience across the health-illness continuum, and the complexity of the requirements increases with a shift to the illness section of the continuum. Five assumptions guide the nursing model (“AACN synergy model,” n.d.). First, a patient is a biological, psychological, spiritual and social entity that presents to the clinic at a particular developmental stage, and healthcare workers should address each as a whole, not just the physical. Second, the patient, family, and community contribute to the context of care provided by the nurse. Third, a healthcare provider can describe a patient by several characteristics related to the current health status, and nurses should isolate no single characteristic. Fourth, several dimensions that create the nurse profile can describe a nurse. Fifth, the patient will define the optimum level of wellness and any nursing plan will work to achieve it. When death can be an acceptable outcome, the role of nursing care is to ensure peaceful death (“AACN synergy model,” n.d.). These assumptions ensure that any patient-nurse encounter results in synergy.
Structural aspects of the theory
The framework of the theory follows the philosophical worldview. There are eight patient characteristics where a patient can be resilient, vulnerable, stable, show complexity, resource availability, participate in care, show predictability, and decision-making that evaluate their needs. Nurses must have matching competencies to achieve synergy (Curley, 2021). Similarly, eight nurse competencies match patient characteristics. They include clinical judgment, caring practices, advocacy and morality, collaboration in any patient care, response to diverse situations, facilitation of continuous learning, and clinical inquiry when in need. These competencies ensure that nurses meet patients at their points of need, and a good match would ensue.
The patient and family outcome, unit outcome, and system outcome define a good match of patient care (“AACN synergy model,” n.d.). The patient outcome means that nurses manage symptoms and diseases, resolve ethical problems, achieve appropriate self-care, demonstrate health-promoting behavior, live a health-related quality of life, and exude the perception of caring for patients and family. Unit outcomes mean that a unit shares accountability and authority for unit operations and performance, and experienced nurses help other less advanced nurses to develop. System outcomes mean that nurses are satisfied with their work, have the proper staffing, utilize resources well, are responsible for each patient, perform multidisciplinary roles, and offer innovative solutions to each problem that arises during patient care (Curley, 2021). The patient characteristics, nurse competencies, and respective outcomes mean that the model achieves synergy in inpatient care.
The relationship between the nurse competencies and patient outcomes follows a non-linear fashion. The components converge to define synergy when nurse competencies and patient demands meet and show how the interplay between the concepts affects and ultimately affects patient care.
Area in practice where theory is applicable
The theory’s question is where it is applicable and how the model can be integrated into the American Association of Nurses Critical-care Nurse programs (AANC). The model is relevant in most patient-nurse interactions because it identifies universal patient needs. Nursing certification is a product of the synergy model as it ensures nurses are competent to meet patient needs. It is also a foundation for nursing school curricula and a model for professionals to advance inpatient care. The model can be integrated into the AACN programs through developing competencies, certification test plans, and setting renewal of certificates. The American Association of Critical-care Nurse conducts periodic surveys in the job market to ensure the certification process offers competent nursing practice requirements. It also provides study material and exams to certify nurses for skilled work. The AACN supports the renewal of certificates because nurses that would like to renew or upgrade their competency levels have to familiarize themselves with the competency requirement before taking the grading tests. Resource materials are elaborate and explain the requisite demands to ensure a competent nurse has the certification to offer the best possible patient care. These three methods meet the initial requirement for the model to become effective.
An area of interest in relation to the theoretical model would be how the model is applicable in inpatient settings. For instance, given that the prevalence of the development of cancers of any type continues to rise in the country, how would the theory apply to improve patient care in oncology units? The oncology department would benefit from applying the Synergy Model of patient care because hospitals would use it to determine the need for additional nurse resources with nurses specialized in oncology and a specialized team of nurses with a mixed professional qualification. It can also assess patients who present to the emergency department with symptoms related to any cancer. However, finding a nurse that matches each patient’s needs would be limited by staffing realities. It is appropriate in the clinical setting because hospitals need competent workers to provide optimum care to patients.
The theory’s strengths are that it is pragmatic in application in critical care settings. It also has a broad scope of application that matches the hypotheses of matching particular nurse competencies with patient needs. Additionally, the broad scope focuses on nursing practice to achieve an optimum result in inpatient care, and the detailed components of the theory make it fairly applicable to inpatient care. The model is broad and focuses on specific characteristics of patients and nurse competencies, which means it could be used in research designed to examine the relationship. The theory is also complex in its dimension, hence could be used o explore multiple concepts.
Use of theory in clinical practice
The theory can be applied in clinical practice to inform patient care. Literature review from the limited sources reveals that the theory is fairly applicable in specific settings. According to a systematic analysis conducted by Nania et al. (2020), the synergy model was most appropriate in critical care settings. Five interpretive themes emerged from the investigation, which included a comprehensive understanding of the theory and putting it into contexts, nurses’ interpretations of experiences from the theory’s application, continuous education of nurses, optimization of outcomes related to the patient, and outcomes specific to the system (Nania et al., 2020). The model was also associated with patient and nurse satisfaction during the caregiving process, reduction of patient complications, staff and patient empowerment, and engagement of both patients and healthcare providers.
Similarly, researchers conducted another analysis in Canada to analyze the application of the Synergy Model in two urban-centered institutions to inform the nursing model in inpatient and ambulatory settings. Cordon et al. (2021) found that the model was fairly applicable in inpatient facilities to inform nursing practice by determining additional resources with specialized staff to the designated clinical area. They also found that in ambulatory settings, the theory was fairly applicable to adding specialized oncology nurses in the oncology unit of the community hospital because nursing activities involved the administration of chemotherapy and nursing care of patients after certain procedures like lumbar puncture blood transfusion and intravenous hydration. Existing staff was also empowered to provide nursing support to the oncology patients.
Evaluation of theory
The theory is used to understand specific clinical requirements and apply inpatient care. Most articles articulate how the Synergy Model was useful in identifying the gaps in inpatient care, which led to staff education and a resultant provision of holistic care to patients. The result was a satisfied patient and nurse. Conceptualization of the theory involves adequately understanding areas in the model that would be applicable to inform patient care.
Difficulties I would anticipate would be challenges with sustainability. The whole model depends on the collaboration of all nurses to complete each patient’s assessment of their care needs in a paper-based tool (Reed et al., n.d.). Some nurses would achieve the scores, but some would not because most do not run for additional paperwork. An electronic system would do very well to ease the application of the Synergy Model into clinical practice because technology’s integration in healthcare means most services would get updated as they go. Additionally, continuous education of nurses prepares them for the population’s growing needs and any patient encounter.
References
AACN synergy model. (n.d.). Nursing Theory. https://nursing-theory.org/articles/AACN-synergy-model.php
Cordon, C., Lounsbury, J., Palmer, D., & Shoemaker, C. (2021). Applying the synergy model to inform the nursing model of care in an inpatient and an ambulatory care setting: The experience of two urban cancer institutions, Hamilton health sciences and Grand River regional cancer centre. Canadian Oncology Nursing Journal, 31(2), 186-194. https://doi.org/10.5737/23688076312186194
Curley, M. A. Q. (2021, August 22). The AACN synergy model for patient care. Nursology. https://nursology.net/nurse-theories/the-synergy-model/
Nania, T., Barello, S., Caruso, R., Graffigna, G., Stievano, A., Pittella, F., & Dellafiore, F. (2020). The state of the evidence about the synergy model for patient care. International Nursing Review, 68(1), 78-89. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12629
Reed, K. D., Cline, M., & Kerfoot, K. M. (n.d.). Implementation of the synergy model in critical care. https://samples.jblearning.com/0763738638/38638_CH01_001_012.pdf. https://samples.jblearning.com/0763738638/38638_CH01_001_012.pdf
Synergy Theory Utilization and Application