Personality Theories by Erik Erickson in Nursing
In the field of nursing, there are many theories that have been developed over the years for the purpose of providing a foundation for the field. Some of the nursing theories address how nurses will approach cultural differences, while others involve the way a plan for patient or patient families should be developed. There are still other theories that are primarily focused on self care of the patient both in and out of the medical setting. Nursing theories are as numbered and varied as any other field's theories including the development of personality theories throughout history. There are significant numbers of theories that are not based in the field of nursing but are used to strengthen the nurse's understanding of patient behavior and development. One such theory is the personality theory, developed by famed theorist Erik Erickson. One of his more popular theories is called the locomotor theory and it deals with small children and their need to gain some control over their environment and body functions. As this stage begins to develop, the way it is handled can be the difference between a confident and curious child moving to the next stage or an insecure or anxiety filled child clinging to the old stages,
According to the theory that Erik Erickson developed, the locomotor stage of human personality development occurs between the ages of two and six years old. In this stage the child's conflict is initiative versus guilt. CONCLUSIONWhile there are many nursing theories that are designed to help pave the way for nursing professionals it is also important for those in the nursing profession to understand and have a grasp on non-nursing theories that may overlap into the nursing profession. THE THEORYBefore one can begin to apply a theory to the nursing practice it is important to understand the basic foundation of the theory in question. This helps the nurse provide a positive step in the development of the locomotor stage of the child's development. "The most important event at this stage is independence. Not allowing the child to remain with family members during those procedures can also cause depression to set in (Ranaldi, 2006) so it is important to ask the child who he or she wants to remain in the room and then whenever possible allow those choices to remain. Nurses can provide responsibilities for the children so that they feel they are in control. "Erickson believed that if at this stage the child is not given chances to prove ability through responsibilities the child will begin to believe that everything he or she wishes to do is sometimes the wrong choice. Knowing what the theory believes and what the various stages of childhood development entail, provides an excellent backdrop for nurses to be significantly more equipped when it comes to handling their young patients. It is essential for adults to confirm that the child's initiative is accepted no matter how small it may be(Erik Erickson http://web. Allowing a child to hold a stethoscope until needed, or help get the cotton swab ready to use for the shot area can go a long way in helping the child feel in control and autonomous over his fate in the hands of medical professionals. Erik Erickson developed the theory of locomotor as part of his eight part series of personality development theory.
Common topics in this essay:
Erik Erickson,
USING NURSING,
,
Erik Erickson's,
nursing theories,
field nursing,
personality development,
erik erickson,
development theory,
field pediatric nursing,
field nursing theories,
allowing child,
erickson developed,
personality theory,
locomotor theory,
child feel,
personality development theory,
erik erickson developed,
|