Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms
It is primarily the purpose of nursing to provide health care to individuals so that they can achieve or maintain optimal health. It is, therefore, the nurses’ responsibility to generate treatment plans based on the symptoms that patients experience. These treatment plans depend on nursing theories to safeguard that the health services given to patients are evidence-based. One such theory that informs the creation of assessment tools for patients’ symptoms is the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms (TOUS). Thus, using this theory as a guide, the factors that I would look for in an assessment tool are their ability to cover the physiological, psychological, and situational factors of a patient’s symptoms, their analysis of symptoms, and the outcomes of the symptoms.
According to Srivastava, the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms focuses on three major elements: the patient’s symptoms, factors influencing the symptoms, and the outcomes of the symptoms (2021). The first thing I would look for in an assessment tool is whether it can identify the patient’s symptoms. Patients experience multiple symptoms, meaning an assessment tool should cover the different types of symptoms a patient has, their intensity, duration, and quality.
Another factor I would look for in an assessment tool is whether it covers the three factors influencing the symptoms. Lenz highlights that the theory of unpleasant symptoms focuses on the three factors influencing patients’ symptoms: physiological factors, psychological and situational factors (2018). An assessment tool that features these three factors will likely produce a holistic diagnosis of the patient’s symptoms, leading to an effective treatment plan. Additionally, an assessment tool with all three elements ensures that all symptoms are captured for a correct diagnosis which aids in the quick recovery of the patients. Finally, the last thing I would look for in an assessment tool would be its ability to check for the consequences of the symptoms. Obtaining information regarding the impact of the symptoms is a crucial part of gaining insight into the causes of the symptoms. Nurses can deduce the extent of the unpleasant symptoms resulting from a disease or the side effects of a treatment plan.
In conclusion, the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms is effective in developing assessment tools that ensure they capture all the symptoms, the factors influencing the symptoms, and the effects of these symptoms. As Gomes notes, the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms is important in grouping symptoms which is essential in understanding the extent of the symptoms, prescription of interventions, and providing a framework for delivering diagnoses directed toward quality healthcare (2019).
References
Gomes, G. L., Oliveira, F. M., Barbosa, K. T., Medeiros, A. C., Fernandes, M. das, & Nóbrega, M. M. (2019). Theory of unpleasant symptoms: Critical analysis. Texto & Contexto – Enfermagem, 28. https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-265x-tce-2017-0222
Lenz, E.R. (2018). Application of the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms in Practice: A Challenge for Nursing. Investigación en Enfermería: Imagen y Desarrollo, 20.
Srivastava, S. P. (2021). Insight into the theory of unpleasant symptoms. IOSR Journal of Nursing and Health Science (IOSR-JNHS), 10(3), 23–26.
