Table of contentsIntroductionUses of the concept of hopeLiterature reviewCaseModel caseLimited caseContrary caseConclusionReferencesIntroductionThe concept of hope has been studied and researched by philosophers, theologians, clinicians and nurses. The concept has been found to have different meanings, conceptions and interpretations in various disciplines, including nursing. Joyce Travelbee's theory of human interaction defines hope as an integral concept directly linked to successful patient health outcomes. Since it is considered essential to all healing, it triumphs over despair, despair and suffering. Therefore, nurses have a vital role to play in reducing despair over patient suffering in clinical settings. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay Human-to-human interaction theory also explains how nurses can help families, friends, and patients cope with suffering and illness by finding meaning through hope. This article discusses the concept of hope from a nursing perspective. It defines hope according to Joyce Travelbee's theory of human interaction, explores the literature, defining attributes, antecedents, consequences and empirical referents of hope. A model case and alternative cases will also be provided.Uses of the concept of hopeHope is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as both a verb and a noun. As a noun, it is “to expect something desired.” The verb form is “receive something desired.” According to the Tabers Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, hope is “having the prospect that something desired will happen.” The Mosby Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Professions defines hope as a state of optimism that increases personal satisfaction and maintenance of life. This description directly connects hope to the science and art of nursing. Joyce Travelbee discovered that hope was an essential part of the nurse's role. Nurses have a professional responsibility to help patients find meaning in their lives and to find and maintain hope. She defined hope as a form of strong belief/faith that something good and more certain can still happen, bringing with it something better that was strongly desired. She linked hope to six major characteristics as follows: is associated with dependence on others, is future oriented and is linked to numerous escape routes, a strong desire to experience or to participate in a task, great confidence in the availability of others when needed and having the courage to recognize personal fears and shortcomings and work towards achieving goals. According to Travelbee, both the patient and the nurse must go through a series of steps for this relationship to progress. These stages are: the observation phase, emerging identities, empathy, sympathy and mutual understanding. Literature Review In the context of nursing, hope has several definitions. Generally, it is considered a future-oriented feeling that involves a psychological process by which an individual overcomes an event. Some of the most common themes of the concept of hope include: its definition, its control, its communication, its relational and spiritual aspects. According to most patient interviews, hope is described either by a noun or a verb. As a noun, hope implies strengthsexternal forces in the fight against disease. As a verb, hope is a form of inner inspiration, responsibility and solidarity. According to Nweze et al. (2015), hope is multidimensional and healthcare providers are essential to the patient experience. The concept of hope lacks clarity according to Eustace, Jibb & Grossman (2014), which has influenced qualitative studies on hope and how it is oriented toward healing. In life and during illness, hope has different levels and meanings. Hope has themes such as the desire to return to a previous action based on the fact that patients have individual reasons to become future-oriented and hopeful. The majority begin to reframe their future in the context of their illness, with hope for a prolonged life, active maintenance of treatment, self-protection against unrealistic expectations, and integration of routine activities. Most patients directly associate hope with well-being and compare themselves to survivors and spirituality. Since hope helps most patients cope with suffering and illness, it is at the heart of nursing. It also encourages a certain form of well-being and promotes a positive attitude and a sense of meaning in life. By finding meaning in life, a patient continues to anticipate the future. The majority of patients who report poorly controlled side effects or experience pain have low levels of hope and an overall sense of well-being that leads to despair. When desperate, most patients are impatient and desire a quicker death and lead a poor quality of life. Lichwala (2014) emphasizes that to have high levels of hope, positive relationships with health care providers, friends and family, a strong and well-established support system, and positive interaction with others are necessary. This literature review enhanced the author's understanding of how essential Joyce Travelbee's theory of human-to-human interaction is in fostering hope among families and patients. Good interpersonal relationships help build rapport and a long-term therapeutic relationship that fosters the ability to nurture hope. The existence of a bad relationship influences hopelessness and hopelessness. Determining attributes are essentially characteristics that are directly linked to a concept and their use is in reference to a concept. Based on the literature review, several common themes of hope exist. According to Nweze et al. (2015), a patient has an experience of participating in the future and thus focuses on the future. The patient must set goals and strive to achieve them. He must actively participate in personal care and the healthcare team does not take full control of it. Finally, a patient looks forward to enjoying and living a future life based on their new reality. Therefore, the key defining attributes include: action, active participation, future and future redefinition. These are mandatory attributes that precede a concept before its actualization. Based on the literature review, common antecedents identified include: hopelessness, hopelessness, and suffering. For a patient to look into the future and have something to strive for, it is important that they select goals. To maintain hope, constant communication with friends, family, and health care providers is essential. Most patients strive to manage uncertainties through various mechanisms such as: comparison with survivors, spirituality and control, which usually shows that they want to control. The consequences areessentially the series of events that follow a concept. As commonly observed in cancer patients, the consequences of hope are: general well-being, self-esteem, good quality of life, comfort, happiness, and comfort. Similar to Smith's (2014) findings, the literature review also demonstrated that high levels of hope are directly related to patient knowledge regarding their diagnosis and high levels of satisfaction with the information shared. In theoretical development, empirical referents simply refer to the categories that demonstrate a concept and how it can be measured. Hope is seen as a force that only exists internally and is therefore experienced differently by people. This explains why there is currently no valid tool or scale to measure patient hope. However, the Herth Hope Index has been shown to be the most effective and widely used scale in hospice and palliative care for terminally ill patients. The development of the Herth Hope Index used the same subscales as those of the HH scale, namely: temporality and future, positive preparation and expectation, and interdependence. This is the most preferred model because it is based on a universal concept of hope and was designed for use in clinical settings. This scale is composed of twelve items that use a 4-point Likert scale where higher scores indicate greater hope.CaseModel CaseA model case is one that is real, current, and has all the defining attributes in the context of a concept. A perfect example of a model case illustrating the concept of hope is the following: Ms. Johnson, a 60 year old woman who was recently diagnosed with CA of the throat, presented to the clinic for her follow-up. planned routine. She complained of shortness of breath, a persistent cough and difficulty walking. According to her history, she had smoked tobacco for 40 pack years, suffered from uncontrolled type 2 diabetes and hypertension. However, she explained that she felt good since she was alive and at home rather than being admitted to the hospital. Additionally, she also explained how she was able to perform some of her daily living activities with very little to no assistance and was therefore looking forward to attending her daughter's graduation . In this model case, the most notable determining attributes are as follows. Future-oriented; Ms. Johnson was looking forward to participating in an upcoming activity. She is action-oriented and actively involved as she can perform activities of daily living, such as attending scheduled visits. Ms Johnson also felt some sense of uncertainty as she had clearly stated that despite her condition she had not been admitted. Additionally, the interpersonal relationship created by the nurse and prompting the nurse to find out how the patient was feeling illustrates the nurse's active participation in the patient's care. Borderline Case A borderline case has some of the defining attributes of a concept, but when analyzed closely, it lacks those defining attributes.Jack is a 36-year-old Caucasian male who was diagnosed with bacterial endocarditis having led to aortic valve replacement and heart failure. Jack observed his routine visits and close monitoring for INR. When asked why he was depressed, Jack responded that he was generally tired and overwhelmed by life and didn't want to live anymore. Jack confessed that every night when he heard the constant ticking of his valve, it reminded him of how a single visit to the dentist had destroyed his life. His state of health directly interfered with.