RUNNING HEAD: Middle Range Theories 1

Middle Range Theory Utilization and Application Paper

MSN 5270: Advanced Theoretical Perspectives for Nursing

Introduction

Social support theory

One of the first researchers to introduce social care in the health fraternity is John Cassel

in 1974. The research he offered was related to the study of animals, where he found out that

making social care stronger would enhance people's health. During that time, researchers had

also discovered that social care had the ability to mediate the bad impacts resulting from stress. 

During the period between 1970 and 1980, research explained social support in complex

terms referring to factors like relationships and interactions. Currently, the term is utilized in an

extra abstract way to take into account other factors such as the quantity and quality of support,

perceptions, social behaviours, and systems (Smith, 2019). Moreover, the study and examination

of social support theory have earned extra multidisciplinary attention and are protuberant in

social-psychological nursing and literature. For health workers, particularly home nurse experts,

social care is capable of connecting patient requirements, family evaluation, and health results.

In 1981, Norbeck also added to the social support concept's growth by using it as an

intervention of nursing aimed at improving health results. In his study, the patient's social care

surroundings were evaluated by determining the demand for social care compared to its

accessibility (Fleury, 2009). In his research, he held that if social support was inadequate, there

was a need to develop an intervention strategy which could raise social care. The probable

interventions were to emphasize the firming of the available client's support structure and offer

direct assistance required when a crisis arises. It was found out that enough social care positively

impacted the health results while insufficient social care, which had no any intervention, could

result in a bad result.

More study has been carried out to examine the relation amid health and social support

model. In 1986, Heller held out that two facets of social care, esteem-improving assessment and

stress-connected and interpersonal dealings, impact nursing results. The research emphasized

that the view of social mingling has a positive effect on the health of persons likened to the

activity of support itself. Heller and his fellow scholars were capable of forming a connection

involving a scheme of interpersonal dealings that contributed to functions of support which

positively improved health and outcomes of mental health.

Cohen et al. also carried out additional research in 2001. They explained two models

which described how social care affects health. In the analysis of the stress-buffering structure,

they specified that it embraces that social care contributes behaviours which promote to health to

the individuals passing through stress (Cohen S., 2001). The support properties in an amenity

ought to reinforce a person's ability to handle situations of stress other than emphasizing

behaviours that may be damaging to health. Those beliefs result in an extra vigorous response to

situations of stress and have the impact of reducing the adverse behavioural reactions. In those

cases, a person is more likely to bear an adaptive comeback to the traumatic condition, hence

avoiding a harmful response that could have otherwise resulted in harmful health impacts. The

other model recommended by Cohen et al. held that social care directly impacted physical and

psychological health. There is a necessity for incorporation into a social system contrary to

separation because this could offer peer pressure and social influence to involve in behaviours

promoting health. Therefore, this results in desired psychological conditions vital to them being a

logic of predictability, stability, purpose, security, and belonging. Additionally, social

connections may offer several sources of data relating to informal health maintenance and health

support services, resulting in a deterrence of the sickness's worsening.

Description of the theory

The main point of emphasis in this model is the relation amid healthcare requirements

and social support. The theory makes use of retroductive thinking with the reality that social care

has been offered and the client has gained health well; then social care might be accredited to be

one of the factors contributing to the healing of the patient. It is retroductive thinking because the

authors do not ascertain whether this is the sole factor that resulted in the recovery of the patient

in a short period of time.

The theory developers have diverse explanations of social care that include numerous

component labels such as defining attributes, aspects, interpersonal transactions, categories,

taxonomies, types, constructs, sub concepts, and dimensions. The reality that scholars offer

numerous explanations of social care demonstrates the absence of consensus on nature social

care. Consequently, it appears that there is a lot of difficulty in the study of support interventions

and results, contrasting research results, and establishing the theory. The primary definition of

the idea is that social care is assistance or aid exchanged via interpersonal dealings and social

relations. This is a functioning explanation that is nearly steady with all features of the study. A

clear explanation is offered about the social support concepts, for example, in the explanation of

the functionality and structure of social care. Social care is perceived to be basic when it

emphasizes the provider of social support and might be practical if it focuses on providing social

care (Finfgeld-Connett, 2005).

Several features contribute to the adequacy and quality of social care, and they include

direction, the basis of support, and stability. Social connections are involved, and they can be

explained by the count of groups of people in the vicinity that offer social care. Primary

examples of such people include co-workers, neighbours, family members, close friends, and
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experts. A connection is established amid the social care theory's main ideas because it is vital

for relations to be developed for the aid to be accorded. Social assistance can also be explained

as a well-intended deed that is offered willingly to a person with whom a special connection

exists to produce an immediate or delayed desired impact on the patient.

Theory analysis

The model acknowledges particular variables which control its view in nursing. The

variables make up the value structures that form the foundation where the theory is anchored on

and may be perceived as apparent presumptions to the theory. The variables that impact social

support theory are duration, timing, support necessity and availability, support source, direction,

social network, and life stage (Wei et al., 2019). A social support system entails a sequence of

activities that comprise the above variables for the sufficient application of the theory.

The social support provider should initially acknowledge the necessity for them to offer

the desired sustenance and determine the type of response which could content the need. If there

is a mismatch amid the necessity of support amid the assistance provider and the recipient,

support may not be taken as helpful (Wei et al., 2019). If the presumption maintains, then that

kind of assistance could solely result in a state of adequacy, reduced self-esteem, and

dependency. Timing is primary since social assistance is a changing process and should be

pertinent on the basis of needs (Aghaei et al., 2020). On the other hand, motivation is an aspect

that has an essential function in social aid and can affect the quality of aid being offered. The

support duration is also put into consideration for people with long-lasting loss and chronic

illnesses.

On the other hand, the support direction can be bidirectional or unidirectional, where

support from relatives is two-way, and that from experts is always one way. The provision for
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reception of social aid depends on life duration. At a particular level of life, an individual can

offer social assistance, whereas, at other levels, they will require more being given than giving

(Wei et al., 2019).

Application of the theory

The theory is well applicable in the context of a family nurse practitioner. When nurses

study the concept, they can gain the expertise and skills to examine patients' interpersonal and

social surroundings. Consequently, they can come up with strategies for improving health and

enable the delivery of self-care practices (Allison et al., 2019). Via network rehabilitation,

clinical officers are able to examine social aid adequacy and utilize available measures of support

to offer patients more independence and helpful support initiatives.

An instance of preventive aid is wide-ranging home visits which can be conducted for

affected young moms. In cases of such kind, clinical officers offer steady home visitations to

young moms from the start of pregnancy until children are born and are two years old. The aims

of the visits can be to enhance pregnancy results and positively impact the growth of the infant's

health (Bayuo, 2017). Clinical officers with such a capacity can offer social aid and boost the

informal assistance to ascertain that the desired objectives are attained.

An instance of a situation that would come as a contemporary issue for this theory would

be the need to modify the process of seeking or perceiving aid offered by others. The scenario

would, for example, entail a pregnant mother lying on the bed due to high peril pregnancy, and

her partner, who is her sole social supporter, is away. As a family clinical officer, the best

support strategy could include an examination of the existing sources and components of social

aid (Bayuo, 2017). Therefore, it could be wise to teach her the significance of good bed rest,

advise her on the necessity to look for an optional source of assistance, hear her concern out, and
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plan for aid with children care from accessible social aid systems. The knowledge of the social

aid concept would ascertain that clinical officers can offer client-centred excellent services and

meet the desired needs of healthcare.

Conclusion

Social sustenance is one of the middle-range theories of nursing, and it addresses the

matters in the interaction and structure which are part of the sequence of relations. The model

has an essential effect on the healthiness condition, health behaviour, and the usefulness of health

facilities. Nurses can always access the social networks of clients. The above fact raises the need

to make use of this model to strengthen and promote the social support desired by the patient.
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References

Aghaei, M. H., Vanaki, Z., & Mohammadi, E. (2020). Watson’s Human Caring Theory-Based

Palliative Care: A Discussion Paper. International Journal of Cancer

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Allison, T. A., Balbino, R. T., & Covinsky, K. E. (2019). Caring community and relationship

centred care on an end-stage dementia special care unit. Age and ageing, 48(5), 727-734.

Bayuo, J. (2017). Case study in caring application of Watson’s theory of human caring to end of

life care in the burns intensive care unit: A case report. International Journal of Human

Caring, 21(3), 142-144.

Cohen, S., Gottlieb, B. H., & Underwood, L. G. (2001). Social relationships and health:

challenges for measurement and intervention. Advances in mind-body medicine.

Fleury, J., Keller, C., & Perez, A. (2009). Social support theoretical perspective. Geriatric

Nursing (New York, NY), 30(2 0), 11.

Smith, M. C. (2019). Nursing theories and nursing practice. FA Davis.

Wei, H., Fazzone, P. A., Sitzman, K., & Hardin, S. R. (2019). The Current Intervention Studies

Based on Watson's Theory of Human Caring: A Systematic Review. International

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