Introduction
The theory I have chosen to analyze in detail is Social Cognitive Theory or SCT for short. SCT was developed about sixty years ago and stemmed from social learning theory (Beauchamp et al., 2019). This is why the core of SCT still retains learning as a critical conceptual factor. Expressly, this theory assumes that patient learning occurs in a social context and is, therefore, dynamic and associated with the environment. The result of this connection is a regulation of behavior formed as reciprocal determinism: the environment influences the individual’s cognitive abilities and creates a specific type of thinking, the patterns of which, in turn, influence the patient’s behavior. This emphasizes that patients are not passive receptors of signals from the environment, much less free agents; instead, they are embedded in a chain system of cause and effect. It is not hard to see that SCT can be relevant to emergency nursing practice as well.
Discussion
As an ER Nurse, I encounter different patient behaviors all the time, especially in critical situations. The problem with which they have sought emergency care, the communication, and my behavior are signals to them that they consciously or unconsciously perceive and construct their behavior. I can give a simple example: if a harmful member of the patient’s family (an individual) demonstrates unkindness and is not happy that the ER Nurse has come to see the patient (environment signal), then to my request not to interfere with my work and save my life, the relative may increase the provocation (behavior). I found research that supports this example: relatives of lung cancer survivors may adopt behaviors depending on personal beliefs and interactions with the environment (McDonnell et al., 2019). This may include rejection of the caregiver role and lifestyle changes; accordingly, this study shows that the behaviors of patients or family members fit within the SCT framework. Alternatively, another example: if a patient (individual) who is obedient and interested in immediate treatment favors my recommendations and prescriptions and listens to instructions (environmental cues), they align their behavior accordingly because they see the benefit in doing so. In this regard, SCT can be seen as the most relevant theory in my ER nursing practice because it shows how the three links respond to each other.
Conclusion
Understanding cause and effect relationships, in turn, helps me be a more effective leader for the patient and make the best decisions in each crisis. Accordingly, the setting for this practice may well be ER Nursing, implemented at home, in the ambulance, or the hospital, and the contingent is the patients and colleagues with whom I am in active communication while working.
Reference
Beauchamp, M. R., Crawford, K. L., & Jackson, B. (2019). Social cognitive theory and physical activity: Mechanisms of behavior change, critique, and legacy. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 42, 110-117.
McDonnell, K. K., Owens, O. L., Messias, D. K. H., Heiney, S. P., Friedman, D. B., Campbell, C., & Webb, L. A. (2019). Health behavior changes in African American family members facing lung cancer: Tensions and compromises. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 38, 57-64.