Index IntroductionUsing the concept of hopeLiterature reviewCasesModel caseBorderline caseContrary caseConclusionReferencesIntroductionThe concept of hope has been studied and researched by philosophers, theologians, doctors and nurses. The concept has been found to have different meanings, conceptions and interpretations in various disciplines, including nursing. Joyce Travelbee's human-human interaction theory defines hope as an integral concept directly linked to good patient health outcomes. As it is believed to be central to all healing, it triumphs over despair, hopelessness and suffering. Therefore, nurses have a vital role in reducing despair during patients' suffering in clinical settings. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Human-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. Defines hope according to Joyce Travelbee's human-human interaction theory, 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 hope Hope is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as both a verb and a noun. As a noun it means “to expect something desired”. The verb form is “to entertain something desired.” According to Tabers' Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, hope is "having the prospect that something desired will happen." Mosby's Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing and Health Professions defines hope as a state of optimism that increases personal satisfaction and life support. This description directly connects hope to the science and art of nursing. Joyce Travelbee found that hope is a critical component of the nurse's role. Nurses have a professional responsibility to assist patients to find meaning in their lives and find and maintain hope. He defined hope as a form of strong belief/faith that something good and more certain can still happen, bringing with it something better strongly desired. He linked hope to six main characteristics: it is associated with dependence on other people, it is oriented towards the future and is linked to numerous escape routes, a strong desire to experiment or take part in a task, a lot of confidence in one's own abilities, availability towards other people when necessary and be courageous in recognizing personal fears and shortcomings and working towards achieving goals. According to Travelbee, both the patient and the nurse must take a series of steps for this relationship to progress. These steps are: observation phase, emerging identities, empathy, sympathy and mutual understanding. Literature Review Within nursing, hope has several definitions. Generally, it is considered a future-oriented feeling that involves a psychological process in which an individual overcomes an event. Some of the most common themes within the concept of hope include: its definition, control, communication, relational and spiritual aspects. In most patient interviews, hope is described as a noun or a verb. As a noun, hope involves external forces in the fight against an illness. As a verb, lahope 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 Eustache, Jibb & Grossman (2014), and this has influenced qualitative studies on hope and how it is directed towards healing. In life and during illness, hope has different levels and meanings. Hope has themes such as the desire to return to the self's previous action based on the fact that patients have individual reasons for becoming future-oriented and hopeful. Most begin to reframe their future in the context of the disease, with hopes for prolonged life, active maintenance of treatment, self-protection from unrealistic expectations, and integration of routine activities. Most patients directly relate hope to well-being and engage with survivors and spirituality. Because hope helps most patients cope with suffering and illness, it is central to nursing. It also encourages some form of well-being and promotes a positive outlook and meaning for living. Finding meaning in life, the patient continues to anticipate the future. Most patients who report poorly controlled side effects or experience pain have low levels of hope and an overall sense of well-being leading to despair. When hopeless, most patients are anxious and want a quicker death and lead a poor quality of life. Lichwala (2014) insists that, to have high levels of hope, positive relationships with healthcare professionals, 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 human-human interaction theory is in promoting hope among families and patients. If good, interpersonal relationships help establish rapport and a long-term therapeutic relationship that promotes the ability to nurture hope. The existence of an inadequate relationship influences hopelessness and hopelessness. Defining attributes are basically characteristics directly related to a concept, and their use is in reference to a concept. Several common themes related to hope emerge from the literature review. According to Nweze et al., (2015), a patient has an experience to take part in the future and therefore focuses on the future. The patient must set goals and strive to achieve them and should be actively involved in self-care and the healthcare team does not take entire control. Ultimately, a patient looks forward to enjoying and living a future life based on their new reality. Therefore, key defining attributes include: action orientation, active involvement, future orientation, 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. In order for a patient to imagine the future and get something to strive for, it is important that he chooses goals. To maintain hope, constant communication with friends, family and healthcare professionals is essential. Most patients strive to manage uncertainties through various mechanisms such as: comparison with survivors, spirituality and control, which generally shows that they want control. Consequences are basically the series of events that follow aconcept. As commonly observed among cancer patients, the consequences of hope are: general well-being, self-esteem, good quality of life, comfort, happiness and solace. Similar to Smith's (2014) findings, the literature review also demonstrated that a high level of hope is directly linked to patient knowledge about their diagnosis and high levels of satisfaction with the information shared. In theory development, empirical referents simply refer to the categories that demonstrate a concept and how it can be measured. Hope is considered a force that exists only internally and is therefore experienced differently by people. This explains why there are currently no valid instruments or scales that can be used to measure hope among patients. However, the Herth Hope Index has proven to be the most effective and widely used scale in hospice and palliative care among terminally ill patients. The development of the Herth Hope Index used the same subscales as the HH scale, namely: temporality and future, positivity, preparation, expectation and interconnectedness. It is the most preferred since it is based on a universal concept of hope and was designed to be used in clinical settings. This scale consists of twelve items using a 4-point Likert scale with higher scores indicative of greater hope. Cases Model Case A model case is one that is real, actual, and has all the attributes that define the context of a concept. A perfect example of a model case that illustrates the concept of hope is as follows: Mrs. Johnson, a 60-year-old woman recently diagnosed with throat cancer, came to the clinic for scheduled routine follow-up . The woman complained of shortness of breath, persistent cough and difficulty walking. According to his past history, he had 40 pack years of tobacco smoking, uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. However she explained that she felt great as she was alive and at home rather than being admitted to hospital. Additionally, she also explained how she was able to perform some of her activities of daily living with little to no assistance and therefore was looking forward to attending her daughter's graduation. In this model case, the most important defining attributes are as follows. Future oriented; Mrs. Johnson was looking forward to participating in an upcoming activity. She is action-directed and actively involved as she can perform activities of daily living such as attending scheduled visits. Mrs Johnson also had some feelings of uncertainty as she had clearly stated that, despite her condition, she would not be hospitalised. Furthermore, the interpersonal relationship that was created by the nurse and which directed her 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, lacks these defining attributes. Jack is a 36-year-old Caucasian male diagnosed with bacterial endocarditis resulting in aortic valve replacement and heart failure. Jack observed his routine visits and careful INR follow-up. When asked why he was down, Jack replied 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 condition directly interfered with how he lived and interacted with friends and family. His army career ended and he could only perform duties.