Processes of self-care: monitoring sensations and symptoms

One of the most basic processes in self-care has to do with how people monitor changes in their bodies, that is, how people identify and evaluate sensations and symptoms. This article reviews evidence from three research programs that have focused on the study of sensation/symptom processing using a shared conceptual framework, the Common Sense Model. The model is described first; a summary of findings from each series of studies is then provided. The article concludes with a discussion of the findings' contribution to knowledge of self-care, implications of the findings for nursing practice, and suggested directions for future research.