[Complexity in nursing practice : Toward a new conceptual framework in nursing care]

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Health Sciences
• Social Sciences

Background:

• Complexity theory is increasingly influencing health and social sciences.
• Nursing care has adopted terminology related to complexity, such as "complex patient" and "complex needs."
• Nurses must integrate complexity into their reflective practice and navigate multifaceted care environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To offer a new perspective on nursing by explaining various terms related to complexity.
• To utilize a multi-level approach to understand complexity in nursing.
• To propose an integrative conceptual framework for complexity in nursing practice.

Main Methods:

• A narrative literature review was conducted.
• The review focused on explaining different terms used to describe complexity in nursing.
• A multi-level approach was employed to analyze the concepts.

Main Results:

• The study identified and explained key terms like "complex patient," "complex case," "complex care," "complex practice," and "complex needs."
• The findings highlight the need for nurses to act as agents in multifaceted care.
• Complexity needs to be integrated into nurses' reflective practice.

Conclusions:

• A new integrative conceptual framework for complexity in nursing practice is proposed.
• Understanding and applying complexity concepts can enhance nursing care.
• The study provides a foundation for further research into complexity in nursing.