Posted: March 24th, 2023

Application of Johnson Behavioral Theory to Nursing Practice

Johnson behavioral theory is one of the behaviorist theories in nursing practice. The theory is influenced by Nightingale’s opinion that people can change their behavior to prevent or ameliorate illnesses or injuries. Therefore, nursing should help people to adopt healthy behavior. The art and science of nursing concentrate on the patient, not patient groups or populations. The theory is the same as the biologic system theory, which considers the individual as a biologic system comprising of various parts. Disease emanates from any disruption of the system such that it becomes impossible to function optimally (Ghanbari & Pouy, 2018). The behavioral theory takes into account the role of the person, the environment, and nursing in developing behaviors that positively affect health.

Johnson behavioral theory relates to nursing from the perspective of disease prevention and health promotion. Nurses play a significant role in empowering the individual to adopt positive behaviors to prevent disease and adopt a healthy lifestyle (Raingruber, 2014). Nursing supports the effective performance of systems as well as their behavioral balance and stability. Hence, the profession helps people to recognize their flawed behaviors to alter them as appropriate and achieve health outcomes. The theory can be used by nurses in the management of chronic disease such as diabetes, which is highly prevalent in society today. The professionals can help those affected by the disease to adopt self-care and self-management behaviors to achieve positive outcomes related to the disease (Vorderstrasse, Shaw, Blascovich, & Johnson, 2014). In essence, nurses can use evidence-based practice to help patients to adopt behaviors that support self-case to reduce the cost and disease burden in the treatment and management of chronic diseases such as diabetes.