Cardiac rhythm responses. 1. An important phenomenon for nursing practice, science, and research.
The human responses to actual or potential health problems that are of interest to nursing encompass physiologic, psychologic, and sociocultural responses. Measurement of cardiac rhythm responses provides a unique opportunity to look at the complex interplay of physiologic, emotional, and environmental factors at a particular time. A model depicting the relationships between cardiac rhythm responses and the central nursing domain concepts of individual, environment, health, transitions, and nursing therapeutics is presented. Measurement of cardiac rhythm responses provides an objective, quantifiable, noninvasive, inexpensive, readily accessible, reliable, and valid tool for measuring human responses. Study of the phenomenon holds promise for nursing practice, science, and research fostering links among the three. Study of cardiac rhythm responses will have direct applicability to practice with the potential for narrowing the research-practice gap. Moreover, study of the phenomenon will contribute to nursing knowledge and foster advancement of nursing science by the development of theory.