Explore in Relation to a Client You Have Nursed...

This essay will be exploring the psychosocial influences on a 68 year old lady called Susan Smith’s perception to her health, along with her response to illness. To do this we must look at a definition of both psychology and sociology and discuss any possible effects these have had on Susan’s perception of health issues. Also this essay will be looking at any influences such as education, in relation to a female of Susan’s age and background, and discuss whether these issues have affected Susan’s health and her responses to illness. Susan was admitted to hospital for a planned bi-lateral total knee replacement, she lived with her husband John who suffered from bipolar disorder. Susan enjoyed going to her local church every Sunday but had†¦show more content†¦Another factor affecting peoples perception could be their locus of control, Rotter (1954) made distinctions between beliefs of people with an internal and an external locus of control: people who are said to be ‘internal’ are thought to believe that their own actions can change the outcome of situations, making these situations under personal control, however ‘externals’ are seen generally to believe that the outcome is beyond their personal control, believing that their actions are unrelated to the events. Therefore if someone has an internal locus of control they believe that they have a significant say in how their lives are run, whereas a person with an external locus of control believes that ‘fate’ has al ready decided upon the events of their lives. Niven (2000) suggests that people who have an internal locus of control may be more highly motivated to take action concerning their health; however they are less likely to adhere to medical advice. This may be due to the fact that internals feel that they have a choice and say in the outcomes of their health and can decide not to adhere when it is appropriate. For example in Susan’s case when she spoke about having a bilateral total knee replacement, she said that when the doctor had advised having