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Complex Adaptive System and Behavior Change in Nursing Practice

Complex adaptive systems (CAS) are systems that have a simple and dynamic network of interactions. The complex adaptive systems are heterogeneous in nature since one factor can influence the performance of the other parts (THF, 2010). Nurses and the whole nursing profession need to understand how they can improve their expertise on adaptive systems. In this paper, I will demonstrate how nurses can improve patients’ health and care delivery as they affect behavior change into practice.

Behavior change occurs in a complex adaptive system, and it is part of the multiple components that affect the health of individuals (The Health Foundation [THF], 2010). Initiating behavior change techniques can help the patients improve their health through following simple rules such as eating healthy and increasing physical exercises (Michie et al., 2017). Behavior change is highly flexible and difficult to predict. This is a major concern since the nurse has to closely monitor the patient to understand the impact of this change (Michie et al., 2017). The behavioral change concern primarily occurs at the micro level as it affects individual patients. For example, the behavior change concerns include patients’ adherence to medication and improving health through regular exercises (Michie et al., 2017).

To address this concern, I need to understand my patient and family as a complex adaptive system (THF, 2010). In this perspective, it is crucial to understand the patient’s external and internal dynamics so that I can improve care delivery (THF, 2010). Moreover, understanding the patient’s cultural value can help to design specialized medication for individual patients. Understanding the patients can improve the other levels of the system. For instance, enhancing patient’s health through behavior change will reduce the need for advanced medication such as out-patient care. The other levels of the system can also adapt behavior change to manage their patients. Inter-professional collaboration is important in care delivery since it can help to resolve most of the issues associated with behavior change. Notably, the collaboration can help improve monitoring and enhance support change in the future (THF, 2010).