Week 8 discussion
Hope
How would you define hope? What does hope look like? Hope is
difficult to describe and it is even harder to measure. Yet it is the
foundation of your goals and in action it is exhibited in your desires. Hope
has emotional elements in its sense of positive expectation even when the
situation is uncertain, perhaps even dire. What gives those diagnosed with a
terminal illness the strength to endure debilitating treatments such as
chemotherapy or kidney dialysis? Maybe you know individuals who cope with
diseases that have a grave impact on their quality of life. Yet they continue
to pursue life to the fullest, often pushing the boundaries of their illness.
Hope for an improved outcome offers to many the strength to face the most
challenging of health crises. From the moment you wake up, the desire for a
positive outcome exists in every action you take. That desire for a positive
outcome and the belief in the possibility that a positive result will happen
are characteristics of hope. Hope is why you might take on challenges and hope
is why you might look forward to a better future. However, hope is often taken
for granted until it is lost. How do you regain hope, and what is its impact on
your health?
For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources,
including the handout titled “Hope: The History, Its Application, and How to
Regain It.” Complete the Herth Hope Index. As you complete the index, reflect
on what the potential answers to the assessment items might reveal about an
individual’s ability to hope when experiencing challenging situations. Then
research two articles on the effects of hope on a specific health issue of your
choice. Also consider how a patient suffering from the health issue you chose
might be able to generate or sustain hope in coping with the health issue.
Finally, reflect on the impact hope might have on stress response and the
immune response system.
With these thoughts in mind:
Post by Day 4 a brief explanation of the effect hope might
have on a health issue of your choice. Then explain how you might help a
patient generate or sustain hope in dealing with the health issue. Finally,
explain how hope might relate to the stress response and the immune response system.
Be specific.
Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific
references to the Learning Resources.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.
Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues’
postings in one or more of the following ways:
• Ask a probing question.
• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s
posting.
• Offer and support an opinion.
• Validate an idea with your own experience.
• Make a suggestion.
• Expand on your colleague’s posting.
Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the
responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any
insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.
Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for
entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message.





