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1. Hours of employment


2. Water supply


3. Community budget


4. Food sources

An assessment of structural integrity might in-
clude:

1. City planning


2. Availability of resources


3. Transportation


4. Traffic patterns


5. Public services

Assessment of personal integrity might include:

1. Community identity


2. Mission of the government


3. Political environment

Assessment of the social integrity might include:

1. Recreation


2. Social services


3. Opportunities for employment

See Table 9–2, Levine’s Conservation Model—

Nursing Process in the Community

USE OF THE CONSERVATION

MODEL IN RESEARCH

“Nurses are constantly testing what they propose

will work in their practice based on what they

know” (Schaefer, 1991a, p. 45). This continuous

testing expands what is known about practice and

offers new insights to improve the practice of

nursing. Levine (1973) maintained that research

is critical to the development of a scientifically

sound body of knowledge for nursing. She felt

that the conservation principles offer an approach

to nursing that is scientific, research oriented, and

universal in practice. She said that research should

focus on the maintenance of wholeness and the in-

teraction between the internal and external envi-

ronments of the individuals (Levine, 1978). For the

purpose of discovery, and contrary to the notion of

CHAPTER 9 Myra Levine’s Conservation Model and Its Applications 103

Table 9–2 Levine’s Conservation Model—Nursing Process in the Community

Process Application of the Process

Assessment Collection of provocative facts through observation and interview.

The nurse uses observation, review of census data, statistics, data from community member inter-

views, and so on to collect provocative facts about the community. Use of windshield assessments

or other formally developed community assessments are helpful in the collection of data.

Trophicognosis Community diagnosis.

The nurse organizes that data in such a way as to provide meaning. A judgment or trophicog-

nosis is made.

Hypotheses Directs the nurse to provide interventions that will promote adaptation and maintain wholeness

of the community.

In discussion with the community members, the nurse validates her judgments about the

community’s predicament. The nurse then proposes hypotheses about the problems and solu-

tions, such as: Providing shelter to abused women will reduce the morbidity associated with

continuous uninterrupted abuse.

Interventions Test the hypotheses.

Nurses use the hypotheses to direct the plan of care for the community. The nurse tests the

proposed hypotheses to try to remedy the predicament. The nurses select the most appropri-

ate solutions with the help of the community members. Interventions are based on the con-

servation principles of energy, structural integrity, personal integrity, and social integrity. The

shelter for abused women provides for structural integrity of the community while preserving

the energy, personal, and social integrity of the women who choose shelter.

Evaluation Observation of organismic response to interventions.

The outcome of hypothesis testing is evaluated by assessing for organismic response. For

example, an expected outcome of shelters for abused women might be a reduction in emer-

gency room visits for injury resulting from suspected abuse or an increase in the number of

women who are able to remove themselves from an abusive relationship.