title: Promoting behavior change: making healthy choices in wellness and healing choices in illness - use of self-determination theory in nursing practice.
abstract: This article explores more efficacious strategies for holistic nurses to promote healthy behavior choices in their clients. It presents an overview of self-determination theory (SDT) and describes research evidence that supports the application of SDT to promoting healthy behavior change in clients. When nurses act in ways that support clients' innate needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, clients may be more successful at internalizing self-regulation and more inclined to adopt and maintain lifelong behavioral changes. Some examples of nursing interventions to motivate behavior change are outlined in this article.
authors.affiliation: College of Education and Human Services, School of Nursing, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, RT 915, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA. v.d.johnson01@csuohio.edu
authors.forename: Vicki D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D002755:Choice Behavior; D003142:Communication; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D030141:Feedback, Psychological; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018939:Holistic Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015399:Nursing Research; D009742:Nursing Theory; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000523:psychology*; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012944:Social Support