The role of nursing in the integral aproach to the impact of sports injuries: a holistic and anthropological view.
Authorship
M.R.S.
Bachelor of Nursing (2ª ed) [L] (ADSCRITA)
M.R.S.
Bachelor of Nursing (2ª ed) [L] (ADSCRITA)
Defense date
02.12.2026 16:00
02.12.2026 16:00
Summary
Sports injuries are often experienced as a turning point in an athlete’s life. They not only cause pain and physical limitations but can also affect the way a person feels, relates to their body, and maintains their identity linked to sport. Understanding this reality from a nursing perspective means addressing much more than the injured area: it involves accompanying someone who is going through a profound process of change. This work combines a literature review with the direct experience of an athlete with a complex injury, allowing a deeper understanding of how these processes simultaneously impact the physical, emotional, and symbolic dimensions. Pain, loss of autonomy, and uncertainty intertwine with fear of re-injury, frustration, demotivation, and the sense of “no longer being” the person one was before. Within this context, nursing plays a fundamental role. Its closeness and humanistic vision enable nurses to support athletes throughout all stages of recovery: pain management, wound care, health education, emotional support, active listening, and assistance in navigating changes in athletic identity. The integration of theoretical models such as those of Watson, Leininger, Meleis, Roy, and Neuman provides a more comprehensive, respectful, and person-centred approach, acknowledging that each injury is lived and interpreted differently. The results show that holistic and culturally sensitive nursing care contributes to a deeper and more coherent recovery, not only physically, but also in the personal reconstruction that requires learning to trust the body again and, in many cases, redefining one’s place within sport.
Sports injuries are often experienced as a turning point in an athlete’s life. They not only cause pain and physical limitations but can also affect the way a person feels, relates to their body, and maintains their identity linked to sport. Understanding this reality from a nursing perspective means addressing much more than the injured area: it involves accompanying someone who is going through a profound process of change. This work combines a literature review with the direct experience of an athlete with a complex injury, allowing a deeper understanding of how these processes simultaneously impact the physical, emotional, and symbolic dimensions. Pain, loss of autonomy, and uncertainty intertwine with fear of re-injury, frustration, demotivation, and the sense of “no longer being” the person one was before. Within this context, nursing plays a fundamental role. Its closeness and humanistic vision enable nurses to support athletes throughout all stages of recovery: pain management, wound care, health education, emotional support, active listening, and assistance in navigating changes in athletic identity. The integration of theoretical models such as those of Watson, Leininger, Meleis, Roy, and Neuman provides a more comprehensive, respectful, and person-centred approach, acknowledging that each injury is lived and interpreted differently. The results show that holistic and culturally sensitive nursing care contributes to a deeper and more coherent recovery, not only physically, but also in the personal reconstruction that requires learning to trust the body again and, in many cases, redefining one’s place within sport.
Direction
Rodríguez Pérez, Isidoro (Tutorships)
Rodríguez Pérez, Isidoro (Tutorships)
Court
PENELA PUGA, Mª PILAR (Chairman)
Ferreira Díaz, María José (Secretary)
Rivas Carro, Mario Alberto (Member)
PENELA PUGA, Mª PILAR (Chairman)
Ferreira Díaz, María José (Secretary)
Rivas Carro, Mario Alberto (Member)