MARJORY GORDON: FUNCTIONAL PATTERNS - MEDICINE - 2026

Marjory Gordon was an American professor and theorist who created a nursing assessment technique known as Gordon's functional patterns. This guide was intended to help nurses to do a more thorough examination of their patients.

Gordon was the first president of NANDA (North American Nursing Diagnosis Association), an association whose main mission was to standardize diagnosis in the field of nursing. She was also a member of the American Academy of Nursing and received the title of "living legend" by the same association in 2009.

In addition to this, Marjory Gordon was also an emeritus professor at Boston College, where she taught nursing classes. It was at that same university that she obtained her doctorate, after having graduated from New York University.

Marjory Gordon's Functional Patterns

Marjory Gordon was especially known for creating the diagnostic model for nursing known as functional patterns. It consists of a list of activities and behaviors that contribute to the health and quality of life of people.

To examine the patients, both questions and questionnaires are used, as well as objective data, extracted from the observation by the nurse.

Marjory Gordon distinguished eleven functional patterns of behavior in her works. The full list is as follows:

- Perception of health.

- Nutrition and metabolism.

- Elimination.

- Activity and exercise.

- Sleep and rest.

- Cognition and perception.

- Self-perception and self-concept.

- Role and relationships.

- Sexuality and reproduction.

- Tolerance to stress.

- Values ​​and beliefs.

Perception of health

This first pattern seeks to determine with a few questions the degree of health concern on the part of the patient, in addition to investigating their habits and current level of well-being.

The questions seek to inquire about the general health of the patient, such as how many times they have been ill in recent years. In addition, it seeks to investigate the possible harmful and beneficial habits of the person, such as the use of alcohol or tobacco, junk food, the level of habitual exercise and other data.

To also check the degree of self-awareness that the patient has about their own health habits, they are often asked about why they think their current illness has occurred, whether they have tried to do something to improve their health or whether they usually follow your doctor's recommendations.

Nutrition and metabolism

This pattern focuses on examining the amount of nutrients and calories that the patient ingests and their relationship to the daily amounts needed. For this reason, some typical questions are what you eat and drink in a day, if you have recently lost or gained weight or if you follow a specific diet.

You may also be asked about the use of supplements or vitamins, or if you have recently had any problems with your appetite.

Elimination

The third pattern investigates the correct functioning of the body's excretory apparatus; that is, from urine, sweat and the functions of the intestine. Thanks to the use of this pattern, the nurse can discover the quality, quantity and regularity of the patient's stools.

Again, most of the questions in this pattern focus on the patient's history. Some of the questions might be: "Have you ever had a bowel or urine problem?" or "Have you noticed any major changes in recent times?"

If necessary, the nurse may also request urine or stool samples to make a more complete diagnosis.

Activity and exercise

This pattern focuses on investigating the level of physical activity of the patient, both in the exercise they do consciously and during their daily tasks. It also tries to find out more about the energy that the subject has to carry out their daily activities.

Sleep and rest

The fifth pattern focuses on studying the patient's sleep and rest patterns. Do you have enough energy after waking up? Do you often have trouble sleeping, or do you wake up excessively early? Do you sleep the necessary hours?

If necessary, the patient could undergo a live sleep study to detect problems such as apnea.

Cognition and perception

This pattern tries to identify the patient's ability to perceive elements of his environment through the five senses, in addition to his ability to make decisions, follow instructions, think logically and use memory.

Some of the most common difficulties associated with this pattern are perceptual problems (such as myopia or deafness) or difficulties in reasoning and using available information.

Self-perception and self-concept

Self-concept and self-perception have to do with the way we see ourselves. Do you believe in yourself? How would you describe yourself? How do you feel about your own body, your way of being or your emotions? Do you feel in control of your own life? Or on the contrary, do you think that you are a slave of circumstances?

Role and relationships

Interpersonal relationships are one of the most important parts of people's lives. This pattern serves to investigate the patient's relationships with the people around her; For example, how do you get along with your family? Do you often feel lonely? How do you relate to people in your work or study environment?

If family members or friends are present, the nurse could also observe the relationships between them to acquire objective data.

Sexuality and reproduction

This pattern should only be used if it is appropriate for the specific age and situation of the patient.

If the nurse thinks more is needed on the subject, they might ask the following questions: Do you have regular sex? Are you satisfied with them? Or on the contrary, do you experience some kind of problem? Do you normally use any type of contraception?

Stress tolerance

This pattern is in charge of studying the stress levels of patients, examining both their way of coping with complicated life situations and the difficult situations that they have had to live in recent times.

Some of the most frequently used questions are: how do you cope with stress? Have you experienced any crisis or major change in the last year?

Values ​​and beliefs

Does the patient get what he wants in life? Do you have big plans for the future? Do you have any beliefs that help you cope with difficult situations?

This pattern is in charge of studying the way in which the patient faces life and relates to the world and himself.

References

1. "Marjory Gordon" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved on: March 9, 2018 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.
2. "Gordon's Functional Health Patterns" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved on: March 9, 2018 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.
3. "Marjory Gordon's Functional Patterns" in: MindMeister. Retrieved on: March 9, 2018 from MindMeister: mindmeister.com.
4. "Typology of Functional Patterns" in: Observatory of Nursing Methodology. Retrieved on: March 9, 2018 from the Observatory of Nursing Methodology: ome.es.
5. "Functional Health Patterns" in: Nursing Theories. Retrieved on: March 9, 2018 from Nursing Theories: currentnursing.com.