Have you questioned the relevance of taking a theory course in your graduate nursing program, or the usefulness of theory in nursing practice? In the case study provided, Julia Costales was skeptical about theory in nursing practice, and on a day at the veterans’ administration (VA) inpatient medical unit, she was caring for a complex patient. The medical unit’s acute care nurse practitioner challenged her to identify theories that would help guide care for her patient. McEwen (2014a) explains that, “Use of theory also promotes rational and systematic practice by challenging and validating intuition. Theories make nursing practice more overtly purposeful by stating not only the focus of practice but also specific goals and outcomes” (p. 25).…
Parker, M. E., & Smith, M. C. (2010). Nursing theories & nursing practice (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company.…
Parker, M. E., & Smith, M. C. (2015). Choosing, evaluating, and implementing nursing theories for practice. In M. C. Smith, & M. E. Parker, Nursing theories & nursing practice (4th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F.A.Davis Company. Retrieved from…
Raudonis, B., & Acton, G. (1997). Theory-based nursing practice. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 26(1), 138-145. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.…
There are many different theories that are used in the nursing profession. Each of these theories have their own concept and uniqueness that can be applied in a nursing capacity. All nursing theories have some form of connection to the advanced practice nurse (APN) practice. There are different types of theories for nursing circumstances. It is important for APN to obtain a good understanding and know how to apply the theory to their practice. Some of these nursing theories are Maslow's theory, Orem Self Care theory, and Watson theory. Maslow’s theory involves the use of a pyramid to address the needs of human beings reaching self- actualization. Paris and Terhaar (2011) used Maslow's Theory in combination with the National Database for Nusing…
Many philosophers believe that theories are human inventions rather than phenomena. Theories are not something which happens in the past; rather, they are theorists’ ideas based on the levels of knowledge and experience . Theories are classified based on many professional areas . Nursing theory is one of many professional areas and also considered as a unique piece of philosophy which is different from other theories. Many nursing theorists including Florence Nightingale have produced great pieces of nursing philosophies and concepts over hundreds of years. This paper is going to define theory, explain the purpose of theory, introduce the definition of metaparadigm and its four elements, and emphasize the importance of theory in nursing…
Fawcett, J., Schaefer, & Moore, K. (1991). Levine’s conservation model: a framework for nursing practice. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co.…
Parker, M. E., & Smith, M. C. (2010). Nursing theories & nursing practice (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis…
Nurses will use theories in their practice to help guide them through their daily tasks, patient assessments and also to help make and individualize patient goals and interventions to provide the best care. Nurses study theory as it helps assist the student in building their critical thinking skills. Theories provide a good foundation for clinical practice, improved communication between nurses, better patient care and guidance for research and education. When nurses comprehend and use nursing theory in their practice along with their intuition and compassion, they should become an efficient and strong nurse. All of these traits are important in our daily lives as nurses. Having these theories in place helps nurses to use their critical thinking skills in order to provide our…
Nursing theories can help create and promote a healthy professional environment for patients and members of the healthcare team. They assist as building blocks and guide assessment, interventions, and evaluation of nursing care. They also assist nurses in describing, explaining, and predicting everyday experiences. Nursing theory improves nursing practice by strengthening the nursing focus of care and facilitates the nursing discipline in analyzing goals, values, and beliefs. It improves the health and quality of life of the patient, their families, and the community.…
Reflecting on the past two years of nursing school, my philosophy of nursing has been reshaped from when I had first started the nursing program. Though the fundamental aspect of my philosophy has not changed, my horizon has been broadened to see the beauty behind the nursing profession. Florence Nightingale once said that “Nursing is an art, and if it is to be made an art, it requires an exclusive devotion as hard a preparation, as any painter 's or sculptor 's work; for what is the having to do with dead canvas or dead marble, compared with having to do with the living body, the temple of God 's spirit? It is one of the Fine Arts” (Bolen, 2009). I had almost said the finest of Fine Arts.” Her belief in the nursing profession has been the core reason for most of my beliefs. Through the academic studies and hands on…
Sources used are acknowledged in the text and reference list and used effectively to support discussion. Referencing follows a systematic approach, appropriate to…
The nursing profession has made some remarkable accomplishment during the 20th and 21st centuries, which has led to the recognition of nursing as an academic discipline. The move toward a theory- based practice has shifted the focus from the vocational view of nursing to a more meaningful and organized profession. As such, the knowledge and practice of nursing is embedded and guided by the theoretical framework of the profession. Theories also give direction and purpose to the nursing profession, and they are developed to improve nursing care and education, and to provide a basis for practice. A theory is an idea recommended to explain a phenomenon, interprets observation, defines relationships, and project outcome (Parker & Smith, 2010). The theories of nursing can be categorize in three areas: (a) grand nursing theories, which gives…
Nursing theory is an essential component of daily nursing practice. According to (Mosby, 2012), nursing theory is “an organized framework of concepts and purposes designed to guide the practice of nursing”. In other words, theories are developed by utilizing abstract concepts to identify specific phenomena that can ultimately influence changes in patient care. Doctoral programs in nursing prepare doctor of philosophy (PhD) students to develop theory for nursing practice, whereas (DNP) students are prepared to use theory in practice(Chism, 2015).Nursing theory has evolved over time to include grand theories, middle range theories, and practice theories. Grand theories offer a conceptual framework of which concepts and principles of the discipline can be identified. Middle range theories are more specific and target particular situations while practice theories explore only one particular situation found in nursing.…
After reading through all of the theories presented in chapter four, I was most intrigued by Benner and Wrubel's theory. This theory is about caring being the most important aspect of care. According to Potter and Perry, this theory states, "caring creates possibilities for coping, enables possibilities for connecting with and concern for others, and allows for the giving and receiving of help." I agree with this statement, and I believe that this is a theory that I can use to provide care and make a difference.…