APPLICATION OF THEORY IN NURSING
PROCESS
Introduction
Theories are a set of interrelated concepts that give a
systematic view of a phenomenon (an observable fact or
event) that is explanatory & predictive in nature.
Theories are composed of concepts, definitions, models,
propositions & are based on assumptions. They are
derived through two principal methods; deductive
reasoning and inductive reasoning.
Objectives
Definition:
Nursing theory is an
organized and systematic articulation of a set of
statements related to
questions in the discipline of
nursing. A nursing theory is a set of concepts,
definitions, relationships, and assumptions or
propositions derived from nursing models or from other
disciplines and project a purposive, systematic view of
phenomena by designing specific inter-relationships
among concepts for the purposes of describing,
explaining, predicting, and /or prescribing..
Importance
of nursing theories:
It should provide the foundations of nursing practice, help to
generate further knowledge and indicate in which
direction nursing should develop in the future
Theory is important because it helps us to decide what we know and
what we need to know
It helps to distinguish what should form the basis of practice by
explicitly describing nursing
The benefits of having a defined body of theory in nursing include
better patient care, enhanced professional status for
nurses, improved communication between nurses, and
guidance for research and education
The main exponent of nursing – caring – cannot be measured, it is
vital to have the theory to analyze and explain what
nurses do
As medicine tries to make a move towards adopting a more
multidisciplinary approach to health care, nursing
continues to strive to establish a unique body of
knowledge
This can be seen as an attempt by the nursing profession to
maintain its professional boundaries
Characteristics of theories:
Theories are
Logical in nature.
Generalizable.
Bases for hypotheses that can be tested.
Increasing the general body of knowledge within the
discipline through the research implemented to validate
them.
Used by the practitioners to guide and improve their
practice.
Consistent with other validated theories, laws, and
principles but will leave open unanswered questions that
need to be investigated.
Purposes of theory in
practice:
Serve to
guide assessment, intervention, and evaluation of
nursing care.
Provide a
rationale for collecting reliable and valid data about
the health status of clients, which are essential for
effective decision making and implementation.
Help to
establish criteria to measure the quality of nursing
care
Help build
a common nursing terminology to use in communicating
with other health professionals. Ideas are developed and
words defined.
Enhance
autonomy (independence and self-governance) of nursing
by defining its own independent functions.
If theory is
expected to benefit practice, it must be developed co-
operatively with people who practice nursing. People who
do research and develop theories think
differently about
theory when they perceive the reality of practice.
Theories do not provide the same type of procedural
guidelines for practice as do situation- specific
principles and procedures or rules. Procedural rules or
principles help to standardise nursing practice and can
also be useful in achieving minimum goals of quality of
care. Theory is ought to improve the nursing practice.
One of the most common ways theory has been organized in
practice is in the nursing process of analyzing
assessment data.
REFERENCES
1. Alligood M R, Tomey A M. Nursing Theory:
Utilization &Application .3rd ed.
Missouri: Elsevier Mosby Publications; 2002.
2.
Tomey AM, Alligood. MR. Nursing theorists and
their work. (5th ed.). Mosby, Philadelphia, 2002
3. George JB .Nursing Theories: The Base for
Professional Nursing Practice .5th
ed. New Jersey :Prentice Hall;2002.
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