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Nursing Theory And Its Impact On Nursing

Decent Essays

Nursing in itself is a very complex profession, with many different influences shaping it since its inception. These influences play a major part in defining what exactly nursing is. One of these key factors is nursing theory. Theory has many different definitions, but for the sake of this article, theory will be described as the “rigorous and systematic structuring of ideas that conveys a view of a phenomenon (Power, 2016).” In this case, that phenomenon is nursing. Theory is essential to developing a basic knowledge in nursing, and is what sets nursing apart as a professional occupation (Power, 2016). It can be very difficult to turn the practical aspect of nursing into theoretical terms, but there are many different theories out there that work together to outline the ideas that nursing revolves around (Power, 2016). One of these main theorists was Florence Nightingale, who singlehandedly brought public health to the world’s attention, through her sanitation efforts and work in wartime hospitals (Fee & Garofalo, 2010.). In this article, we will outline the components of Nightingale’s theory as well as identify how it still impacts the nursing world today.
Historical Background
Florence Nightingale was born in 1820 in Florence, Italy, to which she is named from. She came from a very wealthy and prestigious family, where her father insisted on a very extensive education, where she was rigorously schooled in mathematics, the classics, and many languages, which she became

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